Phrases over-represented in these complaints compared with the same component on every other vehicle. Counts are complaints containing the phrase.
Power Train 126 complaints
whining
58
46%
whining noise
34
27%
highlanders
15
12%
whine
14
11%
making whining
11
9%
whining sound
11
9%
When it breaks
53% of reported failures happened before 30,000 miles (median 21,000 miles, from 64 complaints that recorded one).
No clear early or late pattern.
What NHTSA did
1 investigation covering this model year, 1 of which list a recall campaign.
Pedestrian alert sounds
What owners and forums say
Not built yet. This panel is meant to carry community sentiment beside the filed-complaint data, so the two can be compared. Showing something weaker here would defeat its purpose.
Limits of this figure. It counts safety complaints filed with the federal government, which is a floor on failures and not a census: problems that only cost money are under-reported. Complaint rates also reflect how likely a brand’s owners are to file, which cannot be separated from how often the car fails. Sales are calendar-year and the denominator for this nameplate is automated checks only, not verified against an external source.