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Toyota Highlander

2GR-FE 3.5L V6 295 hp Automatic SUV 2014–2019
✔ Good Choice
Engine 2GR-FE ✔ Good Choice 6,500–17,100 $

3.5L V6 — Toyota's universal six-cylinder for midsize through SUV. Cam tower oil leak like the Tundra V8, but less common. Budget for water pump around 80k miles. Overall one of the most reliable V6 engines on the market, 250k+ mile lifespans documented.

Fun Factor? Decent

Highlander XU50 V6 — 295 hp, last without hybrid mandate

295 hp V6 in the penultimate Highlander: strongest non-hybrid. Better choice for towing than the hybrid successor.

Engine Weaknesses 3

!! RTV-Dichtung am Nockenwellenturm altert. Gleiche Problematik wie bei Toyota-V8-Motoren, beim V6 seltener.

RTV sealant at cam tower ages. Same issue as Toyota V8 engines, less common on V6.

Symptoms: Oil smell, oil trail at front of engine

800–2,500 $ from 150,000 km
!! Wasserpumpe mit Kunststoffflügelrad verschleißt. Im Rahmen des Zahnriemen-/Kettenservice tauschen.

Water pump with plastic impeller wears out. Replace during timing belt/chain service.

Symptoms: Coolant loss, drip under engine

400–900 $ from 130,000 km
! Leicht erhöhter Ölverbrauch ab höherer Laufleistung — normal für die Baureihe. Regelmäßige Kontrolle ausreichend.

Slightly elevated oil consumption at higher mileage — normal for the series. Regular monitoring sufficient.

Symptoms: Oil level drops between changes

500–1,500 $ from 150,000 km

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
NHTSA Owner Complaints
Below Average
1,344 complaints · 2014–2019
Powertrain
289 ⚠ 4
Other
253 ⚠ 14
Electrical
220 ⚠ 5
Engine
162 ⚠ 5
Brakes
141 ⚠ 31

Top Reported Issues

⚠ Powertrain (289 complaints)
⚠ Other (253 complaints)
⚠ Electrical (220 complaints)
Source: NHTSA (nhtsa.gov) · 2026-03