"How reliable is the 2005 Toyota Highlander?"

"Based on 289 NHTSA complaints, the 2005 Toyota Highlander has a median complaint mileage of 52991 miles. The most common issue is Vehicle Speed Control."

"What are common problems with the 2005 Toyota Highlander?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2005 Toyota Highlander is Vehicle Speed Control, accounting for a significant portion of the 289 total complaints filed."

2005 Toyota Highlander: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 289 complaints

289

Total Complaints

52,991mi

Median Mileage

Vehicle Speed Control

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

28,644 25th Percentile

52,991 Median Mileage

89,750 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Vehicle Speed Control

Automatic Transmission

Electrical System

Steering

Power Train

Visibility

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Visibility/Wiper

Air Bags

Exterior Lighting

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"AFTER PLACING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION THE KEY WILL NOT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TOWED. *AK"

"I HAVE JUST PURCHASED A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED. I FIND THAT IN THE BRIGHT FLORIDA SUNSHINE, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER (SPEEDOMETER ETC.) IS SO DEEPLY RECESSED INTO THE DASH, THEY ARE DARK AND IMPOSSIBLE TO READ -- ESPECIALLY WITH SUN GLASSES. THIS IS RATHER DISCONCERTING WHEN I CANNOT SEE/READ ..."

"WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. DRIVER APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE , AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOR..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Vehicle Speed Control 33 complaints

25th: 25,000 mi Median: 52,991 mi 75th: 81,689 mi

Automatic Transmission 27 complaints

25th: 3,500 mi Median: 15,000 mi 75th: 50,497 mi

Electrical System 22 complaints

25th: 37,000 mi Median: 57,770 mi 75th: 79,500 mi

Steering 21 complaints

25th: 44,389 mi Median: 57,750 mi 75th: 85,260 mi

Power Train 17 complaints

25th: 65,220 mi Median: 90,000 mi 75th: 99,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 40 NY: 22 VA: 22 FL: 21 PA: 18 TX: 15 GA: 15 MA: 14 MD: 14 CO: 11

Who Files Complaints?

18.3%

Original Owners

81.7%

Second+ Owners

Toyota Highlander — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2001	158	53,000	Vehicle Speed Control	28
2002	335	70,000	Visibility	27
2003	316	94,000	Engine	43
2004	335	55,675	Automatic Transmission	42
2006	344	68,483	Service Brakes	38
2007	159	60,500	Service Brakes	15
2008	502	77,900	Service Brakes	59
2009	177	58,000	Engine	7
2010	271	52,000	Electrical System	28
2011	228	52,355	Steering	16
2012	228	48,000	Steering	20
2013	279	30,500	Steering	44
2014	155	38,500	Electrical System	8
2015	242	30,800	Electrical System	19
2016	137	24,000	Unknown Or Other	22
2017	348	20,380	Power Train	32
2018	328	15,163	Service Brakes	38
2019	576	10,000	Power Train	38
2020	318	12,995	Power Train	19
2021	516	15,000	Power Train	29
2022	252	17,781	Service Brakes	22
2023	194	28,000	Unknown Or Other	14
2024	42	-	Unknown Or Other	9

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28