2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: common problems

Owners of the 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electronic stability control. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 5

What fails most often

1 Air bags 20% of all complaints
2 Electronic stability control 20% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 20% of all complaints
5 Structure 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.

Air bags: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Service brakes: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Structure: 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).

A/C or heater1 · 20%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 20%
infotainment or screen glitches1 · 20%
warning lights, check engine1 · 20%
windows, sunroof1 · 20%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Air bags	1	0	0
Electronic stability control	1	0	0
Powertrain	1	0	0
Service brakes	1	0	0
Structure	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.

We recently had our highlander completely totaled by our insurance after a failure to have our air conditioning drain properly. The clog caused water to back up into the frame of the car and flood our floor carpeting. The drainage issue also caused the headliners to become wet and drip onto the leather upholstery.
Structure · 2019-06-27 · NHTSA complaint #11223009
Then set parking brake so this doesn't happen again. Called south hills toyota and they were not aware of any cause or problem. Please advise, rjm ps: no icy conditions involved. Smart key was in house on table. No one in household moved it.
Powertrain · 2018-01-09 · NHTSA complaint #11061497
Brake malfunction, check abs was reading on the information screen. Traffic ahead on 2 lane highway with a speed limit of 55mph had suddenly stopped and I was forced to slam on brakes.
Electronic stability control · 2016-08-01 · NHTSA complaint #10892270
The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 mph, the airbag off warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 16,500.
Air bags · 2015-02-09 · NHTSA complaint #10682172

When owners complained

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

20152
20161
20181
20191

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

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
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 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electronic stability control, powertrain. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (20%), rollaway, parking brake (20%), infotainment or screen glitches (20%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 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 2013 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 2013 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.