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The fourth-generation Toyota Highlander arrived for the 2020 model year with a strong reputation behind it. After a pandemic-disrupted launch, U.S. sales climbed to approximately 264,000 vehicles in 2021, according to Autoweek, while Consumer Reports' owner surveys generally portrayed the family SUV as more dependable than the average new vehicle. By 2026, however, the Highlander's record looked less spotless. Toyota recalled 550,007 model-year 2021–2024 Highlanders and Highlander Hybrids because their second-row back seats might not lock securely. Annual U.S. sales had also fallen to roughly 56,000 in 2025 as more reliable Highlander competitors absorbed more of Toyota's three-row business.
The Highlander is not necessarily an unreliable SUV, and neither sedan can match its passenger or cargo capacity. After all, all three cars offer reliability even after 200,000 miles. But shoppers who do not need three rows can spend substantially less on two Toyotas with stronger dependability credentials: the Corolla and Camry — both cars known to be more reliable than the Toyota Highlander. J.D. Power gave both the Corolla and Camry model-level awards in its 2025 and 2026 dependability studies, based on 2022 and 2023 vehicles after three years. Consumer Reports also rated the 2025 Corolla much more reliable than its model-year peers, while the redesigned 2025 Camry earned a "more reliable" rating.
For 2026, the Corolla starts at $22,725 and the hybrid-only Camry at $29,600, versus $45,270 for the Highlander. The Camry's ninth generation is less proven in 2026, but both sedans offer encouraging reliability results for considerably less money upfront and over the long term.
Read more: The 10 Most Expensive 2026 SUV Models You Should Avoid
A Camry or Corolla will also save you much more down the line
Avoiding annoying repairs is one part, but the other advantage of choosing a Camry or Corolla is the savings from cheaper repairs when they do happen. RepairPal estimates average annual maintenance and repair costs at $362 for the Corolla and $388 for the Camry, versus $489 for the Highlander. It also classifies 7% of Corolla repairs and 11% of Camry repairs as severe, compared with 13% for the Highlander. "Severe" means a major repair costing at least three times the average annual repair cost across all vehicle models, which is about $2,000 as of July 2026. According to CarEdge's estimates, a Toyota Highlander will cost $6,224 in maintenance and repairs compared with $4,434 for the Corolla and $4,580 for the Camry. That represents raw savings of $1,790 and $1,644, respectively. Those figures include service, wear items and expected repairs.
When you also factor in depreciation and financing, the case gets even stronger for the sedans. CarEdge's broader five-year projection totals $47,948 for the Highlander, $34,616 for the Corolla and $34,297 for the Camry. That is an estimated five-year advantage of $13,332 or $13,651. CarEdge expects the Highlander to lose $19,642 in value and generate $7,603 in interest, versus $9,013 and $4,308 for the Corolla and $12,581 and $5,444 for the Camry.
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