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Reliability report · 2018 Toyota Highlander · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,700/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The eight-speed's recovery year — a late-2018 build is the calmer third-gen buy.

2018 is the year the eight-speed automatic (UA80) got sorted: the mechanic community says Toyota revised the transmission internally and updated the software by mid-2018, so a late-build 2018 has 'the same transmission as a late 18 and 19' — the fixed version. Early-2018 builds can still fall in the trouble window, which is why build date matters here.

The rest of the third-gen picture carries over: the front timing-cover oil leak (a $2,000–$4,000 out-of-warranty reseal, mechanic estimate), the low-pressure fuel-pump recall, and — specific to 2018 — a brake-booster vacuum-pump recall that can cause sudden loss of brake assist. All the recall work is free; verify it was done.

Evidence: 259 NHTSA complaints · 5 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: 254 complaints on the gas Highlander plus 5 on the newly separate Hybrid (259 total), and five recalls. Toyota resolved the eight-speed's launch problems by mid-2018, so a later-build 2018 sidesteps the 2017 transmission trial — but the timing-cover oil leak and a brake-booster recall still apply.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

259

Federal complaints

5

Recalls

$6,000–$11,000

Out-of-warranty UA80 replacement (owners' dealer quotes)

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2018 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD (NHTSA VehicleId 12342)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

Eight-speed automatic — better, but check the build date

moderate

The UA80 eight-speed's launch problems (whine, harsh shifting, failures) were, per the mechanic source, 'resolved completely by mid-2018.' A late-2018 build carries the revised transmission and is the same unit as the 2019. An early-2018 build can still sit in the 2017–early-2018 defect window, so ask for the build date (on the driver's door jamb) and, either way, verify any transmission work in the history or remaining coverage by VIN. A high-pitch whine on acceleration is the tell.

This problem spans 2017–2022 — the full UA80 eight-speed automatic story →

Repair/replacement under warranty or extension

$0

Out-of-warranty UA80 replacement (owners' dealer quotes)

$6,000–$11,000

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2018 Highlander + Highlander Hybrid · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (Car Care Nut 2014–2019 buying guide)

Front timing-cover oil leak (3.5L V6)major

Still the number-one third-gen issue: the 3.5-liter V6's front timing cover leaks oil and, because the engine must be dropped to reseal it, costs $2,000–$4,000 out of warranty (mechanic estimate). The federal engine cluster on 2018 cars independently shows valve-cover-to-cam-tower seal leaks. Inspect that the engine and timing-cover area are dry before buying; the vacuum pump on this V6 can also knock at idle (a TSB, not a safety item).

Sources: NHTSA manufacturer communications (recall documents, fuel-pump settlement, paint program) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (Car Care Nut 2014–2019 buying guide)

$2,000–$4,000

Timing-cover reseal, out of warranty (mechanic estimate)

Brake-booster vacuum pump recall — sudden loss of brake assistmajor

Recall 18V-211 covers 2018 Camry and Highlander (and some 2017 Sienna/Tacoma and a Lexus RX350): the brake-booster vacuum-pump rotor's oil galley may have been improperly machined, which can cause a sudden loss of brake assist. The remedy is a free vacuum-pump replacement. This is the recall to confirm completed on any 2018 — it is a braking item, not a label.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2018 Highlander + Highlander Hybrid · NHTSA manufacturer communications (recall documents, fuel-pump settlement, paint program)

$0

Recall vacuum-pump replacement

Low-pressure fuel pump recall — and the settlement programmoderate

The 2018 is covered by both the original (20V-012) and expanded (20V-682) Denso low-pressure fuel-pump recall: the in-tank pump can fail and stall the engine, remedied by a free replacement. The December 2022 court settlement also created a Customer Support Program — a quiet extended coverage — for certain 2014–2020 vehicles repaired under the recall. Verify the recall shows completed by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2018 Highlander + Highlander Hybrid · NHTSA manufacturer communications (recall documents, fuel-pump settlement, paint program)

$0

Recall pump replacement

Known nuisances: rotors, bulbs, radio, paintminor

Warped front rotors under city braking (recurring), frequent brake-light/fog-light bulb replacements, infotainment reboots and Bluetooth drops, and Blizzard Pearl / Super White paint peeling (Toyota program for 2008–2018). Ordinary third-gen ownership texture, none of it structural.

Sources: NHTSA manufacturer communications (recall documents, fuel-pump settlement, paint program) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (Car Care Nut 2014–2019 buying guide)

They updated the transmission physically inside and altered the software and resolved this problem completely by mid-2018.
6 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Toyota dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 18V-211Brake-booster vacuum pump rotor may be improperly machined (2018 Camry/Highlander among others), risking sudden loss of brake assist. Free vacuum-pump replacement.open
  2. 20V-012Denso low-pressure fuel pump (original campaign) can fail and stall the engine. Free pump replacement.open
  3. 20V-682Expansion of the low-pressure fuel-pump recall covering 2017–2019 Highlander among many models. Free improved-pump replacement.open
  4. 17V-831Incorrect load-carrying-capacity labels on certain 2018 Highlander/RAV4 and other models. Corrected labels provided free.open
  5. 18E-107Aftermarket Fujian Wanda replacement windshields (2014–2018 Highlander) have a wire harness water can leak into, risking engine-control-module (ECM) damage and stalling. Applies only if such a windshield was fitted; free.open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2018 Highlander

Three sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

23 MPG combined (20 city / 27 highway) for the FWD, 3.5L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 39730 (Highlander).
Other builds EPA lists: AWD, 3.5L 22 MPG · FWD, 2.7L 22 MPG · Hybrid AWD, 3.5L 28 MPG.

$2,700/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Theft

Stolen about 37% less often than the average vehicle. One less thing to price into coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2016–18 models, published May 2019 (report WT-18). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Toyota Highlander 4dr 4WD.
Other series: Toyota Highlander 4dr 75 · Toyota Highlander hybrid 4dr 4WD 102, where 100 = average.

63 vs 100

37% below average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Repair/replacement under warranty or extension$0
Out-of-warranty UA80 replacement (owners' dealer quotes)$6,000–$11,000
Timing-cover reseal, out of warranty (mechanic estimate)$2,000–$4,000
Recall vacuum-pump replacement$0
Recall pump replacement$0
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Read the build date on the driver's door jamb — a mid-2018-or-later build has the revised eight-speed; an early-2018 build may not.
  2. 02Verify any transmission work in the service history or remaining coverage by VIN; listen for a whine on acceleration.
  3. 03Confirm the brake-booster recall 18V-211 shows completed — it is a braking-assist item.
  4. 04Verify the low-pressure fuel-pump recall (20V-012 / 20V-682) shows completed.
  5. 05Check the engine and timing-cover area are dry — an oil-soaked engine means a $2,000–$4,000 reseal.
  6. 06Inspect Blizzard Pearl / Super White paint and test the infotainment with your own phone.

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