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How Much Can Toyota Highlanders Tow? (Per Year & Model)

Let’s dive into how much you can tow with the many generations, models, and configurations of the Toyota Highlanders.

Table of Contents

Related: Common Problems With Toyota Highlander Models.

First Generation Toyota Highlander 2001–07

The First Generation Toyota Highlanders were created and released from 2001 to 2007.

The very first Highlander was released with one trim option in 2001.

This inaugural SUV used a 155.0-hp, 2.4-liter 4 Cylinder Engine and allowed the vehicle to haul up to 3,000 lbs.

Read Also: The best and worst years for Toyota Highlander.

The 2002 and 2003 Toyota Highlander can Haul up to 3,500 lbs.

Like previous releases of the Toyota Highlander, the 2002 and 2003 are available in two trim options, the Base and the Limited.

The 5-passenger base trim uses a 155.0-hp, 2.4-liter 4 Cylinder Engine and can haul up to 3,000 lbs.

The upgraded Limited trims for these model years use a 220.0-hp, 3.0-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine and can haul up to 3,500 lbs.

The 2004 and 2005 Toyota Highlanders can Haul up to 2,000 lbs.

The 2005 Toyota Highlander is part of the first generation of Highlander releases.

The 2004 and 2005 are available in two trims:

  1. the Base
  2. and Limited.

The Base trim uses a 160.0-hp, 2.4-liter 4 Cylinder Engine and allows the vehicle to tow up to 2,000 lbs.

The Limited trim of these model year vehicles uses a 230.0-hp, 3.3-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine and tows up to 2,000 lbs.

2006 and 2007 Toyota Highlanders can Haul up to 2,000 lbs.

The 2006 and 2007 Highlanders are available in three trims: Base, sport, and limited.

The base version of the Highlander uses a 155.0-hp, 2.4-liter 4 Cylinder Engine and can haul up to 1,500 lbs.

This vehicle’s Sport and Limited trim uses a 215.0-hp, 3.3-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine and can haul up to 2,000 lbs.

Second Generation Toyota Highlander 2008–13

Now, let’s turn to the second-generation models.

The 2008 and 2009 Highlanders can Tow up to 2,000 lbs.

The 2008 and 2009 Highlanders are broken into three trims; Base, sport, and limited. The base version of these model years has no towing capabilities.

But, the Sport and Limited trims do.

The Sport and Limited editions feature a 270.0-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine and can haul up to 2,000 lbs.

The 2010 Second Generation Toyota Highlander can Haul 1,500 to 2,000 lbs.

The 2010 Second Generation Toyota Highlander is available in four trims:

  • Base,
  • SE,
  • Sport,
  • and Limited.

The Base trim uses a 187.0-hp, 2.7-liter 4 Cylinder Engine and can haul up to 1,500 lbs.

The Sport, SE, and Limited Highlander trim for 2010 use a 270.0-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine, allowing the vehicle to haul up to 2,000 lbs.

The 2011 and 2012 Toyota Highlander can haul 1,500 to 2,000 lbs.

The 2011 and 2012 Toyota Highlanders are seven-passenger vehicles with three trim options:

  • Base,
  • SE,
  • and Limited.

The towing power offered with these SUV options depends on the trim chosen.

The Base and SE 2011 and 2012 Toyota Highlanders can Haul 1,500 lbs

The Base and SE trims of the 2011 and 2012 Highlander are equipped with a 187.0-hp, 2.7-liter 4 Cylinder Engine.

With this engine choice, the vehicle can haul up to 1,500 lbs.

The Limited 2011 and 2012 Toyota Highlanders can Haul up to 2,000 lbs.

The 2011 and 2012 Limited Toyota Highlander has a bigger engine than the other trims for these options.

The 270.0-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine allows the driver to haul up to 2,000 lbs.

The 2013 second-generation Toyota Highlander hauls 1,500 to 5,000 lbs.

The 2013 second-generation Toyota Highlander was the last model released before the manufacturer gave the SUV a brand new look.

The 2013 version is available in four trims.

The weight available to tow depends on the trim chosen.

The 2013 Base and Base Plus Toyota Highlinder can Haul up to 1,500 lbs.

Toyota released the 2013 base and Base plus trim Highlanders with a 187.0-hp, 2.7-liter 4 Cylinder Engine.

With this engine, the front-wheel drive SUVs can haul about 1,500 lbs.

The 2013 SE and Limited Toyota Highlanders can Haul up to 5,000 lbs.

The SE and Limited trims of the 2013 Toyota Highlander feature a 270.0-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine.

With this engine option, the SE and Limited trims can haul up to 5,000 lbs.

Third Generation Toyota Highlander 2014–19

The Third-Generation Toyota Highlander is available in up to 7 trim levels, including:

  • the LE 14,
  • LE,
  • LE Plus,
  • XLE,
  • SE,
  • Limited,
  • and Limited Platinum.

These models were released from 2014 to 2019. Check here why the Toyota Highlanders got more expensive.

Depending on which trim level is chosen, a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder option is available.

A hybrid version of the third-generation Highlander is also available.

The weight each trim can handle depends on the power of its engine.

The 2014 Third Generation Toyota Highlander can Haul 1,500 to 5,000 lbs.

When the first third-generation Toyota Highlander was released in 2014, it was completely redesigned.

The reinvention of the SUV gave it a brand new style, increased seating for up to 8 people, and provided the option of a four or six-cylinder engine and front or all-wheel drive.

In addition, Toyota also offered a hybrid version of this vehicle.

The towing capabilities of the 2014 Highlander range from 1,500 lbs. to 5,000 lbs. depending on the trim chosen.

The 2014 Toyota Highlander LE Hauls up to 1,500 lbs.

The 2014 Toyota Highlander LE is the baseline model for this vehicle.

It features a 185.0-hp, 2.7-liter 4 Cylinder Engine and can haul up to 1,500 lbs.

The LE Plus 2014 Toyota Highlander Hauls up to 2,000 lbs.

The most significant difference between the 2014 Highlander LE and LE Plus is its engine size.

The Highlander LE Plus features a 270.0-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 gasoline engine and features front-wheel drive.

With this combination, the LE Plus 2014 can haul up to 2,000 lbs.

The 2014 Toyota Highlander XLE, Limited, and Limited Platinum Hauls up to 5,000 lbs.

Toyota created the Highlander XLE, Limited, and Limited Platinum with a 270.0-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine.

The gasoline-powered engine offers front-wheel drive and can haul up to 5,000 lbs.

The 2015 and 2016 Toyota Highlander can Haul 1,500 lbs to 5,000 lbs.

The 2015 and 2016 Toyota Highlander is available in five trim levels, including:

  • the LE,
  • LE Plus,
  • XLE,
  • Limited,
  • and Limited Platinum.

The four-door, eight-passenger SUV is available with a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine, depending on the engine chosen.

The 2015 and 2016 Toyota Highlander LE hauls up to 1,500 lbs.

The 2015 and 2016 Highlander LE feature a 185.0-hp, 2.7-liter 4 Cylinder Engine.

With this engine option, the vehicle can tow up to 1,500 lbs.

The 2015 and 2016 Highlander LE Plus, XLE, Limited, and Limited Platinum Hauls Up to 5,000 lbs.

The engine is the most significant difference between the 2015 and 2016 LE trim and the other 2015 and 2016 Highlander options.

The LE Plus, XLE, Limited, and Limited Platinum have a significantly bigger engine at 270.0-hp, 3.5-liter V6.

The more powerful engine increases the vehicle’s towing capabilities from 1,500 lbs. to 5,000 lbs.

The 2017-2019 Toyota Highlander LE and LE 14 Haul Up to 1,500 lbs.

The 4-door, eight-passenger, 2017, 2018, and 2019 LE and LE 14 Toyota Highlander feature a 185.0-hp, 2.7-liter, 4 Cylinder gasoline engine.

These models can tow up to 1,500 lbs with this power under the hood.

You can also see here how the Highlander models handle snow.

The 2017, 2018, and 2019 Toyota Highlander LE Plus, XLE, SE, Limited and Limited Platinum Hauls Up to 5,000 lbs.

2017, 2018, and 2019 LE Plus, XLE, SE, Limited, and Limited Platinum trim beefed up their engine to a 295.0-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine.

The increased gasoline-powered engine is capable of hauling up to 5,000 lbs.

Fourth Generation Toyota Highlander 2020–2022

For the fourth generation Toyota Highlanders, released between 2020 and 2022, the SUV got bigger and slimmed down its trim options from seven to six.

However, despite losing a trim level, the SUV can offer a significant towing capacity and a powerful V6 engine.

2021 Fourth-Generation Toyota Highlanders can tow up to 5,000lbs.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander is part of the vehicle’s fourth generation.

It features a 295-0-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 Cylinder gasoline engine.

It is available in six trims, including:

  • the L,
  • LE,
  • XLE,
  • XSE,
  • Limited,
  • and Platinum.

Each SUV in the 2021 line-up is capable of towing up to 5,000 lbs.

2022 Fourth-Generation Toyota Highlanders can tow up to 5,000lbs.

The 2022 fourth-generation Toyota Highlanders are offered in six trims;

  • the L,
  • LE,
  • XLE,
  • XSE,
  • Limited,
  • and Platinum.

Each is available with a 295.0-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 Cylinder gasoline engine and can tow up to 5,000 lbs.

How big a boat can Toyota Highlanders tow?

Almost all Toyota Highlanders released since 2001 can tow anywhere from 1,500 to 5,000 lbs, which makes them capable of towing boats.

With this towing capacity, most Toyota Highlanders can haul a small full-sized boat or a large aluminum fishing boat.

How big a camper can Toyota Highlanders tow?

The Toyota Highlander is unique because it focuses on passenger comfort in the cabin’s interior and has impressive towing capacities.

With up to 5,000 lbs. of towing capacity in some years and the trims of the Highlander, this SUV can haul a variety of campers.

For example, a Highlander can haul pop-up campers, teardrop campers, and small airstreams.

If you find that your Highlander cannot meet your need for towing you can also use rental trucks to tow.

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