Model year 2018 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
2018 Toyota Highlander: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings
EPA rates the 2018 Toyota Highlander at 22–29 mpg combined across 8 versions. NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 275 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Safety recalls
4
EPA combined mpg
22–29
NHTSA overall rating
5/5
Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT
NHTSA lists this vehicle as HIGHLANDER HYBRID.
Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Toyota dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.
2018 Toyota Highlander recalls
NHTSA's recall file lists 4 safety recalls for the 2018 Toyota Highlander, newest first.
Fuel system, gasoline: Delivery: Fuel pump
NHTSA 20V682000Reported Nov 4, 2020
Filed by
Toyota Motor Corporation (manufacturer recall no. 20TA02, 20LA01)
If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.
Toyota Motor Corporation (manufacturer recall no. 20TB02/20TA02/20LB01)
Units affected
1,830,752 (estimate)
Problem
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna and Lexus 2018 ES 350, 2018-2019 GS 300, 2013-2014 GS350, 2014-2015 GX 460, IS 350 and LX 570, 2014 IS F, 2018-2019 IS 350, LC 500H and LS 500H, 2013-2015 LS 460, 2015 NX 200T and RC350, 2017 RC 200T and RX 350. Toyota also removed the 2018-2019 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser and 2018-2019 Lexus GX 460 and LX 570 and 2019 NX300 from inclusion in this recall. On March 19, 2020, Toyota expanded the…
Risk
If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.
Toyota Motor Corporation (manufacturer recall no. J0K/JLD)
Units affected
6,046 (estimate)
Problem
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry and Highlander vehicles, 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles and 2017 Lexus RX350 vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the oil galley in the rotor for the brake booster vacuum pump assembly may have been improperly machined possibly resulting in a sudden loss of brake assist.
Risk
A sudden loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake booster vacuum pump, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371, or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0K/JLD.
Toyota Motor Corporation (manufacturer recall no. Toyota H0Z Lexus HLF)
Units affected
649 (estimate)
Problem
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk
An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are H0Z for Toyota vehicles, and HLF for Lexus vehicles.
Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.
Advertisement
2018 Toyota Highlander fuel economy by version
EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.
Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.
EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.
2018 Toyota Highlander crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
2018 Toyota Highlander NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
Forward collision warning
2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV AWD
5 stars
4 stars
5 stars
4 stars
16.9%
Standard
2018 Toyota Highlander SUV AWD
5 stars
4 stars
5 stars
4 stars
16.9%
Standard
2018 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD
5 stars
4 stars
5 stars
4 stars
18.5%
Standard
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.
Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.
Advertisement
2018 Toyota Highlander owner complaints
Owners have filed 275 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota Highlander, most recently on Oct 24, 2026. 24 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 25 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.
Most-cited components in 2018 Toyota Highlander complaints
Component named in complaints
Mentions
Power train
69
Service brakes
53
Unknown or other
47
Engine
36
Electrical system
24
Fuel/propulsion system
23
Air bags
19
Fuel system, gasoline
12
Structure: Body
11
Steering
10
Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.
