Complaint volume
443 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2021 Toyota Highlander Complaints
443 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Toyota Highlander, grouped by component category.
443 Total complaints
16 Crash reports
3 Fire reports
11 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are power train, service brakes, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 16 crash reports, 3 fire reports, 11 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 38 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 26,599 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to power train, service brakes, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2021 Toyota Highlander?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2021 Toyota Highlander
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Toyota Highlander complaints?
16 Crash
3 Fire
11 Injury
0 Fatality
9 Towed
8 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Toyota Highlander complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 147
SERVICE BRAKES 41
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 34
STRUCTURE 33
AIR BAGS 28
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 22
ENGINE 13
TIRES 8
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 7
VISIBILITY/WIPER 7
443 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The Battery was leaking fluid, smoke was visible and rotten smell from the battery. Electrical secondary brake system came on the dashboard | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid - experiences the sensation of brake loss during transitional period when car switches between regenerative brakes and mechanical brakes; most often occurs on a downgrade approaching a stop. During the transition, the car will surge ahead unexpectedly. I would consider this a significant safety issue; causes the driver to misjudge the required stopping distance and it is possible to hit something (or someone) in front of you. There is a TSB-0059-23 against this issue that requires a software update of the brake actuator. The issue is serious enough in my opinion that a recall of all Highlander hybrids is justified and Toyota should cover the cost of the update. The issue is intermittent and has occurred since new. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The Check Engine light came on and I took it into Toyota of Downtown dealership where I was receiving periodic maintenance. After 2 days, they said the light was out but they hadn't found the cause. I could either leave if for a few more days or take it and bring it back if the light came on again. This was early August. I chose to take the car & when the Check Engine warning light came on again, I took it in on Aug 15, 2024 before I left to Portland to give them more time. I returned on Monday & couldn't reach them. The next day they informed me that while on a test drive, there was a loud bang, it started smoking and by the time 911 arrived it was on fire. After a 2 month investigation by Toyota's Engineering Analysis fire inspection, they concluded Toyota was not involved. The dealership has not provided me with the report although I've requested it but they aren't accepting responsibility either although it was in their possession when the fire occurred. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Toyota is not trying to own up to failing transmissions especially in the Highlanders. The Highlander started making a whining noise around 50k miles like a supercharger. The dealer said the car needed a whole new transmission. The transmission is available for inspection upon request. The car is hard to accelerate because the transmission is failing without giving any warning signals on the dashboard. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | AIR BAGS | If the important safety recall on 2021 highlander is that important, why is it taking years to fix , I feel toyota is dragging their feet and no one from the Nhtsa is doing anything about it, I think social media will be informed about your inaction of letting them slide for so long ! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | POWER TRAIN | THE DEALER HAS CONFIRMED A PROBLEM ON THE MATTER AND SAID IT WOULD COST $8000.00 TO FIX IT. HAS NOT PUT A RECALL ON IT YET. BUT THERE IS A BULLITON ON THE MATTER. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | AIR BAGS | My Toyota Dealer, Toyota Corporate Customer Service, Toyota Recall Web site, and NHTSA web site have no remedy, no scheduled remedy, and have sent no status reports since recall 23TA15 was issued 12/20/2023. The only data that I can find states an estimated fix by October 2024. Almost 1M vehicles are impacted by OCS defective part that may cause the passenger air bag to fail causing serious injury or death. Toyota an NHTSA should take immediate action to make sure that there is a sense of urgency (after almost a year), an action plan is in place, and owners are kept informed on a timely basis. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission is making a whining noise. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | SEATS | My vehicle was rear-ended while stopped by a 2014 Toyota Corolla that was estimated to be traveling between 60-70 miles per hour. During the crash, the driver seat failed, resulting in the partially reclining into the second row passenger. The failure mechanism appears to be internal to the seatback, as the seat twisted during the failure, causing me to lean more towards the passenger side of the vehicle. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The car started making a whining.humming sound only while pressing the gas. Took to mechanic and they advised it was TSB 0008-21. I need a new transmission. I drive this daily with my own kids, and several that aren't mine. If the transmission were to go out, I would not be able to accelerate and the care would stop moving. I can't even imagine this happening on a high with hundreds of cars speeding or a busy road. This could cause a bad accident, injury or death. No warnings etc. The noise just started and took right to mechanic. I gave the mechanic a copt of power train warrant and hoping it gets covered and fixed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | AIR BAGS | The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Regarding Toyota TSB T-SB-0008-21, ‘Whine or Grind Noise From the Transmission’, issued February 2021: Some 2021 model year Avalon, Highlander, and Camry vehicles equipped with UA80E or UA80F transmissions may exhibit a whine or grind noise from the transmission. This condition may be caused by an issue with the front carrier assembly pinion shafts. This is a widespread problem with these specified transmissions. The noise generally starts around 60-70k miles, just outside the warranty period. Toyota knowingly continued to sell vehicles with these defective transmissions. Repair estimates range from $8.5k-$13k. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission failure at 70,000 miles waited 3 months for replacement transmission. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | AIR BAGS | SAFETY RECALL 23TA15 (Interim Notice 23TB15) was issued December 20, 2023 - almost one year ago. Toyota does not yet have a remedy for this potentially serious safety issue. For several months, Toyota's website has had the following verbiage regarding this "Toyota estimates the remedy can be available in Quarter 3, 2024, but this is subject to change based on parts availability." I cannot continue to drive people with this potentially serious safety issue. When will a remedy be available? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | STRUCTURE | Water leaking into the A pillar where airbags are located due to faulty seals in roof rails. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN | My wife’s Highlander started whining under acceleration. I am not a trained mechanic but know enough about vehicles that I k ew it was the transmission. I checked Google for 2021 Highlander complaints and found hundreds of them. The vehicle has 90k on it but luckily we bought the extended warranty through Toyota. I took the vehicle in for service and told them the transmission was whining and needed replaced and would be covered under my warranty. They looked at me strange and said ok sure, we’ll check it out. 4 hours later they called to confirm I needed a new transmission. They estimate it to take be 4 weeks before they receive the transmission. Apparently so many being replaced they are on back order. Luckily we bought our vehicle as a “Certified Pre-Owned” so we get a loaner the entire time. Just sad to see Toyota quality going down hill like it has. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | STRUCTURE | See attached document for complaint. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | Chest clip is magnetic and can be opened by child without using the buttons to open. No longer staying closed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN | I WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK AND THE BREAK SYSTEM FAIL AND THEN I WAS COMING TO SA STOP LIGHT I WAS ABLE TO BREAK SLOWLY AND I WAS ABLE TO GO INTO SHELL GAS STATION GOT OFF TO PUT GAS AND THE STARTED TALKING TO TAKE IT TO THE NEAR DEALER TOYOTA .I GOT OFF THE VECHICLE PUT GAS AND WHEN I STARTED TO TURN ON I WOULD TURN ON AT ALL I DO T KNOW I GAVE IT SOME GAS AND I WAS ABLE TO TURN IT ON BUT THE MOTER WAS SHAKING AND IT WAS STALING ON ME. THE H AND COLD GAUGE WAS STUCK NOT MOVING ETHIER. THAT FAN FROM THE MOTER STOP WORKING AS WELL I WAS ABLE TO TURN IT ON AND I DRO E IT TO MY MOTHERS HOUSE AND LEFT IT THEIR GOT A TOWTRUCK ON THE JULY 28 2024 TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP I HAD TO PAY THE TOW TRUCK AND UNTILL KNOW I HAVENT GOT MY REFUND BACK BECAUSE I HAD TOWNIG WITH THE VECHICLE WHEN I PURCHASED IT. ITS 2 MONTHS OUT I STILL HAVENT GOTTEN MY TRANSMISSION OR GOTTEN FIX AND THE VECHICLE HAD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AS WELL IT HAS 71,700 ML ON IT AND I ALSO HAVE TO PAY THE RENTAL VECHICLE AS WELL. TOYOTA DOENT WAST TO PAY AT ALL FOR THE RENTAL VECHICLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Sunroof shattered while vehicle was parked. Nothing touched the vehicle. We were just sitting in the car when it happened. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | [XXX], while driving on a [XXX], my 2021 Highlander Platinum unexpectedly shut down without ANY prior warning or indication of a malfunction. This abrupt failure put my safety, as well as that of my passengers and other motorists, at considerable risk. As a longtime Toyota customer, I have always valued the reputation of Toyota vehicles for their reliability and safety. However, this incident has significantly shaken my confidence in that reputation. I trusted that my vehicle, particularly one as recent as the 2021 Highlander, would perform safely and effectively in all driving conditions. The complete and sudden failure of the vehicle on a busy highway is not only unacceptable, but also alarming. I now find myself questioning whether I can continue to rely on this vehicle or the brand itself. After having the vehicle towed from obstructing a busy lane of traffic, the battery was jump started to get the car running again. I had NEVER had ANY issues with battery and all regular services had been completed at a Toyota Service Center, but several codes appeared on the dashboard after this incident advising the vehicle be taken to a dealer. Vehicle was taken to Toyota Service Center [XXX] for a diagnostic check, but they couldn’t find any error codes or issues with the vehicle. I contacted Toyota to thoroughly investigate this matter and address the underlying issue that caused the shutdown, so that I can regain confidence in its safety and dependability. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | VISIBILITY | I just bought this 2021 Highlander XSE & the drivers side mirror vibrates above 30mph. I feel this makes it very hard to see properly especially on the interstate traveling 70mph & trying to get a clear view of the roadway & cars around me. I took the car to my local Toyota dealer & was told this is a common problem among the new design with the Highlander’s. I do not feel safe not being able to see properly. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN | A whine developed while accelerating on the highway. The whine continued any time I accelerated higher than about 35 mph. I suspected it was the transmission and Toyota confirmed I was right. I need a whole new transmission. At 59,000 miles, my Highlander is still under power train warranty. However, my car was diagnosed July 9 and I am still waiting for the part to come in at the dealership more than 2 months later. I was told verbally that I would be able to still drive the car while waiting, but I don't feel safe doing so. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission/differential - Took my car in around 80k miles for a routine transmission service. I got my car back and it started making a whining noise when you accelerate. Never did I get a code, check engine light nothing. Took it back to get looked it since the sound never went away. I am being told it needs a new transmission. I was told my car transmission was too hot for them to even look at after sitting for 24hr parked! I have read and done a lot of research that this is a common issue and never has been recalled. Even a shortage now on transmissions with so many needing them now! My car is only 3 years old and won’t be covered.. this should have been recalled and or known to buyers before purchasing if it was known to have issues early 2021… | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | The vehicle is a hybrid. While traveling downhill at a speed around 35 mph with light brake pressure, the vehicle feels like it lurches forward a second or so before returning to braking. It has occurred since we purchased the vehicle new in 2021. It has happened multiple times in a variety of scenarios but it occurs most consistently in the downhill scenario described above. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |