Used 2018 Toyota Highlander Consumer Reviews
Used Highlander for sale
Bad News Transmission - Buyer’s Remorse!
James Joseph Falls, 02/27/2019
updated 02/27/2020
2018 Toyota Highlander Limited Platinum 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
My 2012 Toyota Highlander was totaled after a tree fell on it. I really liked that vehicle and our other family vehicle is a 2016 Toyota Highlander which we really like. So, when it came time to buy a new vehicle there was no question that we would purchase another Highlander. BIG MISTAKE. The 2018 Highlander’s new eight speed transmission is a bust! Unless you’re driving on the highway at a steady speed, you can feel the gears shifting constantly. But worse, in low gears the transmission is sluggish and not responsive to the gas pedal, sometimes taking a full second to kick in (especially when turning a corner or going up an incline) incredibly frustrating. In the upper gears it can’t quite decide which gear it wants to be in (again, especially on an incline). I absolutely hate driving this vehicle and really regret the purchase. But it gets worse. We’re in Maine, so a good winter car is imperative, but the auto windshield wipers don’t work properly on this vehicle when there is ice on the windshield. Last week, I drove it through some foot high snow and I guess some snow got under the car because it started to shake violently when I got on the highway above 65mph. The shaking stopped after about a half hour when the ice or snow was dislodged but this was really alarming. The radar cruise control stops working in icy conditions. So, bottom line, this isn’t a good winter vehicle for New England weather and the transmission is awful. I want to save any others from making the same mistake we did.
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2018 Highlander - Not what it used to be
PGD, 10/18/2018
updated 04/20/2020
2018 Toyota Highlander Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
18 of 22 people found this review helpful
The buyer cannot always get what she wants. To have the luxury of the Limited, the buyer has to give up bench seats in the second row - and suffer with gaps between the front and second row when second row is folded down (lousy storage). The transmission is nasty. It up- and down-shifts at lower speeds leading to whiplash - and feels like it is lugging down or stalling. i don't feel as if I can get the power I need in certain situations - and this could be dangerous. This likely results from too many gears and trying to meet federal MPG requirements. The third row seating is not negotiable - the buyer is stuck with a third row whether or not he wants it. My GPS/radio/entertainment panel switches from one stage to another without input from me. The A/C sometimes blows hot air and once it does cool down it is never cool enough. I am disappointed in the expensive vehicle and I can assure Toyota that I will not buy another one unless they make changes. Some 2-years after the review above this sentence, I do say that I approve of the mileage and reliability. Other issues remain the same.
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2018 Toyota Highlander for sale near you
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Body Integrity
never buy Toyota again, 08/03/2020
2018 Toyota Highlander Limited Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Spent 44k for this platinum fully loaded Highlander. You would expect a great car. After 2 weeks the rubber around the sunroof came lodged. it made terrible road noise. Too kit back to dealer which said it was a factor defect. They supposedly fixed it.a month later same thing happened. This time they replaced the rubber. 3 months later the same problem, so I wrote Toyota. They had me take it back to the dealer where they spent 2 days fixing the problem. A year later while drive 75 on the freeway it came loose again. This time they used adhesive but it only lasted a few months. This seems to be a design flaw. I'm waiting for an answer from Toyota but have hired an attorney for the Lemon law. Lastly I've never got more than 21 MPG combined. 16.5 around town and 22 on the highway. Not even close to what they say.
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I continue to be amazed
Norman Davis, 07/20/2018
updated 01/25/2021
2018 Toyota Highlander Limited Platinum 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
The gas mileage is unbelievable, the storage space phenomenally. Beyond this, the safety features continue to blow my mind. The only negative that I have encountered thus far is the owners manual.
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Transmission issues
Jdhpatriots, 10/21/2018
2018 Toyota Highlander XLE 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
16 of 20 people found this review helpful
From the 1st day I had this car the transmission has been terrible. When you coast into an intersection, rotary etc. step on the gas and it hesitates then accelerates quickly. I have brought it to the dealership several times only to be told that is normal. I went so far as to test drive another 2018 on the lot along with the salesman. While there was minor hesitation it was far better than my Highlander. Just brought it in for service and was asked how i liked the car. Told them i was really not satisfied. Seems Toyota really doesn’t care. Service person said he is getting allot of complaints about the transmission. I will not lease another Highlander and probably move away from Toyota all together.
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