2013 Toyota Highlander fuel/propulsion system problems
12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the fuel/propulsion system on the 2013 Toyota Highlander — 6% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“A persistent smell of fuel occurred while in slow moving traffic and after vehicle was parked after use. Upon close inspection, the fuel injector fuel rail end cap exhibited a slow fuel leak. This component caused a recall for year model highlanders for 2014 production year describing the same type…”
filed Jul 27, 2025
“I purchased the car in 2020 with 73K miles on it. It has sporadically had incidents of unintended acceleration. I happens when I slow for a stop sign, red light, or crosswalk. My foot is on the brake when this occurs, the engine then goes into high gear and no amount of pressure on the brake will…”
filed Jul 5, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Fuel/propulsion System problems in other Highlander years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Highlander | 4 | 10% |
| 2023 Highlander | 16 | 9% |
| 2022 Highlander | 8 | 4% |
| 2021 Highlander | 31 | 6% |
| 2020 Highlander | 18 | 6% |
| 2019 Highlander | 86 | 18% |
| 2018 Highlander | 22 | 9% |
| 2017 Highlander | 28 | 11% |
| 2016 Highlander | 3 | 3% |
| 2015 Highlander | 4 | 2% |
| 2012 Highlander | 3 | 2% |
| 2011 Highlander | 1 | 1% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2013 Toyota Highlander
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.