2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Recalls, Complaints & Specs
6 safety recalls list the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and owners have filed 197 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
6 safety recalls for the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Power window devices and controls (visibility)
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected…
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Inverter (hybrid propulsion system)
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid vehicles manufactured February 16, 2005, through July 29, 2010; and model year 2006-2008 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured February 23, 2005, through December 2, 2008. The Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module may contain transistors that have higher…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the IPM free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicles that had their IPM replaced under recall 11V-342 are not affected by this campaign.
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Power window devices and controls (visibility)
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Tundra, Sequoia, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Yaris, Scion xB, Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. The power window master switch assemblies in some of these vehicles were built using a less precise process for lubricating the internal…
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will inspect the switch and apply a special grease that inhibits heat build up or replace any switch damaged by the defect, free of charge. Toyota owners that experience a…
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Air bags: side/window and air bags
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 highlander, highlander hybrid, and model year 2007-2008 rav4 vehicles. In the curtain shield AIRBAG (csa) system, there are two sensors in the AIRBAG sensor assembly which are designed to detect vehicle roll angle. If one of these sensors malfunctions, the AIRBAG warning light (malfunction…
Remedy: Toyota will replace the AIRBAG sensor assembly with a new one containing improved roll rate sensors, free of charge. Toyota intends to send an interim owner notification to owners early to mid-may, 2011 when sufficient…
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Labels (equipment)
Toyota is recalling 27,080 model year 2005 through 2010 passenger cars built from september 1, 2005 to may 4, 2009. These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims."
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge. The safety recall began on august 18, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1-888-270-9371.
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Seat belts: rear/other
Toyota is recalling 90,189 my 2008 highlander and highlander hybrid passenger vehicles equipped with a third row seat. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the non-driver designated seating positions (dsp) on these vehicles is equipped with seat…
Remedy: Dealers will install a newly designed seat belt component free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or about december 18, 2008. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
197 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid have filed 197 complaints with NHTSA; 6 describe a crash and 4 describe a fire. Reports cite 5 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 97,681 miles. Complaints peaked in 2018 with 42 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of pu”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 12, 2025 · Electrical system
“The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the master, brake system, ABS warning, and traction control warning ligh”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 15, 2025 · Service brakes, hydraulic
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2008 Toyota Highlander (Highlander 2WD, Highlander 4WD, Highlander Hybrid 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 19–26 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 17–27 / 23–25 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
| Engine | 6 cyl, 3.3/3.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (S5); Automatic (variable gear ratios) |
Compare Toyota Highlander Hybrid model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Toyota Highlander Hybrid model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 1 |
| 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 6 | 370 |
| 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 2 | 110 |
| 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 6 | 197 |
| 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 4 | 40 |
| 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 4 | 22 |
| 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 5 |
| 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 9 |
| 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 5 |
| 2014 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 2 |
| 2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 4 |
| 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 6 |
| 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 2 | 3 |
| 2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 5 |
| 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 6 |
| 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 4 | 9 |
| 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 4 | 15 |
| 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 4 | 6 |
| 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 6 | 9 |
| 2024 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 3 | 0 |
Checking a specific 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
How do I know if my 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 6 campaigns currently list the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Toyota dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 08V181000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Toyota models
- Camry18,189 complaints
- Prius12,516 complaints
- Corolla11,739 complaints
- RAV49,385 complaints
- Sienna8,549 complaints
- Tacoma8,440 complaints
- Tundra6,922 complaints
- Highlander5,745 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.