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Toyota Highlander

2AR-FE 2.5L 4-Zyl 185 hp Automatic SUV 2014–2016
✔ Good Choice
Engine 2AR-FE ✔ Good Choice 7,500–18,200 €

2.5L four-cylinder for Camry XV50 and Highlander. Oil consumption issue from low-tension piston rings — Toyota issued TSB and settled a class action. 2012 models: camshaft gear cold rattle documented via TSB. Water pump with plastic impeller wears out. Overall solid after warranty repairs.

Fun Factor? Decent

Highlander XU50 four-cylinder — budget option

185 hp four-cylinder, FWD only. For commuters who want a big car but need little power.

Engine Weaknesses 3

!! TSB 0194-14: Toyota verlängerte Garantie. Low-Tension-Kolbenringe gleiche Ursache wie beim 2AZ-FE-Vorgänger.

TSB 0194-14: Toyota extended warranty. Low-tension piston rings, same root cause as predecessor 2AZ-FE.

Symptoms: Oil level drop between changes, blue smoke possible

2,000–4,500 € from 100,000 km
!! Flügelrad verschleißt, Dichtungen veröden. Standardmäßig ab ~130.000 km einplanen.

Impeller wears, seals degrade. Standard replacement from ~80k miles.

Symptoms: Coolant loss, drip under engine

400–900 € from 130,000 km
! TSB T-SB-0041-13: kurzes Klopfgeräusch beim Kaltstart. Nockenwellenzahnrad muss getauscht werden. Nur 2012er Baujahr.

TSB T-SB-0041-13: brief knocking on cold start. Camshaft gear unit needs replacement. 2012 model year only.

Symptoms: Brief knocking/rattle on cold start, disappears after seconds

300–600 €

Vehicle Weaknesses 3

!! Gearbox Untergesichertes Sicherungsblech am Ritzel. Hochfrequentes Pfeifen, Metallspäne in Ölwanne, Fahrverlust. Customer Support Program ZJC: 10 Jahre/unbegrenzte Laufleistung. Sammelklage 2020 für >1 Mio. Toyota-Fahrzeuge.

Under-secured locking plate on pinion. High-pitched whine, metal shavings in pan, power loss. Customer Support Program ZJC: 10 years/unlimited mileage. Class action 2020 for >1M Toyota vehicles.

4,500–11,000 € from 80,000 km
! Brakes Gleiche Problematik wie XU40 — schweres SUV belastet Bremsen überdurchschnittlich.

Same issue as XU40 — heavy SUV puts above-average stress on brakes.

300–700 € from 60,000 km
! Electronics Entune-System friert regelmäßig ein, Bluetooth-Abbrüche, Touchscreen reagiert nicht. Software-Updates helfen teilweise.

Entune system freezes regularly, Bluetooth dropouts, touchscreen unresponsive. Software updates help partially.

0–500 € from 50,000 km

Reports & Tests

nhtsa_complaints NHTSA Complaint Summary 2026-03
Below Average

1344 owner complaints filed with NHTSA (2014–2019). Most reported: Powertrain (289), Other (253), Electrical (220).