2012 Toyota Highlander Electrical System Problems
NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/14/2026
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
Share of the 181 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Toyota Highlander overview page.
What owners report
“PURCHASED USED 2012 HIGHLANDER LTD FROM COLLEGE PARK HYUNDAI/HONDA, COLLEGE PARK MD 20720 IN FEB 2017. THE FRONT PASSENGER AUTOMATIC DOOR ACTUATOR FAILED TO UNLOCK…”NHTSA complaint 11113854 — filed 07/26/2018
“WHEN LOCKING THE DOORS, EVEN THOUGH THE BATTERIES HAVE BEEN CHANGED THE DOORS HAVE TO BE LOCKED MANUEL. THE TRUNK OPENS ON IT OWN. I…”NHTSA complaint 11112299 — filed 07/19/2018
“THE DOOR LOCKS ON MY 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER STOPPED WORKING. WITH ONLY 51K ON THE CAR, ALL 4 DOORS WONT CLOSE WITH THE KEY FOB…”NHTSA complaint 10950440 — filed 02/09/2017
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Electrical System complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2012 Toyota Highlander have electrical system problems?
Electrical System is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Toyota Highlander: 27 of 181 complaints on file (14.9%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2012 Toyota Highlander have in total?
181 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 16 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, 13 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.
