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Best tires for the Toyota Highlander

Top picks across four categories for the Toyota Highlander, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 235/65R18. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.

By Mark Bishop · Last verified 2026-10-07

Daily driver

Best all-season touring

Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.

Lowest cost per mile

Best budget

Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.

Lowest cabin noise

Best quiet

Tread patterns engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning. Pick this if you commute long highway distances daily.

Cold-weather grip

Best winter

Dedicated winter or all-weather compounds that stay pliable below 7 °C. Necessary for >5 snow days a year.

Side-by-side

Pick the trade-off that matches your driving

All-season
Nitto Nt421q
Best budget
Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
Best quiet
Michelin Defender 2
Best winter
Toyo Celsius CUV
UTQG treadwear640820800520
Mileage warranty-85,000 mi80,000 mi-
Cabin noise-70 dB68 dB-
Season classall-seasonall-seasonall-seasonall-weather
Typetruck-suvtouringtouringtruck-suv

OEM tire sizes by year

What size does the toyota highlander use?

Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.

YearOEM size
2001–2003225/70R16Year-specific fitment →
2004–2006225/65R17Year-specific fitment →
2007225/70R16Year-specific fitment →
2008–2010245/55R19Year-specific fitment →
2011–2013245/65R17Year-specific fitment →
2014–2019245/60R18Year-specific fitment →
2020235/65R18Year-specific fitment →
2021–2026235/55R20Year-specific fitment →

How we ranked these tires for the toyota highlander

We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 235/65R18; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:

SUV-specific tire models (CrossClimate, CrossContact, Defender LTX) have reinforced sidewalls designed for the chassis mass and often a wider tread for better wet traction at higher curb weight. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.

NHTSA-reported issues for toyota highlander

158
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Top issue category: Tires (General)

Most reported: Tires (General) (110) · Sidewall (16) · TPMS (16) · Tread / Belt (11) · Spare Tire (3)

Reported across: 2001 – 2024 (24 years)

What owners described

Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 18% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 114 reports covering every model year of the Toyota Highlander that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.

Reported problemThis subjectAll tire complaintsRelative
Blowout or sudden deflation 18% 20% 0.9×
Sidewall failure 15% 15% 1.0×
Cracking or dry rot 12% 9% 1.3×
Loss of control, rollover or collision 11% 8% 1.3×
Pressure-monitoring (TPMS) fault 8% 2% 3.3×
Tread or belt separation 4% 13% 0.3×

Mileage at failure

80 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 21,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 7,904 and 61,000 miles.

In owners' own words

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Toyota Highlander. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN LTX M/S2 TIRES, SIZE: P225/75/R16 (NA). WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AND THE THREAD SEPARATED FROM THE BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE TIRE WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA complaint 1218966 · 2004 vehicle

2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH OEM TOYO 245/55R19 OPEN COUNTRY M&S 103T TIRES AT ABOUT 70 MPH ON I95 SOUTH BOARD NEAR BRUNSWICK GA (EXIT 38?), A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD AND THEN THE BUMPING MADE IT OBVIOUS A TIRE HAD FAILED SO THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WELL OF THE ROAD NEAR AN EXIT. THE LOCAL STATE HIGHWAY ASSISTANCE TRUCK (CHAMP) STOPPED AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES AND THE TOYOTA RESPONSE SERVICE TRUCK SHOWED UP ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER - THE TIRE WAS CHANGED AND WE PROCEEDED ON OUR WAY - MANY THANKS TO THE "ROAD RANGER" AND HIS TRUCK AND EXPERTISE! THE TIRES HAD ABOUT 28,500 MILES ON THEM - ESTIMATE ABOUT 55%OF ORIGINAL TREAD AND ARE MARKED: DOT 78HH CND 1016. THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A HOLE IN THE SIDEWALL THAT CAUSED SUDDEN LOSS OF PRESSURE.

NHTSA complaint 1496189 · 2016 vehicle

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER EQUIPPED WITH ACHILLES DESERT HAWK UHP TIRES, SIZE: 285/40R22 (NA). THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SIDEWALLS WERE SEPARATING FROM ALL FOUR TIRES. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18T013000 (TIRES). THE CONTACT CALLED TIRE TOWN AUTO SERVICE (LOCATED AT 627 OLD SPANISH TRAIL, SLIDELL, LA 70458, (985) 643-7092) AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. *LN CONSUMER STATED PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF TIRE SIDEWALL SPLITTING. I HAVE TRIED EMAILING THE COMPANY TO FIND OUT ABOUT RECALL OR TO GET A REPLACEMENT. THESE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA complaint 1616869 · 2017 vehicle

MY FRONT TIRES, (FROM A SET OF FOUR), HAVE PARTS OF THE TREAD SEPARATING FROM THE TIRE BODY. THE RUBBER UNDER THE MISSING PIECES OF TREAD HAS A TEXTURE LIKE POPCORN. THE INNER SURFACE OF THE RUBBER IS SHINY AND SMOOTH. *DT IT IS NOT FROM GOUGING, FORCE, OR ABUSE TO THE TIRES. IT IS AS IF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS USED TWO DIFFERENT BATCHES OF RUBBER THAT WAS NOT INCORPORATED TOGETHER CORRECTLY, AND IS NOW SEPARATING FROM ITSELF. THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY! IF A TIRE FAILURE OCCURS FROM THIS DEFECT AT SPEED, IT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, ROLLOVER, HEAD-ON, SERIOUS INJURY/DEATH. PLEASE REVIEW HIS MATTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR PICTURES OF THE DEFECT, SINCE THE WEBSITE HAS NO WAY TO UPLOAD THE PICS.*DT*JB

NHTSA complaint 1662852 · 2001 vehicle

Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.

FAQ

What's the best all-season tire for the Toyota Highlander?
The all-season touring slate above ranks the top options for the 235/65R18 OEM size. The leader is selected by matching toyota-segment fitment, all-season compound class, and premium-brand quality bonus. For most Toyota Highlander owners, the all-season touring pick is the best one-tire compromise; long warranty, low noise, reasonable cost per mile.
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Toyota Highlander?
The budget slate above ranks tires by cost-per-warranty-mile, ignoring brand premium. The budget pick is genuinely competitive on durability metrics; the trade-off is shorter warranty and slightly higher cabin noise, not actual safety risk. If you drive less than 15,000 miles a year, the budget pick will outlast your replacement window regardless.
Does the Toyota Highlander need winter tires?
If you see more than 5 snow days a year or drive at sustained temperatures below 7 °C, yes; winter compounds stay pliable in cold where all-season rubber hardens, which translates directly to shorter braking distances. The winter pick above is 3PMSF severe-snow rated and works for the 235/65R18 OEM fitment. Storage cost is real (4 extra tires somewhere), but the safety margin in winter conditions is substantial.
Can I run a different tire size on my Toyota Highlander?
Plus-size and minus-size alternatives within ±3% overall diameter are typically safe per the ETRTO standard. See the 235/65R18 upsize options for the full categorised alternatives table with verdicts.
Where can I buy these tires?
Each tire links to its detail page with live pricing from our online retailer partners. Out-the-door cost (including mount, balance, TPMS service, and disposal) varies by state; use the install cost calculator for a realistic estimate.

Last verified 2026-10-07.