These help you judge whether this one is worth its price.
Costly problem zones ahead at your miles come with a Car Hunt Pass or Pro. See plans
Loading the EPA's yearly fuel cost
What about the price? Check the asking price on two listing sites. Buying from a dealer? Run its offer through the offer X ray.
Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.
The full record
Tap to open
What owners complain about
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Seller kit
Questions for the seller, test drive checks and price points
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Walk up to the seller ready
Questions to ask the seller of a 2022 Toyota Highlander, built from this year's owner complaints and recalls. What to feel, hear and look at on the test drive, with boxes to tick at the car. Honest points to raise on price, from the records and never from guesses. Copy the questions to your phone in one tap.
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Write your offer
A ready to send offer for the seller, by text or email
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Send the seller a fair offer
Type the asking price and your own offer for the 2022 Toyota Highlander, tick what you found, and get a polite message ready to text or email. Its reasons come from this year's owner complaints, recalls and crash ratings, and never from made up repair prices.
Car Hunt Pass: $15 once for 30 days, a launch price. It never renews. Full refund if you ask within 7 days.
When problems show up
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Will it outlast the loan?
The month of your loan each problem zone lands in
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Recalls
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Crash ratings
NHTSA's stars out of five, for each version it tested. Front crash stars only compare cars of about the same size and weight.
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Fuel economy
The EPA's estimates for each engine and transmission, and its own yearly fuel cost. Yours depends on how you drive and the shape the car is in.
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True cost to own
The loan, fuel, insurance and upkeep, a month and over 5 years
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What it really costs to own
What the 2022 Toyota Highlander costs a month and over 5 years: the loan and its interest, fuel worked out from the EPA's figures for the version you pick, and your own insurance, registration and upkeep. A cost a mile, a link that reopens your numbers, and the breakdown copied to your phone in one tap.
Car Hunt Pass: $15 once for 30 days, a launch price. It never renews. Full refund if you ask within 7 days.
Every year of the Highlander
Owner complaints for each model year, this one outlined. Tap a year to open it. The newest 2 are not judged yet. Bars are totals, so older years stand taller; the verdict compares every year at the same age.
Loading every year of this model
Before you buy this one
Built from this year's numbers. Whatever the data says, the car in front of you is the one that counts.
Not every car needs every fix. Run the VIN at NHTSA to see which are still open. Repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand; ask before any work.
Seats
Mar 5, 2026 · Recall 26V128000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.
What can happen
A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix
Dealers will replace the return springs in the seat back recliner assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 9, 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Toyota’s customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TB06 and 26TA06.
Wheels and tires
Jun 18, 2024 · Recall 24V452000
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander vehicles. The 20-inch accessory tires with an insufficient load rating for the vehicle's Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) were installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
What can happen
Tires with an insufficient load rating can be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
SET will inspect and replace the tires and information placard, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2024. Owners may contact SET's customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET24A.
Wheels and tires
Jun 6, 2024 · Recall 24V419000
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022-2024 model year Highlander L and Highlander LE vehicles equipped with the Blackout Package that includes 20" black alloy wheels and tires. The installed tires have an insufficient load rating. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
What can happen
Tires with an insufficient load rating may be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
GST will inspect and replace the tires as necessary, and install a new tire information label as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2024. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 24R1.
Body and frame
Oct 26, 2023 · Recall 23V720000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Highlander & Highlander Hybrid vehicles. During normal vehicle operation, minor impact to the front lower bumper cover may result in the cover coming loose or detaching.
What can happen
A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will repair or replace the upper and lower front bumper covers as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 22, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB12/23TA12.
Equipment and accessories
May 6, 2022 · Recall 22V310000
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022 4Runner, Tacoma, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification labels may not be permanent and can fade, becoming illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
What can happen
An illegible label may allow the vehicle to be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
GST will notify owners by mail, including a replacement load carrying capacity modification label for their vehicle and detailed replacement instructions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 22R1.
266 complaints; the part named most is the transmission and drivetrain
Unverified reports, not adjusted for sales. One complaint can name several parts, so shares add up past 100%. Filed Nov 24, 2021 to Oct 24, 2026. 40% name a part that is usually costly to fix.
Owners reported 20 crashes, 1 fire, 16 injuries and 1 death in these complaints.
Transmission and drivetrain55 · 21%Usually costly to fix
Body and frame43 · 16%Usually costly to fix
Other or unknown41 · 15%
What one owner wrote about the transmission and drivetrain
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the transmission was shuddering however, the vehicle was able to be driven to the residence. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The…
Filed Oct 21, 2026NHTSA complaint 117726341 of 18 owner quotes
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15 more parts, and 18 owner quotes
Every part owners name for the 2022 Toyota Highlander, with their own words about what went wrong. Usually costly to fix among them: Engine.
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5 checks, with a close look at the transmission and drivetrain
The bar holds the middle half of the complaints that gave a mileage; the dark mark is the middle one. 69 complaints of 266 gave one. Owners file when something fails, so this shows when problems were reported, not how long the cars last. These cars are young, so problems at higher miles have not had time to show.
Transmission and drivetrainCostly60,000 to 80,000 mi
Half of these 30 complaints came between about 60,000 and 80,000 miles, the middle one around 70,000.
Run the VIN at NHTSA to confirm every recall was fixed.
This year has 5 recalls on file. Recall repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand. Ask the dealer to confirm before any work is done. Look up a VIN at NHTSA.
Ask the seller for the service records.
Look closely for any work on the transmission and drivetrain. It is the part owners complain about most for this year.
Have a mechanic you trust inspect it before you pay.
Ask them to look hard at the transmission and drivetrain. It is usually costly to fix.
Look at a vehicle history report.
It can show reported crashes, flood or salvage titles, and mileage that does not add up.
On the test drive, pay attention to the transmission and drivetrain.
Feel for slipping, hesitation, harsh or late shifts, and shudder at low speed.
2022 Toyota Highlander: problems, recalls, verdict · WhipWorthy
Year verdict
Maybe
1.9× a typical year
More owner complaints than usual. Buy only with records and an inspection.
Confidence: Medium
NHTSA did not answer for 16 years, so the typical year may shift.
NHTSA did not answer for 16 years, so this may change.
How the dial was counted
Year verdict: Typical year: 138 complaints, the median of 8 nearby years. Each counted over its first 5 years and 10 months from January 2021; this one had 266.
Same car, better year: 2017 or 2018 Highlander (both Worthy)