CarComplaints.com Notes: 2008 is the first year of the 2nd generation Highlander, & it may be a model year to avoid as Toyota most likely worked out some production quality issues with the new model.

The 2009 Highlander is the has far fewer complaints.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
82,333 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Toyota Highlander accessories - interior problems

accessories - interior problem

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2008 Toyota Highlander Owner Comments

problem #3

May 162017

Highlander

  • 144,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

At 5:00 pm on May 16, 2017 I drove home from work (15 minutes of in-town driving) everything was fine. I parked in the garage and went inside to prepare to leave with my family for my son's senior honors night. At 5;45 pm we got into the car and immediately my mom and my husband said, "what's burning?". it smelled like paper burning. Before leaving the house, my husband popped the hood to make sure there wasn't a wire or something else burning under the hood of the car. We dove 10 minutes to town to eat. We stayed in restaurant 30 minutes. When we returned to my car, my mother got in the passenger's front seat and and my husband in back and we all smelled a strong smell of something burning. I looked at my mom before starting the car and saw the black, burnt headrest. It appears there was an actual flame at some point. Everyone got out of the car, we removed the headrest, but the back left side of the passengers seat was still very hot to the touch. My husband drove the vehicle to the fire station nearby, since the Toyota dealer was already closed. The firefighters unplugged the wires from the seat. The seat cooled back down.

- Watkinsville, GA, USA

problem #2

Feb 052013

Highlander

  • 93,000 miles
My wife was driving her 2008 Toyota Highlander to work and turned on the heated seat. It has burned her leg at the hamstring under thigh area pretty bad.

- Centennial, CO, USA

problem #1

May 202008

Highlander

  • 10,000 miles
The driver's seat does not rise up enough to see over the outside rearview mirror. Also, the outside rearview mirror is large and continuous to the doorpost producing a visual block from windshield side of the doorpost to the far end of the outside mirror - about 16 inches. Project this visual block-out across to a side-street intersection and it blocks the view of the entire side-street intersection and then some when traveling on a four lane street with a meridian in the middle. This is gross hazard for me and a vehicle in the intersection and for pedestrians. I had one collision when leaving a church parking lot onto a two lane rural road - traveling about 10 mph and the other vehicle was stopped in his lane. Occurred in spring of 2008, about 5 pm - clear sunny day. I did not see his car - and the collision repair cost for his vehicle was $2,500 and for my repair cost was $4,000 +-. also, I have hit the low concrete divider with my left front tire - located under the freeway overpass when turning - this turn I have done 5 days a week for 5 years on the way to work with no problem until driving this 2008 Highlander. Also, I have had several near collisions with unseen vehicles and pedestrians. At night with vehicle behind me the light glare in the outside mirror is such that it is impossible to see over or around to see a side-street intersection. Similar problems exist for the right outside mirror. To correct this problem the mirror needs to be lowered. Also, a gap between the edge of the mirror and the doorpost would be a major great help. My height is 5'-5" not too short - by pushing hard with my left foot on the floorboard step I am able to see over the outside mirror and gain a reasonable view of the side-street intersection - but this movement takes away from my concentration and agility to drive on.

- Hungerford, TX, USA

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