The Lemon Index2005 Toyota Highlander.
The 2005 Toyota Highlander is better than average by owner complaints: 62 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 65, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about transmission & drivetrain, it has 6 recalls, and it gets 19 to 22 mpg combined. The best Toyota Highlander year is 2014.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 225 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Toyota Highlander year. 2005 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 29K to 90K miles on the car (171 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 4K–89K miles
- speed control complaints mostly came at 21K–80K miles
- steering complaints mostly came at 41K–85K miles
Recalls 6
- seats 2016
The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
- engine 2011
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES…
- speed control 2011
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID, AND MODEL YEAR 2004-2007 LEXUS RX330, RX350, AND RX400H VEHICLES.
Show all 6 recalls
- brakes 2010
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 AVALON, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 LEXUS RX, AND MODEL YEAR 2006 LEXUS GS AND IS VEHICLES.
- equipment 2010
GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD BETW…
- speed control 2006
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND HYBRID VEHICLES, THE TWO RETAINING CLIPS FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE FORWARD CENTER CONSOLE CAN BECOME LOOSE.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Toyota told dealers about
Toyota sent dealers 159 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide information regarding the installation of…
- The purpose of this bulletin is to provide precautions to follow when installing an automatic
- The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide precautions to follow when installing an…
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedUnintended and uncontrolled acceleration2010–2011
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★★☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $2900–3400 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.4L 4-cyl, 3.3L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
Toyota Highlander: transmission terribly slow to respond. Very dangerous. Takes at least a full second to respond -- either transmission or throttle is defective.
2005 Toyota Highlander owner · NHTSA complaint 10114325
More owner reports
Long hesitation when trying to accelerate from a stop or low speeds.
NHTSA complaint 10168780
While driving about 30 mph driver pressed on the accelerator in order to pass a vehicle on the right hand side. The vehicle refused to accelerate when pedal was applied, and finally accelerated after a few seconds.
NHTSA complaint 10115243
Quick answers
Is the 2005 Toyota Highlander reliable?
Yes, better than average by government complaints. It drew 1.5× fewer complaints than average filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 65; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Toyota Highlander year by this measure is 2014.
What are the most common 2005 Toyota Highlander problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are transmission & drivetrain (42%), speed control (13%) and tires (10%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2005 Toyota Highlander have?
6 safety recalls (latest: seats). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2005 Toyota Highlander get?
19 to 22 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2005 Toyota Highlander problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 29,500 and 90,000 miles. The middle report was at 56,000 miles, from 171 complaints.
Does the 2005 Toyota Highlander have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 42% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2005 Toyota Highlander cost in fuel a year?
About $2900 to $3400 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2005 Toyota Highlander have?
2.4L 4-cyl, 3.3L 6-cyl.
What Toyota Highlander year is better than the 2005?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works