2011 Toyota Highlander Electrical System Problems

NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/14/2026

20Electrical System complaints

11%Of all 181 complaints

#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How electrical system ranks on this vehicle

STEERING33 · 18.2%

VISIBILITY/WIPER25 · 13.8%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM20 · 11%

ENGINE17 · 9.4%

POWER TRAIN15 · 8.3%

Share of the 181 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2011 Toyota Highlander overview page.

What owners report

“DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH GENTLE TURNS AT 35MPH, POWER STEERING FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE STRAIGHT UNTIL THERE WERE NO CARS DIRECTLY BEHIND…”NHTSA complaint 11129485 — filed 09/14/2018

“ACTUATORS FAIL TO RESPOND IN CAR DRIVERSIDE DOOR.IN PARK KEY FOB READ DOORS AS UNLOCKED AND CAUSES LOCK AND UNLOCK TO RUN AFTER ENGINE IS…”NHTSA complaint 11103922 — filed 06/25/2018

“AS I WAS TIRING RIGHT A SENSOR CAME ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND ALL THE LIGHTS TURNS OFF. THANK GOD I WAS ALMOST…”NHTSA complaint 10969939 — filed 04/01/2017

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Electrical System complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2011 Toyota Highlander have electrical system problems?

Electrical System is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 2011 Toyota Highlander: 20 of 181 complaints on file (11%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2011 Toyota Highlander have in total?

181 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 14 involved a crash, 0 involved a fire, 8 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.