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Selling a junk Toyota Highlander

Any Highlander sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Toyota Highlander

NHTSA has 6,982 owner complaints on file for the Toyota Highlander, model years 1997 to 2022, the 73rd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are transmission and drivetrain (1,028, 15%), other (729, 10%), brakes (702, 10%). 674 complaints involved a crash, 88 a fire, and 304 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 53,000 miles. The 2021 model year has the most complaints (660). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is transmission and drivetrain, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a bad transmission: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Toyota Highlander by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
19971Visibility and wipers000—
19981Electrical system000—
2001158Visibility and wipers282356,600
2002335Visibility and wipers278275,000
2003316Engine and cooling431295,234
2004337Transmission and drivetrain423564,505
2005289Transmission and drivetrain508656,000
2006349Brakes384775,500
2007160Brakes151469,000
2008503Brakes59191378,710
2009178Brakes77972,000
2010272Electrical system2851053,605
2011229Visibility and wipers160555,603
2012230Steering204248,948
2013283Steering440336,300
2014163Electrical system81541,000
2015255Electrical system1911236,000
2016139Other221328,000
2017378Transmission and drivetrain352423,620
2018360Transmission and drivetrain411517,500
2019645Transmission and drivetrain381313,000
2020383Transmission and drivetrain320429,296
2021660Transmission and drivetrain297441,500
2022358Transmission and drivetrain332520,000

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Toyota Highlander recalls

NHTSA lists 48 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for equipment (11), fuel system (5), seats (5). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2021 model year, seats (campaign 26V128000, Mar 2026): 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.
  • 2021 model year, tires (campaign 24V452000, Jun 2024): 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. …
  • 2022 model year, tires (campaign 24V419000, Jun 2024): 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…
  • 2020 model year, air bags (campaign 23V865000, Dec 2023): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybri…
  • 2020 model year, body and structure (campaign 23V720000, Oct 2023): 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 co…

What a Toyota Highlander is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Highlander on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Toyota Highlander worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Highlander gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Toyota Highlander that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Toyota Highlander?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Toyota Highlander numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.