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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES | When braking approaching a stop light or braking while having curved into a designated turn lane the car lurches forward even though the brake peddle is properly engaged. This causes one to react by pressing harder on the brake pedal and the brakes thankfully stop the surge . I could describe it as an acceleration during the middle of braking. This could easily cause me to hit the car in front of me, a pedestrian or fail to stop at the stop sign or stop light. This is very dangerous. The dealership has been unable to reproduce the problem. It has occurred 3 times in 10 weeks (as I just purchased the vehicle). There were no warning lamps or messages prior to all three incidents. I input the most recent date that it occurred even though the dealership was unable to see the third incident on their computer readout. They did find the prior 2 incidents IN ADDITION to one in 2020 prior to my owning the vehicle. I have noticed on an internet forum others have experienced the same issue. One case has this number associated with NHTSA 220314000811. PLEASE help!!! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking isn't functioning as stated in the Toyota Highlander 2021 Owner's Manual. Dealer stated that software tests were conducted and the vehicle's radar and optical sensors are performing in accordance with the test results. However, there is only intermittent warning lights and alarms that are functioning. The dashboard audio and visual alarms only function in rare encounters on approaching a vehicle. The service manager rode with me and when I was approaching a vehicle where an alarm should have sounded or illuminated inside the vehicle, that did not occur. However, the software tests showed that the vehicle was approaching on a collision event that was recorded on the system, but failed to alert the driver. After additional testing, the service manager stated that the vehicle reads stop lights from the vehicle ahead to execute the safety functions of the forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking safety feature. The Owner's Manual doesn't make that claim. In addition, another service manager stated that the system uses artificial intelligence to learn the driver' habits and the system adapts to the driver. The Owner's manual doesn't state that claim either. Lastly, the invoice stated that the owner should read pages 257 and 260 of the Owner's Manual to understand how the system operates. This describes the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control functions and not the Forward Collision Warning or Automatic Braking functions. This information is found on pages 235-238. They missed the problem. My suggestion was that their test only looked at a single variable that may have covered the external sensor operation and didn't test the dashboard internal warning system of the audio/visual alerts inside the vehicle. My recommendation was to seek assistance from the supplier that manufactured this system and seek guidance from their engineering staff. I complained to the Toyota Corporate Customer Servi | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ENGINE | When bringing my 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid AWD with ~18,000 miles on the odometer to the Toyota dealership for a flat tire and recall, they performed a routine multi point inspection. They found the inverter radiator was punctured and was leaking coolant. They said to fix it would be $1,640. The service representative text me “the technician also noticed that the inverter radiator is leaking coolant, which is a very important and vital part of the hybrid system. It looks to be that a rock from the road was the source of the damage, which since moving down here [AZ] I’ve seen happen quite often….I would strongly advise against driving the vehicle that far (~200 mi) for fear of it overheating and causing more damage. The technician said will end up happening is…the vehicle will overheat and shut down to save the inverter from further damage. This is a very, very important part of the hybrid system. “ When I asked the technician how a rock could cause the puncture and cause the coolant to leak without my knowledge, she said “it sits right behind the front grill and it’s pretty easy to get hit by a rock when you’re driving.” I told her that sounds like a design flaw and asked if there’s a part that can protect this from occurring again. She didn’t know of any Toyota parts to reduce this reoccurrence, but suggested I could look online to buy an aftermarket part. What’s alarming are the photos of the damage and the coolant spraying out from the leak all over the inverter radiator, how much coolant was lost due to this damage, and that I never had a warning light or notification. The car was driving fine and had no warning lights until I got a flat tire the day before the Toyota dealer found the inverter puncture. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES | When slowing down, It doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s as if the brakes disengage and the car feels like it is accelerating . After a second or two it will engage after I applied a lot harder because I’m freaking out because it feels like I have complete brake failure. I took the vehicle to Toyota and they told me it is normal to experience this because the breaking system is switching between the electric motors and the break calipers. I have been driving for over 40 years and there is NOTHING normal about this! I have gone into intersections at stop signs and almost rear ended vehicles in front of me as a result of this. Just because Toyota has a problem that they acknowledge, but claim that it isn't a problem, doesn't make it right and it is downright dangerous. This issue has been present since purchasing the vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2022 | LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | The rear cross traffic avoidance does not detect a person on a bicycle or motorcycle. The safety sense 2.5 + was advertised and demoed to detect even a pedestrian walking behind the vehicle. The system on my vehicle does not work as advertised and after taking my vehicle to the Dealer was informed by the service manager that the system is "intermittent at best". This is not what Toyota advertises. Dealerships apparently have no signal strength detection equipment to verify proper operation of this system. I have reviewed multiple videos of this system in operation and there were no indications of intermittent failures. I have contacted Toyota Customer support and am being ignored. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I have a 2021 Toyota Highlander XLE with a panoramic sunroof. on 5/11/2022 I was driving on the road when I heard an extremely loud explosion. I looked around and didn't see any damage, then I pulled off the road to discover that the sunroof had exploded. I called the dealership and they referred me to Safelite. Safelite took my information and called me back 2 days later to inform me that they don't stock the part I have to go to the dealer. I booked an appointment with the dealer (Sheehy), I took the vehicle in, they inspected, and I was told by Sheehy that "they've never heard of such a thing" and they were going to call the manufacturer to see if they will approve my repair under warranty. They called me back about a week later to say my claim for repair costs was denied due to, in their words "outside influences". There were no rocks, debris, etc. found that could have contributed to the moonroof shattering. Fortunately, I had the shades pulled otherwise I would have been covered in broken glass. There was no damage to the shade to indicate an object fell on it. After a quick google search, I saw that other SUV owners had experienced this same phenomenon and were told the same thing- outside influences caused this. Toyota should inform consumers about this issue and fix it no questions asked when this happens rather than try to brush it under the carpet especially when the vehicle is still under warranty. This presents a road safety issue as flying glass could get injure other people. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | On May 24th I was driving back to work form my lunch break, had to make an additional stop before going back and in the moment I was to make a right suddenly the car would not stop or turn, no light were on at the moment, now the car is a total loss and I went trough the scariest time of my life after running into mangroves | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| May 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES | The Highlander Hybrid is dangerous and someone will get hurt. The brakes will occasionally, at lower speeds and under a variety of circumstances, stop working for a second or two. It actually gives the feeling that the car is accelerating or surging forward. My dealer was able to replicate the problem but said they hadn't heard of a fix yet. They had heard of this issue from several customers. Toyota maintains it is normal operation and is simply the hybrid switching from regenerative braking to mechanical braking. It is completely unpredictable. Sometimes it will go a week without happening. Sometimes it will happen several times in 1 day. My wife and I do not feel safe in this car. Very frustrating that Toyota doesn't seem to take this seriously. It's simply a matter of time before we rear end someone, or hit something else. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | This is in regards to a 2021 Toyota Platinum AWD with 8500 miles. While cruising at about 40 miles/hour, the car suddenly lost power, and an alpha numeric code popped on the digital display that said “Chip malfunction” and something else I don’t recall. It also said to see your dealer immediately. On the dash, the check engine light came on with a message that said “reduced engine power”. This message alternated with another alpha numeric code. I did not write down the actual codes because I thought the car would record them. I was able to roll onto a side street and turn off the car. After 5 min, I restarted the car and took it to the dealer later that day. They not only could not find a code in the record, the entire trip was not recorded, even though it’s on my Toyota app. First, they tried to say it couldn’t have happened because it was not recorded. Then, they said the recall regarding a power issue was the culprit, but also admitted the “fix” had nothing to do with, and would not affect, the engine. After insisting more be done to iD the problem and fix it, they agreed to keep the car and run a diagnostic. It turned up nothing except “maybe bad gas”. Really? We only use premium from reputable sources. I do not feel safe on the car and most certainly do not feel safe putting my child in it. I cannot believe they cannot find the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | Other/I am not sure | Broken latch. The car seat would not unlatch properly. Several occasions it takes more than one person to unlatch. If there was an emergency, I would not be able to get this seat out in a timely manner. The latch broke off and my daughter is only 11 weeks old. Not sure when the latch broke. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Head lights are situated too high and are distracting upcoming vehicles, which may distort upcoming traffic. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Impossible to completely fill the gas tank on the Highlander Hybrid. 17+ gallon tank, yet car will accept at most 12-13 gallons of fuel. Fuel gauge reads between 3/4 and 7/8 full after each fill-up. This issue has persisted since the vehicle was new. Multiple requests to the dealer to fix this problem are largely ignored with them telling me that they aren't aware of any issues, research suggests that many other owners are experiencing the same problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE 2021 HIGHLANDER, THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON UNTIL NEARLY EMPTY. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE DAY ONE. MY LAST TOYOTA THE LOW FUEL LIGHT TYPICALLY ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH AROUND 35 MILES DTE. I WAS RELIEVED TO SEE TOYOTA ISSUED A SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN (21TC05) ACKNOWLEDGING THE ISSUE... BUT IT DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM!! I HAD THE REPROGAM SERVICE PERFORMED AND STILL, THE LIGHT AND DTE DID NOT IMPROVE OR CHANGE. THE LOW FUEL LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON UNTIL ABOUT 10 MILES DTE. AND I ONLY GET 16 MPG, SO THIS IS VERY LITTLE WARNING ESPECIALLY IF TRAVELING OR GAS STATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN A REASONABLE DISTANCE. BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD TOYOTA! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ENGINE | The vehicle's automatic stop-start feature malfunctioned and shut the engine off while I was driving with my 3 children in the car. Our safety was at risk because the car shut off in the middle of the road and we had to wait for an hour for the tow truck to come and give us a jump. There was no prior warning before the car shut off. Afterwards the message "High Power Consumption Partial Limit on AC/Heater Operation" came on I was very nervous for my kids and I safety. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I was driving with my daughter on the highway where all of a sudden I could here a loud noise on the top of my car. I opened the sunroof to see what's wrong only to see a Crack in the sunroof. Nothing hit the roof but it was cracked up. As I was driving it began to break up. If I had the shade opened I would have been hit with the glasses and I had my three year old in the car as well. Absolutely nothing hit the vehicle but it broke on its own. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | SEAT BELTS | We had to cut a seatbelt because it was cutting into a child’s stomach. The child was screaming and complaining and it left a scar on his stomach. If we would have taken into the dealer which was 20 min away it would have done more damage to the child. We tried using the steps in the book to release it, didn’t work. As an emergency we had to cut the seat belt to release it. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | My concern has to do with an inability to completely fill the gas tank in my 2021Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE (AWD), and the gas tank capacity has worsened over time. I purchased the vehicle new from a Toyota dealer in Maryland in April 2021. Initially, I could fill the gas tank to almost full per the gas gauge. Over time, the amount of gas the tank can hold has decreased. As of early 2022, I can only fill the tank to just above 3/4 full per the gas gauge. Please note that when filling the tank at a gas station, I always stop filling when the gas pump shutoff switch activates (1st click) - I never "top off" the tank. It is certainly annoying to not get anywhere close to advertised range of the vehicle (the vehicle display shows a range just over 400 miles/tank versus an expected 600+ miles). However, my main concern is safety-related - I don’t trust my fuel gauge and fuel monitoring system, and as a result I fill the tank whenever I approach 1/2 full per the gas gauge. This is so I don't inadvertently run out of fuel. In Sept 2021, I took my vehicle to the Toyota dealer where I purchased it to report this fuel tank issue. The dealer's service department "verified [customer's] concern that the fuel pup clicks off before gas tank was full." The dealer also "created a TAS Case #xxx and with the information give was informed there is an active investigation by Toyota on this concern and there is no repair available at this time." Since then, the dealer has not reported anything new from Toyota USA (they said "we'll hear about any fix the day before you do.."). I called Toyota USA last Fall and also got no indication on an impeding fix. Bottom line - Toyota USA has been silent on the matter, although there is certainly lots of online chatter from other owners and mention of a lawsuit against Toyota. I am wondering if this issue is similar to what was noted (and finally fixed?) for Toyota's late model RAV4 hybrid vehicles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | SEATS | I was vacuuming the second row carpet in my vehicle. I was leaning into my vehicle and pulled the second row seat release to move the seat back. The back of the seat flipped forward hitting me in the right side of my head so hard it resulted in a pinched nerve at C5-C6. It was a substantial blow. I had to stop what I was doing and sit down. I would be very concerned at that amount of force hitting a child. Has Toyota measured the force and done a risk analysis to the vehicle occupant? | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 Medical attention | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | CAN NOT FILL IN A FULL TANK OF GAS. AT MOST THE CAR TAKES 13 GALLONS, WHERE AS THE TANK CAPACITY IS 17, WHICH IS 4 GALLONS SHORTER AND GIVES 140 MILES SHORTER RANGE (CALC ACCORDING TO EPA RATING). 140 MILES IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE. EVEN IF YOU FILL MORE THAN 13 GALLONS, THE RANGE STAYS AT 423 MILES AND DOESN`T INCREASE. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My sunroof exploded. I reported it to Toyota USA and dropped my car off at the local Toyota dealership. We had to shut the sun shade to keep glass from falling in on us. The SUV is still in the shop and we have not heard back from them yet. I did not call the police or insurance yet. There was no warning. Nothing hit it. It just exploded. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The Forward Collision did not activate cause the vehicle to meet into a accident. the car didn't give a Warning, or try to stop itself. took it to the dealer and was told that the system was working properly. but I tested the system in the parking lot, with a cardboard box and the system still didn't activate. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,ENGINE | Recently purchased this Highlander on August 2021. On 11/29/21 at around 8:00 AM, the Check Engine light illuminated resting stop at a red light. Engine still running. Took the vehicle to the dealership at 9:45AM. Vehicle was found to have had misfires as a result of bad gasoline. I have been pumping at the same gas station ever since I bought the vehicle. If it was the bad gas, this issue should have happened sooner. Now, the dealership is telling me to pay for the diagnostic fee which they claimed it was my fault. The vehicle is under warranty. Another non-power/fuel issue that came with the vehicle was a loud wind noise when reaching 40 MPH. The noise is very annoying, like someone whistling into your ear. The dealership is ordering a part to fix this issue. The vehicle is still at the dealership. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | LANE DEPARTURE | The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently attempted to navigate the steering and lane direction to the opposite direction of where the contact was attempting to steer the vehicle. This caused the contact to manually steer the vehicle into the center lane. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle but could not diagnose the cause of failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle lane sensor and steering assist sensor were performing as intended. The contact was concerned that the sensor should be adjusted so that the sensor would not have to adjust so easily while the contact was driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,000 |
| Nov 2021 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Advertisement say make 35 mpg Is lie Car make 16 to 24 mpg ave not more than that I decide buy this car for save gas, and spend more that any v6, Toyota still a lot money and fake advertisement, and also the dealer charge $3,000 more of the price because they say there are not cars, I paid $ 55,000 + taxes super expensive car for lie at the costumers. I went to service to the dealer and they said, that it is not they problem, the car is like that, I hope you can help to return or change the car | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 65 MPH, she heard a loud abnormally horrific sound coming from the roof of the vehicle. The contact's wife immediately pulled over and upon inspection, she discovered that the sunroof had shattered without incident. The contact's wife drove the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was left in their possession. Days later, the dealer informed the contact that it appeared to be previous damage to the sunroof had caused the failure and that the damage would not be covered under warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle has been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 19,000 |