The Toyota Highlander is a notoriously dependable SUV, typically reaching at least a quarter-million miles–with Toyota K platform cousins like the Avalon even doubling that. With proper maintenance, your biggest worry is long-term weather damage.
Key Points
- A Toyota Highlander can easily reach 300,000 miles with proper care, but if you’re buying used, expect the problems to start piling up after 250,000.
- Along with the usual scheduled inspection and maintenance, Toyota recommend changing the brake booster’s vacuum pumps out after 120,000 miles.
- While some Highlander model years are better than others, with the 2015, for instance, seeing a small spike in complaints, the SUV is uniformly above-average for dependability year after year.
Expect Your Highlander to Reach 300,000 Miles, or 20 Years, with Excellent Care
On average, how many miles will a Toyota Highlander last? Ask a Toyota dealer and they’re going to quote the high-end to you, which is around 300,000 miles.
This number is around 50-100,000 miles more than you typically expect in this price range, and in this size class.
Though 300,000 miles is certainly not unheard of, you shouldn’t be surprised to see your Highlander shoot right past that number if you take care of it.
But this is a best-case scenario and assumes that you’re probably the first owner, and haven’t been putting off any oil or fluid changes.
If you’re the third or fourth owner, a typical used Highlander will probably reach a minimum 250,000 miles on its original transmission and engine. Your mileage will vary from there.
The average American drives around 14,000 miles a year, according to Kelley Blue Book. So, assuming typical mileage, your Highlander could last over 20 years if you can keep it rust-free and avoid fender benders.
Most Highlanders share the Toyota K platform with the Avalon, which has been seen to reach over half a million miles.
All things considered, if you really know how to care for an SUV, you could be entering Guinness World Record territory in a Highlander.
Highlanders should Cost around $500 a Year to Keep Running
Repair Pal puts annual repair costs at $489 on average for a Toyota Highlander. That’s around $100 cheaper than a typical midsize SUV. So, it won’t cost you a fortune to hit that 300k.
In addition to your usual inspections, rotations, and oil, fluid, spark plug, and filter changes, Toyota recommends replacing your brake booster’s vacuum pump after the first 120,000 miles.
Beyond that, if you’ve kept up on maintenance, your first major repair is likely to be with the SUV’s catalytic converters. These parts are estimated to run for about a decade without issue.
The bad news is replacement parts start at around $500 each, and the Highlander has two catalytic converters.
The good news is, you’ll probably only have to pay for it once over the lifetime of your Highlander.
And if your vehicle can run long enough to burn the catalytic converters out, that’s a good problem to have.
The Highlander has been reported by some drivers to have a problem with rust in the cooling components. Using a cleaning additive now and then when adding coolant should help to stave off premature corrosion.
Other minor issues include air conditioning failure, various electrical problems, and windows getting stuck.
Basically, it’s all the typical stuff you expect to break down over the years when you’re on the road to 300,000 miles.
The suspension, transmission, chassis, and engine, however, should stay rock solid with regular maintenance.
You’ll Get More Miles out of Your Highlander in a Dry Climate
Most vehicles will last you just over a decade with regular maintenance, maybe reaching 200,000 miles if you’re lucky.
With the Highlander potentially lasting twice that long, you’re going to feel the effects of rain, sleet, and hail a little more than you would in a car you trade in after 10 years.
Regular washing, twice-a-year waxing, and a fresh coat of paint when you notice bubbling and peeling should cut off most weather damage.
If at all possible, parking in a garage can add years to the life expectancy of your Highlander.
If not, a canopy or car cover can help to keep rain, sun, and humidity from doing too much damage.
There aren’t a Lot of Bad Years for the Highlander
The 2015 Toyota Highlander has a higher than average number of complaints for the nameplate, at nearly 150. But the same year’s Ford Explorer generated nearly 1,000 consumer complaints.
Even a “bad year” for a Highlander is going to be more reliable than most SUVs. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about model year too much.
As long as you don’t slack on regular maintenance and inspection, the Highlander is one of those vehicles you might wind up passing down to the grandkids. Take care of it, and it’ll take care of you.
Photos: Toyota
