2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: common problems

Owners of the 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and engine. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 5

What fails most often

1 Vehicle speed control 40% of all complaints
2 Engine 20% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 20% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (40% of all).
Engine: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Service brakes: 1 complaints (20% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rear-view camera1 · 20%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 20%
infotainment or screen glitches1 · 20%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Vehicle speed control	2	0	0
Engine	1	0	0
Service brakes	1	0	0
Other	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

While driving approximately 40 mph, a grinding noise was present coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to north brook toyota ([address], north brook, il) where it was diagnosed that the rubber oil hose was damaged.
Engine · 2019-03-18 · NHTSA complaint #11187501
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 toyota highlander hybrid. While driving at low speeds, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Vehicle speed control · 2019-02-11 · NHTSA complaint #11176284
Break light warnings all came on. Brakes went out while in motion on a city street. Had to shove break pedal down with both feet to the floor going uphill to stop. Dealership told us it's the break actuator pump and will be $5000 to repair. This is a serious hardship on us.
Service brakes · 2018-05-26 · NHTSA complaint #11098122
My highlander hybrid: pushed start button, and behaved normally. Upon being placed in gear, the vehicle attempted to accelerate as if the gas pedal was pushed to the floor. Only heavy brake pressure prevented a seriously dangerousness condition of full acceleration in a small parking lot.
Vehicle speed control · 2014-05-03 · NHTSA complaint #10586382

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20141
20151
20181
20192

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Highlander Hybrid has 38 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.

What to check before buying

Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, engine, service brakes. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rear-view camera (20%), knocking, grinding or other noise (20%), infotainment or screen glitches (20%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2011 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.