Toyota Highlander Towing Capacity: Gas vs. Hybrid Models

The Highlander looks like the kind of family SUV that can pull just about anything. Then you read the fine print on the hybrid.

Toyota Highlander towing capacity is 5,000 pounds on gas models and 3,500 pounds on the hybrid, and some older four-cylinder versions manage as little as 1,500. That gap has been there for well over a decade, and it's an easy number to miss until the trailer is already on the hitch.

So the real question isn't how much a Highlander can tow. It's which Highlander you're looking at.

How Much Can a Toyota Highlander Tow?

Toyota Highlander towing capacity depends on the engine more than the model year. Here is the short version, based on Toyota's own specs for each year.

These figures come from Toyota's brochures, data sheets, and product information sheets, as compiled by TowingSpecs. They apply to a properly equipped vehicle, so confirm your own configuration in the owner's manual.

Toyota Highlander Towing Capacity by Generation

2023 to 2026: The Turbo Era

For 2023, Toyota dropped the V6 and moved the gas Highlander to a 2.4L turbocharged four-cylinder with 265 hp and about 310 lb-ft of torque. The towing rating stayed at 5,000 lbs and has carried over unchanged through 2026. Toyota rates the hybrid, a 2.5L four-cylinder system with 243 hp combined, at 3,500 lbs.

Front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive carry the same ratings. The turbo also makes more torque than the V6 it replaced, about 310 lb-ft against 263 lb-ft. If you want to know why that matters more than the horsepower number when you're pulling a trailer, the difference between horsepower and torque explains it.

2020 to 2022: The V6 Era

The fourth-generation Highlander launched for 2020 with a 3.5L V6 making 295 hp and 263 lb-ft. It tows 5,000 lbs, and the hybrid version tows 3,500 lbs. That means a used 2020 to 2022 V6 Highlander tows the same as a new turbo model.

2014 to 2019: Watch the Four-Cylinder

The third generation tows 5,000 lbs with the 3.5L V6 and 3,500 lbs as a hybrid. The base LE with the four-cylinder engine is the one to watch. Toyota rated it at 1,500 lbs, which is little more than a small utility trailer.

2008 to 2013 and Earlier

The second generation tows 5,000 lbs with the V6 and 3,500 lbs as a hybrid. The four-cylinder models, which returned for 2010, were rated at 3,500 lbs through 2012, then dropped to 1,500 lbs for 2013.

Go back to 2006 and 2007, and Toyota's data sheets list 3,500 lbs for the V6 and hybrid and 3,000 lbs for the four-cylinder.

Why Does the Hybrid Tow Less?

Toyota doesn't spell out its reasoning in the spec sheets, but the hybrid's smaller gas engine and extra battery weight are the usual explanations. The hybrid also carries a lower tongue weight limit, 350 lbs instead of 500.

The trade-off is fuel economy. The hybrid gets roughly 35 mpg combined, compared with about 24 mpg for the turbo. If you only tow once or twice a year, 3,500 lbs may be plenty, and whether hybrid cars are worth it at all depends on how you drive. If towing is a regular part of your week, the gas model gives you real headroom.

Tongue Weight and Payload

Toyota's tongue weight limits are worth knowing, because they work out to exactly 10 percent of each tow rating: 500 lbs for the gas models and 350 lbs for the hybrid.

The usual rule of thumb is that a trailer's tongue weight runs 10 to 15 percent of its loaded weight. That means a trailer loaded toward the heavy end can hit your tongue weight limit before it reaches the tow rating. A 5,000 lb trailer with 12 percent tongue weight puts 600 lbs on the hitch, 100 lbs over what Toyota allows.

Payload matters too. Toyota's published weight ratings work out to roughly 1,500 to 1,700 lbs of payload on current gas models, depending on trim and drivetrain. Fill the seats, add a 500 lb tongue, and there isn't much left for luggage.

Do You Need a Tow Package?

Toyota's ratings assume the Highlander is properly equipped. The tow package is an option on the current model, so a Highlander on the lot, or a used one, may not have the hitch hardware the rating assumes. Check the build sheet before you rely on any number.

Most states also require trailer brakes once a trailer passes a certain weight, so check your state's rules before you load up.

What Can a Highlander Tow?

Within 5,000 lbs, a V6 or turbo Highlander handles most utility trailers, motorcycle trailers, pop-up campers, and small boats. A typical travel trailer or a mid-size boat on its trailer often doesn't fit, since loaded weights climb past 5,000 lbs quickly.

The hybrid's 3,500 lbs suits lighter loads, like a utility trailer, a motorcycle trailer, or a small pop-up camper. Whatever you tow, go by the loaded weight, not the dry weight on the spec sheet.

What If You Need More Than 5,000 Pounds?

A 5,000 lb rating is typical for mid-size three-row SUVs, so a heavier trailer means a different vehicle. A midsize truck is the usual step up, and Toyota rates the current Tacoma at up to 6,500 lbs, as the Tacoma's towing ratings by year and trim show.

What About the New Electric Highlander?

Toyota's next-generation Highlander drops gas and hybrid power entirely and goes all-electric. Reports put its arrival anywhere from late 2026 to mid-2027. Towing figures reported at its reveal are 3,500 lbs with the larger 95.8 kWh battery and 2,600 lbs with the smaller 77 kWh pack, so confirm them once it's on sale.

That means anyone shopping for a gas or hybrid Highlander is shopping the outgoing generation. If you want a three-row Toyota with a gas or hybrid engine going forward, the Grand Highlander continues with both.

FAQs

Can a Toyota Highlander tow 5,000 pounds?

Yes, but only the gas models: the V6 from 2008 to 2022 and the 2.4L turbo from 2023 to 2026, when properly equipped. Hybrids stop at 3,500 lbs, and four-cylinder models are rated at 1,500 to 3,500 lbs depending on the year.

How much can a Toyota Highlander Hybrid tow?

3,500 lbs, with a 350 lb tongue weight limit. Toyota has rated the hybrid at 3,500 lbs for as far back as its data sheets go, to 2006.

Did Toyota cut the Highlander's towing capacity when it dropped the V6?

No. The last V6 Highlander and the first turbo model are both rated at 5,000 lbs. Toyota's own 2024 and 2025 product sheets list 5,000 lbs for the turbo, and dealer sources confirm the same for 2023. Some websites show lower figures, but they don't match Toyota's documents.

Is the Grand Highlander's towing capacity different?

Yes. It's a separate, larger model. The Grand Highlander's gas 2.4L turbo and Hybrid MAX versions are rated at 5,000 lbs, and its standard hybrid at 3,500 lbs.

Does all-wheel drive change the Highlander's towing capacity?

No. Front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive carry the same ratings on current models. AWD adds weight, though, so it trims payload by roughly 190 lbs on a gas model.

Pick the Powertrain Before You Pick the Trailer

The powertrain is the biggest towing decision on a Highlander. Gas gives you 5,000 lbs and a 500 lb tongue weight limit. The hybrid gives you 3,500 lbs and 350 lbs, with much better fuel economy.

Check your trailer's loaded weight against both numbers, and against your payload, before you hook up. Towing is also hard on transmissions, brakes, and cooling systems, so a Highlander that pulls a trailer regularly deserves shorter service intervals than one that only commutes. Stay inside the ratings and keep the vehicle maintained, and the Highlander does the job well.