2012 Toyota Highlander: engine and transmission complaints
NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
15%
27 of 191 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2012 Toyota Highlander. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 15% of relevant complaints.
Better than 93% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Looking at a specific Highlander?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
What owners reported
SUSPENSION,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING12/29/2025
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that 5,000 miles after purchasing the vehicle, the contact noticed an oil leak. The contact performed the oil changes and had noticed that engine oil had leaked down onto the weather seal in the vehicle. The contact noticed several oil stains on the ground d…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE07/05/2025
I think there is odometer fraud by this company selling this car. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE08/23/2023
Toyota Piston and Ring defect. My 2012 Toyota Highlander engine has defective pistons and rings that have led to excessive oil consumption and the potential for a serious accidents as it causes the engine to lose compression and conk out, all of a sudden, in traffic, and costly repair for us customers with less than 1…
Three of 27 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (2)
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, …
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry a…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 Toyota Highlander
No elevated drivetrain pattern for this model year. That describes the model, not the car in front of you.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose.
2 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.
