How safe is the Toyota Highlander?
Drivers of the 2020–2023 Toyota Highlander died at a rate of 10 per million registered vehicle years, 72% lower than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it one of the safest vehicles on the road for its driver: it ranks 18th of 129 vehicles, safer than 87% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the Toyota Highlander sits among all 129 vehicles
Toyota Highlander (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on plenty of data, so this ranking is reliable.
2WD vs. 4WD
IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.
| Version | Deaths* | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Highlander 2WD | 30 | 14–47 |
| Toyota Highlander 4WD | 7 | 1–13 |
Vehicles ranked near the Toyota Highlander
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Volvo XC90 4WDLuxury SUV · Midsize | 7 | 89 |
| 16 | Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class 4WDLuxury SUV · Large | 8 | 88 |
| 17 | Toyota Tacoma Double long bed 4WDPickup · Small | 9 | 88 |
| 18 | Toyota HighlanderSUV · Midsize | 10 | 87 |
| 19 | Ford Bronco 4WDSUV · Midsize | 10 | 86 |
| 20 | Chevrolet Silverado 3500 crew cab 4WDPickup · Very large | 10 | 85 |
| 21 | Toyota Highlander hybrid 4WDSUV · Midsize | 11 | 84 |
How it compares with other SUVs
Among the 46 SUVs ranked, the Toyota Highlander is 7th. The safest SUVs are below. See all SUVs.
| SUVs rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet Tahoe 4WDSUV · Large | 0 | 100 |
| 2 | Toyota RAV4 Prime Plug-in hybrid 4WDSUV · Small | 5 | 96 |
| 3 | Volkswagen AtlasSUV · Midsize | 6 | 95 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4WDSUV · Very large | 6 | 94 |
| 5 | Ford Escape hybridSUV · Small | 7 | 91 |
| 7 | Toyota HighlanderSUV · Midsize | 10 | 87 |
Common questions
Is the Toyota Highlander a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Toyota Highlander is one of the safest vehicles on the road for its driver. Its driver death rate of 10 per million registered vehicle years is 72% lower than the average, and it ranks 18th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Toyota Highlander compare with other SUVs?
It ranks 7th of 46 SUVs. The safest is the Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD, with a rate of 0.
Is the 2WD or 4WD Toyota Highlander safer?
The 4WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 30, 4WD: 7). Their ranges don't overlap, so the difference is likely real.
Why is this different from the Toyota Highlander's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.