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Toyota Highlander HybridModel year report

2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Problems

Complaints
9filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
86,000miles, 9 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
28 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl · hybrid AWD · 28 city / 28 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 9 consumer complaints for the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The part named most often is body and structure, with 2 complaints (22% of the total), followed by brakes (1) and electrical system (1). 9 of the complaints include a mileage, and 33% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 86,000 miles. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 142 technical service bulletins for this model year. Body and structure complaints overlap with 50 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Brakes complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Body and structure: “Vehicle power unlocking mechanism is unreliable, and shows significant defect in the unlocking capabilities of all but the drivers door. After several lock actuator replacements, the vehicle still exhibits improper operation. Dealership agrees that there is a common complaint with this vehicle, and it's lock operation. Biggest issue I see is having to leave my children unattended to enter the vehicle to manually unlock doors. …”

NHTSA complaint #11156484, filed 2018-12, 110,000 miles

Brakes: “Brake booster pump/ABS actuator c1391/c1256 were codes given in attached report from Toyota. This is apparently been a problem with other models of toyotas and are covered under a warranty enhancement, however the 2012 is not covered. Nothing seems wrong with the car and they cannot really tell me what exactly is wrong or if it is a bad sensor, however they want $4,200 to replace the whole unit. Seems like this is a known issue that they have not been able to fix from previous models and would like it covered due to potential safety risk.”

NHTSA complaint #11152787, filed 2018-11, 114,000 miles

Electrical system: “No prior history of hybrid problems during previous 65,000 miles. On monday morning, the Highlander Hybrid started up fine. After warming up for 5 minutes to scrape off snow, shifted to drive and began driving. Car shut down after about 12 feet. Car would not restart. Warning message appeared on display, indicating hybrid system problem. Aaa came, put on flatbed, and took to nearest dealership. Dealership was unable to determine cause or fix problem following 6+ hours of troubleshooting by their hybrid expert yesterday. …”

NHTSA complaint #10683807, filed 2015-02, 86,000 miles

Fuel system: “Took the vehicle in for the 15,000 miles check up. This vehicle isn't even a year old. They told us the fuel tank charcoal canister was cracked, however the plastic shrowd was not. The dealer wanted $1,100 dollars to fix this. This should be covered under warranty. How could this car less than 20,000 miles and less than a year old have a cracked canister, without the shrowd being cracked. Dealer said this was not covered under warranty. This is a defect then that should be covered by a recall.”

NHTSA complaint #10504203, filed 2013-03, 15,445 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

33% of the 9 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 25,690 and 105,002 miles.

0%0–1011%10–2522%25–500%50–7522%75–10044%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (9 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 86,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

201320142015201842019
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Highlander Hybrid 4WD3.5L 6-cyl · hybridCVT282828$2,400

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 142 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 142 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Highlander Hybrid

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2023913,0006535—Too new
2022632,5004535—Not enough data
20211527,3004535—Rising
2020928,5004535—Not enough data
201966,8000529—Not enough data
201858500529—Not enough data
2016647,0120528—Not enough data
2013547,6000—28—Not enough data
2012986,0000—28—Not enough data
2011572,0001—28—Not enough data
20102243,5004—26—Stable
20094063,1004—26Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Stable
2008197110,0006—26Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Rising
2007110105,0002—26Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200637093,5506—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Toyota Highlander Hybrid model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid have?

NHTSA recorded 9 consumer complaints for the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is reported most often?

Body and structure is named most often, in 2 complaints (22% of the total), followed by brakes with 1.

Has the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid get?

The EPA rates the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid (Highlander Hybrid 4WD, 3.5L 6-cyl · hybrid) at 28 mpg combined, 28 city and 28 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,400 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid reported?

Among the 9 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 86,000 miles and the middle half falls between 25,690 and 105,002 miles; 33% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.