RoadVitals

2016 Toyota Highlander Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Jul 20, 2022
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 109 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2016 Toyota Highlander submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming exterior lighting

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 20, 2022

The tail lights on the back tailgate hatch are leaking and have been leaking. The leaks are getting progressively worse and the lights are filling up with water. The vehicle has been garage kept, has low mileage, and has never been wrecked. I feel like this is a manufacturer defect.

NHTSA ID
11474921
Incident
May 1, 2019
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 20, 2022

Rear passenger tail light lift gate has water inside tail light housing, if this continues it will cause brake light to be burned off or malfunction and cause vehicle behind these cars unable to see the tail light and cause an accident. The problem has been seen all over toyota forum and a quick google search will provide adequate evidence or recurring problem with this vehicle and similar vehicle with the same tail light manufacturer. Some people has brought their car to the dealerships under warranty for the same issue. I thought these will resolve itself but it has not. So I'm submitting request for recall to solve these problem since removing the housing is a difficult task and might cause more electrical problems.

NHTSA ID
11453099
Incident
Feb 20, 2019
Exterior lighting
Filed Aug 31, 2020

WATER INSIDE LEFT TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY AS PURCHASED USED FROM DAVE EDWARDS TOYOTA, AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED

NHTSA ID
11352344
Incident
Aug 22, 2020
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jan 24, 2020

INTERIOR LIGHTS ON AND OFF; WARNINGS E.G .HOOD OPEN WHEN NOT; DID NOT (LIGHT) ALERT CARS ALONG SIDE OR PASSING; MODULE CRACKED BY TAPPING TO DELETE PHONE #S PUT INTO SYSTEM BY TOYOTA TECH, NAVIGATION STARTED ON ITS OWN AND IT WAS INCORRECT!; MAPS INCORRECT TO LOCATION; MAP SHOWING NORTH AS SOUTH AND EAST AS WEST ALL WHEN CAR IN MOTION

NHTSA ID
11301574
Incident
Jan 10, 2020
Mileage
8,000 mi
BrakesExterior lighting
Filed Nov 15, 2018

BRAKES HAVE A SLIGHT VIBRATION WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS IN THE CITY AND SOMEONE IS STOPPED ON THE FREEWAY. MY LIGHTS HAVE DIMMED DRAMATICALLY SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED NEW. THE PASSENGER SIDE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT IS FULL OF MOISTURE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR AND/OR AC FAN/MOTOR IS HALFWAY FUNCTIONING AT 38K! BY THIS, I MEAN THAT THE AC IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR KICKS ON AND OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF COOLING AND IT BLOWS 50% OF WHAT IT DID WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR. CONVENIENT TOYOTA?

NHTSA ID
11151645
Incident
Sep 26, 2018
Mileage
35,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed May 17, 2018

WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT ON DARK, HILLY ROADS, THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROAD PROPERLY. IT IS AS IF THE LIGHTS ARE MASKED HORIZONTALLY WITH THE TOP HALF DARK. IT IS EXTREMELY SCARY TO BE DRIVING ON DARK COUNTRY ROADS THAT ARE HILLY. WHEN YOU ARE TRAVELING DOWN HILL, YOU CANNOT SEE ANY DISTANCE IN FRONT OF THE CAR. GOING UPHILL IS ALMOST AS BAD. IT IS ALMOST ENOUGH TO GET RID OF THIS CAR. SUPPOSEDLY THIS IS TO KEEP FROM BLINDING ONCOMING CARS. I DON'T BUY IT! THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN WE HAVE BEEN TRAVELING TO STATE AND NATIONAL PARKS AND SMALLER TOWNS IN SOUTHERN MISSOURI, TENNESSEE AND NORTH CAROLINA. THE LAST OCCURRENCE WAS MAY 4TH 2018 LEAVING BRYSON CITY NORTH CAROLINA AT 9:30PM.

NHTSA ID
11096585
Incident
May 4, 2018
Mileage
39,800 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 16, 2018

THE REAR PASSENGER TAIL LENS CONTINUES TO FOG UP. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL AND THERE IS NOT. I WOULD LIKE THE LENS REPLACED WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANT. BUT I DON'T WANT ANY ISSUES FROM THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. HOW DO I RESOLVE THE ISSUE, DO YOU ISSUE A WORK ORDER TO THE DEALERSHIP?

NHTSA ID
11079828
Incident
Mar 1, 2018
Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 19, 2017

THE 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER DOES NOT DISPLAY KPH (KILOMETERS PER HOUR) FOR DRIVING IN CANADA. THE NUMBERS ARE ON THE SPEEDOMETER HOWEVER, NOT ILLUMINATED AND IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WHILE DRIVING. THIS SHOULD BE BASIC INFORMATION WHILE DRIVING IN CANADA. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, VEHICLES SOLD IN CANADA HAVE THE SAME ISSUE---NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE MPH WHEN DRIVEN IN THE US. I WOULD THINK THAT BEING ABLE TO BE AWARE OF ONE'S SPEED WOULD BE A BASIC SAFETY FEATURE---HOWEVER---NOT ON A TOYOTA HIGHLANDER.

NHTSA ID
11006389
Incident
Jul 18, 2017
Mileage
14,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .