TOYOTA HIGHLANDER · model year

2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

238 NHTSA complaints, 19 crash reports, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

5 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2015TOYOTAHIGHLANDER carries 238 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 19 crashes, 11 fires, 17 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2015 HIGHLANDER is electrical system with 46 filings, followed by unknown or other (41) and steering (24). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2015 HIGHLANDER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

238
Complaints
19
Crashes
11
Fires
17
Injuries
0
Deaths
2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER - NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. Overall composite: 5.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 5.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 5.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

238 filings

Crashes Reported

19 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume, review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 5/5 - Top NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM46
UNKNOWN OR OTHER41
STEERING24
STRUCTURE:BODY21
SERVICE BRAKES15
VISIBILITY/WIPER11
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL11
ENGINE9
EXTERIOR LIGHTING9
AIR BAGS8
POWER TRAIN6
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)4
SEATS4
SUSPENSION3

Recalls (2)

18E10700027/11/2018

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Fujian Wanda Automobile Glass Industry (Wanda) is recalling certain aftermarket Replacement Windshields sold for use in 2014-2018 Toyota Highlander vehicles. The windshields have an attached wire harness that water may leak into, possibly causing damage to the vehicle's Engine Control Module (ECM).

15V14400013/03/2015

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles. A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may have been damaged during the manufacturing p

Recent Complaints

20260127STEERING

[XXX] battery light appeared on dash. [XXX] on my way to Limestone service station 399 Danbury rd Ridgefield ct ph203-438-8028 a warning appeared on dash stating i will lose steering.Luckily I managed to pull into a parking lot and lost all ability to steer. Thank God i was not on the highway and was not in a catastrophic accident.The dashboard went blank. The engine stayed on as I called Limestone and was told I needed to be towed..As I was calling Allstate for a tow the dashboard came back on and so did the steering. I drove to Limestone. After checking everything I was told they didn't find any codes and there must be a glitch in the system. Battery good, alternator good, serpentine belt good. We also found a recall NHTSA campaign number15V144000 for unexpected loss of electric power steering increasing the risk of a crash for 2015 Toyota Highlander. Jan2 2026 i drove to Brookfield Ct Toyota and was informed by a very helpful service manager Katelyn Hadden that Unbelievably my Vin

20251218STRUCTURE:BODY

Paint is peeling off my car, This is confirmed by Toyota it was covered by the Consumer Support program which expired in July however the paint did not start peeling off until last week.Toyota said that there wasn't anything they could do. this is clearly a manufacture defect and should be repair by Toyota at no charge to me.

20251218UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Paint is peeling off my car, This is confirmed by Toyota it was covered by the Consumer Support program which expired in July however the paint did not start peeling off until last week.Toyota said that there wasn't anything they could do. this is clearly a manufacture defect and should be repair by Toyota at no charge to me.

20251209AIR BAGS

When right front pax sits in seat and fastens seatbelt, the airbag indicator correctly says "ON." But after a few minutes, the airbag turns "OFF" and the driver's dash gets an "unfastened seatbelt" warning and a "faulty airbag" warning. All of these occur while the front right pax has remain seated and buckled. If the pax unbuckles and exits the seat, these incorrect warnings all remain the same. The right front pax seat belt buckle has been replaced with no effect. The seat has been recalibrated (seat sensors) with no effect. The wires under the seat have been disconnected, cleaned, and re-connected with no effect. This is a safety issue in that the airbag on that front right side de-activates when a passenger is in that seat. There is a Toyota Recall Campaign for this identical problem, but it does not include my model year (2015). Requesting NHTSA get Toyota to extend their recall to include 2015 models, please.

20251209SEAT BELTS

When right front pax sits in seat and fastens seatbelt, the airbag indicator correctly says "ON." But after a few minutes, the airbag turns "OFF" and the driver's dash gets an "unfastened seatbelt" warning and a "faulty airbag" warning. All of these occur while the front right pax has remain seated and buckled. If the pax unbuckles and exits the seat, these incorrect warnings all remain the same. The right front pax seat belt buckle has been replaced with no effect. The seat has been recalibrated (seat sensors) with no effect. The wires under the seat have been disconnected, cleaned, and re-connected with no effect. This is a safety issue in that the airbag on that front right side de-activates when a passenger is in that seat. There is a Toyota Recall Campaign for this identical problem, but it does not include my model year (2015). Requesting NHTSA get Toyota to extend their recall to include 2015 models, please.

20251209ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When right front pax sits in seat and fastens seatbelt, the airbag indicator correctly says "ON." But after a few minutes, the airbag turns "OFF" and the driver's dash gets an "unfastened seatbelt" warning and a "faulty airbag" warning. All of these occur while the front right pax has remain seated and buckled. If the pax unbuckles and exits the seat, these incorrect warnings all remain the same. The right front pax seat belt buckle has been replaced with no effect. The seat has been recalibrated (seat sensors) with no effect. The wires under the seat have been disconnected, cleaned, and re-connected with no effect. This is a safety issue in that the airbag on that front right side de-activates when a passenger is in that seat. There is a Toyota Recall Campaign for this identical problem, but it does not include my model year (2015). Requesting NHTSA get Toyota to extend their recall to include 2015 models, please.

20250731STRUCTURE

The blizzard pearl paint on my vehicle is peeling off of the roof and possibly the side of the vehicle.

20250704CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I have noticed speed issues or high idling with this vehicle for a while. I committed a rear end collision with a vehicle on July 4, 2025, at approximately 2pm. My car rear ended his truck while it was stopped behind another vehicle. My vehicle sustained total damage to the front end. I was ticketed for not reducing speed to prevent a accident. The only warning light was that it need maintenance, which comes on prior to an oil change. My safety was put at risk because the car is idled too fast for the type of driving I do, which is small town and rural road driving. Due to the speed of this vehicle during normal driving, it's difficult to stop quickly to avoid an accident. If it was rainy and slippery, the situation could have been much worse.

20250704CrashSERVICE BRAKES

I have noticed speed issues or high idling with this vehicle for a while. I committed a rear end collision with a vehicle on July 4, 2025, at approximately 2pm. My car rear ended his truck while it was stopped behind another vehicle. My vehicle sustained total damage to the front end. I was ticketed for not reducing speed to prevent a accident. The only warning light was that it need maintenance, which comes on prior to an oil change. My safety was put at risk because the car is idled too fast for the type of driving I do, which is small town and rural road driving. Due to the speed of this vehicle during normal driving, it's difficult to stop quickly to avoid an accident. If it was rainy and slippery, the situation could have been much worse.

20250607CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

On [XXX] my vehicle suffered an unintended acceleration on a very busy highway of The Dominican Republic, reaching a speed of 100 MPH. I was able to drive the car into the bushes of the highway service road hitting all king of obstacles such as trees, wall, advertising signs and safety barriers. The car damages resulted in a total loss. My life and my family life were in extremely dangerous situation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20241212ENGINE

Driving to take my son to work. Check engine light came on said check and system. Hard shifting put in manual drive and made it to destination.

20241212VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Driving to take my son to work. Check engine light came on said check and system. Hard shifting put in manual drive and made it to destination.

20241212STEERING

Driving the car was hard to steer. Check engine light came on and check speed sensor. Went to a mechanic and disconnected the battery, the sensor reset and back driving ok for about two weeks. This went on for a few weeks. Been a month now and it hasn't come on but it was dangerous due to driving and turning issues.

20241212UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Trunk keeps malfunctioning. During lift would not open all the way or at all and sometimes once open will not close.

20241124STRUCTURE:BODY

Unknown-tailgate failure keeps beeping will not automatically go up or down not sure why?

20241105ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have a 2015 Toyota Highlander XLE. Last winter I began noticing a burning smell which I believed to be electrical inside the vehicle. I was able to determine it was the driver seat heater and the burning smell continued even with the toggle switch turned off. I stopped at a local Toyota dealership, Koch Toyota, who refused to show me which plug under the seat to unplug to disconnect power. They tried to insist that I drop the car off and let them check it. Due to past negative experiences with that Toyota dealership I refused. I was able to speak to my own mechanic who instructed me to remove the fuse for the driver's seat heater which I did and the smell stopped however the seat heater is not functioning now. Upon recent research online it appears this is a common problem especially in 2015 Toyota Highlanders. I found a couple other owners of the xle models on a website called Toyota Nation who experienced similar problems where their vehicles actually caught fire and melted the cen

20241105SEATS

I have a 2015 Toyota Highlander XLE. Last winter I began noticing a burning smell which I believed to be electrical inside the vehicle. I was able to determine it was the driver seat heater and the burning smell continued even with the toggle switch turned off. I stopped at a local Toyota dealership, Koch Toyota, who refused to show me which plug under the seat to unplug to disconnect power. They tried to insist that I drop the car off and let them check it. Due to past negative experiences with that Toyota dealership I refused. I was able to speak to my own mechanic who instructed me to remove the fuse for the driver's seat heater which I did and the smell stopped however the seat heater is not functioning now. Upon recent research online it appears this is a common problem especially in 2015 Toyota Highlanders. I found a couple other owners of the xle models on a website called Toyota Nation who experienced similar problems where their vehicles actually caught fire and melted the cen

20240928LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

BSM works when it want to and sometimes not at all

20240928UNKNOWN OR OTHER

BSM works when it want to and sometimes not at all

20240926ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The check engine warning light and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after 45 minutes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and charged a fee for diagnostic testing. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18E107000 (Electrical System, Visibility); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 193,000.

Mileage: 193,000

Compare 2015TOYOTAHIGHLANDER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER have?
The 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER has 238 NHTSA complaints, 19 crashes, 11 fires, 17 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER?
The 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 5/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER?
Yes, the 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER?
The most-complained component for the 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 46 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and STEERING.
Is the 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER has an NHTSA safety rating of 5/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.