The 2012 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD has an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5, which indicates above-average safety performance. It received impressive scores in side crash tests, with a perfect 5-star rating for overall side crash, side barrier, and side pole crash. The front crash ratings are also solid, with both the driver and passenger side scoring 4 out of 5.
One important safety feature worth noting is the standard electronic stability control provided by Toyota in this model. However, it does not come equipped with forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems, which are additional safety technologies that could further enhance driver safety.
In terms of complaints and recalls, the vehicle has had 181 complaints reported and 2 recalls issued. While the number of complaints is relatively high, it's important to consider the context of the vehicle's overall safety ratings and the manufacturer's response to recalls in assessing the safety and reliability of the Toyota Highlander.
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Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2012 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD
ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.
Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2012 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.
Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.
| Test | 2005 Score | 2012 Score | 2024 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Front Crash Rating | Not Rated | 4 | 4 |
| Front Crash Driver Side Rating | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Front Crash Passenger Side Rating | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.
| Test | 2005 Score | 2012 Score | 2024 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Side Crash Rating | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
| Side Crash Drivers Side Rating | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Side Crash Passenger Side Rating | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
| Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
| Overall Side Barrier Rating | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.
| Test | 2005 Score | 2012 Score | 2024 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rollover Rating | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Rollover Possibility % | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Dynamic Tip Result | No Tip | No Tip | No Tip |
| Side Pole Crash Rating | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.
Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.
Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.
Recall:
"southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 tacoma, 4runner, camry, camry hybrid, prius, and rav4; model year 2009-2010 avalon, fj cruiser, and highlander hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year corolla, sienna and tundra; model year 2009-2013 highlander and venza; model year 2012 prius v; and model year 2010-2012 sequoia. during modification by set to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest dvd systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed."Consequence:
If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.Remedy:
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
Date of incident: 2013-01-16
This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.
TOYOTA ranks 3 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.
| Manufacturer | Complaint Count | Recall Count | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| FORD | 208,358 | 3,259 | 1 |
| CHEVROLET | 111,306 | 2,082 | 2 |
| TOYOTA | 81,019 | 1,852 | 3 |
| HONDA | 61,937 | 1,268 | 4 |
| NISSAN | 56,226 | 930 | 5 |
| DODGE | 45,756 | 827 | 6 |
| HYUNDAI | 44,150 | 649 | 7 |
| GMC | 34,441 | 1,410 | 8 |
| KIA | 29,832 | 501 | 9 |
| CHRYSLER | 27,698 | 254 | 10 |
| TESLA | 26,230 | 730 | 11 |
| BMW | 24,890 | 1,877 | 12 |
| VOLKSWAGEN | 23,125 | 829 | 13 |
| MERCEDES-BENZ | 19,066 | 2,925 | 14 |
| SUBARU | 18,513 | 703 | 15 |
| MAZDA | 10,599 | 364 | 16 |
| PONTIAC | 10,430 | 138 | 17 |
| CADILLAC | 9,434 | 444 | 18 |
| AUDI | 7,865 | 1,093 | 19 |
| BUICK | 7,851 | 279 | 20 |
| SATURN | 7,672 | 84 | 21 |
| MERCURY | 7,374 | 135 | 22 |
| LEXUS | 6,373 | 408 | 23 |
| LINCOLN | 5,897 | 423 | 24 |
| ACURA | 5,722 | 382 | 25 |
| MINI | 5,585 | 366 | 26 |
| INFINITI | 4,000 | 187 | 27 |
| MITSUBISHI | 3,912 | 397 | 28 |
| VOLVO | 3,875 | 727 | 29 |
| PORSCHE | 2,646 | 1,231 | 30 |
| SUZUKI | 2,272 | 123 | 31 |
| FIAT | 2,205 | 80 | 32 |
| SAAB | 1,536 | 76 | 33 |
| JAGUAR | 1,195 | 198 | 34 |
| SMART | 528 | 17 | 35 |
| GENESIS | 436 | 42 | 36 |
| ISUZU | 249 | 37 | 37 |
| ALFA ROMEO | 161 | 37 | 38 |
| MASERATI | 76 | 46 | 39 |
| BENTLEY | 46 | 159 | 40 |
| POLESTAR | 42 | 2 | 41 |
| LUCID | 14 | 6 | 42 |
| CODA | 4 | 2 | 43 |
| MAYBACH | 0 | 0 | 44 |