AI Damage2006 Toyota Highlander: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Toyota Highlander filed 278 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 278
- involving a crash
- 29
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 37% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 15% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 9% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 102 complaints (37% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 43 complaints (15% of all), 14 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 26 complaints (9% of all).
- Visibility: 24 complaints (9% of all).
- Powertrain: 22 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.3 L · hybrid · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- automatic, 5-speed
- CVT
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 278 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 102 | 9 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 43 | 14 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 12 | 8 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Then as I was almost home the abs and traction control lights came on. Took it to a specialist and they said that the abs module would have to be replaced. There are tons of people apparently with my same year and model with the same concern
The contact stated while his client was driving at an unknown speed when the front passenger tire blowout and he crashed into a tree. The contact stated the front driver side air bag did deploy but the front passenger-side air bag failed to deploy causing the client's wife to have a fractured clavicle and spine, and…
Sudden acceleration. Vehicle was stopped, with foot on brake, when sudden acceleration occurred very rapidly. Brake pressure could not keep vehicle from lurching foward and hitting the rear a of stopped vehicle. I never use my left foot on the brake, so I can never hit the brake and accelerator simultaneously.
The contact also sustained multiple bruises from the seat belt. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was towed to a collision center for inspection of the massive front end damages. The manufacturer was not notified of the incident. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.
Tl contact owns a 2006 toyota highlander. The contact stated that the bumper of her vehicle was not sturdy. She was involved in two collisions where the bumper did not protect against any damage. The dealer advised the contact to purchase a safeguard. The contact did not inform the manufacturer.
The contact climbed out the front window and sustained head injuries as none of the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact had not called the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 55,000.
My car caught on fire and I was hurt, taken to the hospital. The car was inspected and found to have no brake problems, so I was deemed at fault for the accident. This was before we found out about the floor mat and accelerator problems with toyotas. My incident was obviously one of a runaway car.
I noticed hesitation in gear shifting and some lunging when my foot was off the brake after I purchased a new 2006 highlander in july 2006 and made a mental note to have it checked at the first follow-up service.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,458 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Highlander has 200 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 278, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
- Highlander 2001137 sources
- Highlander 2002301 sources
- Highlander 2003258 sources
- Highlander 2004286 sources
- Highlander 2005224 sources
- Highlander 2007124 sources
- Highlander 2008405 sources
- Highlander 2009134 sources
- Highlander 2010216 sources
- Highlander 2011181 sources
- Highlander 2012182 sources
- Highlander 2013207 sources
- Highlander 2014136 sources
- Highlander 2015193 sources
- Highlander 2016263 sources
- Highlander 2017416 sources
- Highlander 2018415 sources
- Highlander 2019628 sources
- Highlander 2020494 sources
- Highlander 2021716 sources
- Highlander 2022426 sources
- Highlander 2023319 sources
- Highlander 2024107 sources
- Highlander 202547 sources
- Highlander 202630 sources
- Highlander 99994 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Toyota Highlander?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, vehicle speed control, electrical system. Total complaints: 278. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (19%), stalls while driving (8%), brake failure (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Toyota Highlander?
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 2006 Toyota Highlander 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 2006 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.