2012 Toyota Highlander: Excessive oil consumption
Common wear/failure (not a recall)
Symptoms
Owners of the 2012 Highlander report: excessive oil consumption. CarComplaints.com lists 3 owner complaints, average mileage 139,400 miles.
NHTSA has 19 owner complaints for the 2012 Highlander in this area. Examples:
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11707520 (filed 12/29/2025): “The contact owns a 2012 toyota highlander. the contact stated that 5,000 miles after purchasing the vehicle, the contact noticed an oil leak. the contact performed the oil changes and had noticed that engine oil had leaked down onto the weather seal in the veh…”
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11671369 (filed 07/05/2025): “I think there is odometer fraud by this company selling this car. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)…”
Likely causes
Sources do not establish a single root cause; diagnosis is needed. Owner-reported fixes are listed below.
Fix, in plain English
Most common owner-reported solutions on CarComplaints.com: total engine replacement or rebuild (1 reports). Check for open recalls and extended warranty coverage with a dealer before paying out of pocket.
DIY difficulty: Pro
Internal engine work (lifters, oil consumption, fuel dilution diagnosis) requires engine teardown or dealer software/tests. (Our assessment.)
Cost
CarComplaints.com owners report a typical repair cost of about $9,000 (owner-reported average, not a quote).
Typical parts (search links, no affiliate codes)
AutoZone · O'Reilly · Advance · RockAuto
Sources
Page last updated .