2012 Toyota Highlander: trims, real prices & how to pick yours

11 builds left the factory as a 2012 Highlander, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN. The 6 main configurations sell for $6,216–$20,000 today.

  • 6 main configurations
  • 18,567 vehicles built
  • 227 for sale right now
  • $6,216–$20,000 typical price range

Which Highlander is yours?

Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.

Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.

Pick your Highlander

What actually differs

Base/Hybrid · 4WD Base/Hybrid 5TDZK3EH-C Base/Hybrid 5TDYK3EH-C Base/Hybrid 5TDZA3EH-C
Engine 3.5L 6-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl 2.7L 4-cyl
Power 231 hp 231 hp 231 hp 185 hp
Typical price today $12,995 $10,286 $13,216 $9,936
For sale right now 88 36 44 46
Vehicles built 6,942 3,894 3,551 2,806
Same on every 2012 Highlander
  • Drivetrain Four-wheel drive
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Body Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
  • Doors 5-door

What people actually pay

308 price observations · updated Aug 30, 2026
Base/Hybrid · 4WD
$12,995
Base/Hybrid 5TDZK3EH-C
$10,286
Base/Hybrid 5TDYK3EH-C
$13,216
Base/Hybrid 5TDZA3EH-C
$9,936
$6,029 $9,672 $13,315 $16,957 $20,600
Price trend

Median up $2,346 over the last 12 months.

2012 Highlander price history →
Will it hold value?

A Highlander typically keeps about 60% of its price over 5 years — a 5-year-old one runs about $7,186 today.

Highlander depreciation by year →
Cost to run

18/24 mpg city/highway. Roughly $2,330/yr on fuel at 15,000 miles.

EPA estimate for the 2012 Highlander

Safety, in plain English

NHTSA overall crash rating

★★★★ ★ 4 / 5

2 recalls on file for this model year — check any specific VIN before you buy.

What 5TDDK3EH-C means

5TD DK3EH · C
5TD
the World Manufacturer Identifier Toyota registered — assembled in the United States
DK3EH
together encode the Highlander line — Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), 3.5L 6cyl, Four-wheel drive — as Toyota filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
C
in position 10 — model year 2012
9, 11–17
differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
Real VINs from this run 5TDDK3EH XCS130106 5TDDK3EH 5CS119210 5TDDK3EH 1CS112254
5 rare configurations — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.

Already looking at a specific Highlander?

Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.

2012 Toyota Highlander prices →