2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the structure. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“The mid-row seats shake and rattle when driving and no one is sitting on them.”
“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,…”
“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…”
“The vehicle developed a clunk or knock type noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. It occurred at slow speeds such as turning at an intersection. This required replacement of the steering intermediate shaft. This is a known , reported defect on highlanders from 2008 - 2013. It needs…”
“The sunroof exploded and shuttered with a load explosion noise while I was driving 55mph on a highway 17 in california with my children.”
“The sunroof exploded and shuttered with a load explosion noise while I was driving 55mph on a highway 17 in california with my children.”
“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…”
“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…”
Defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for…
Steering Column Separation
On November 16, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an Engineering Analysis (EA18-006) as an upgrade to a Preliminary Evaluation (PE18-005). The investigation focused on allegations of steering wheel separation from the lower steering column after using the tilt and/or telescoping mechanism.…
Steering Column Separation
On November 16, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an Engineering Analysis (EA18-006) as an upgrade to a Preliminary Evaluation (PE18-005). The investigation focused on allegations of steering wheel separation from the lower steering column after using the tilt and/or telescoping mechanism.…
Upper Steering Column Separation
On May 4, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE18-005 to investigate three allegations of steering column separation for Model Year (MY) 2008 through 2013 Toyota Highlander vehicles. Two (2) of the 3 complaints were received by ODI in April 2018 and occurred while the…
Upper Steering Column Separation
On May 4, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE18-005 to investigate three allegations of steering column separation for Model Year (MY) 2008 through 2013 Toyota Highlander vehicles. Two (2) of the 3 complaints were received by ODI in April 2018 and occurred while the…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.