2017 Toyota Highlander Transmission & Power Train Problems
NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN · 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 power train ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 261 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2017 Toyota Highlander overview page.
What owners report
“ON HIGHWAY TRAFFIC CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WE SAT WITH FOOT ON BRAKE MAYBE 2-3 MINUTES WHEN I RELEASED BRAKES CAR WOULD NOT GO…”NHTSA complaint 11388949 — filed 01/19/2021
“THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 33,000 MILES ON THE CAR PUTTING THE WHOLE FAMILY IN THE CAR AT RISK…”NHTSA complaint 11388863 — filed 01/19/2021
“AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR ACCELERATING, A SLIGHT PAUSE OR LOSS OF POWER IS NOTICEABLE. IT SEEMS AS IF FUEL IS CUT OFF OR ENGINE DOES…”NHTSA complaint 11375169 — filed 11/18/2020
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Power Train complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2017 Toyota Highlander have transmission & power train problems?
Power Train is the most-reported problem area on the 2017 Toyota Highlander: 69 of 261 complaints on file (26.4%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2017 Toyota Highlander have in total?
261 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 18 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 26 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's power train category include?
NHTSA groups complaints about the transmission (automatic or manual), driveline, axles, transfer case and related parts under a single component category called POWER TRAIN. This page reports that category as NHTSA defines it.
