2021 Toyota Highlander: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle2021 / toyota / highlander
known issues8 clusters (reviewed 2026-06-13)
complaints512 on file (2021-01-25 → 2026-09-14)
recalls4
investigations0
fars27 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Transmission whine and failure (UA80F 8-speed)POWER TRAIN134 complaints2025-04 → 2026-06highlander-2021-transmission-whine
  • 11739665 My 2021 Toyota Highlander makes a whining sound when driving. Took vehicle to dealership and was told it is a $10,000 repair and repair is critical.
  • 11737945 60k miles on the car and the transmission needs to be replaced out of pocket due to a gear pinon wearing down. This is a 10k dollar repair and just happens to be after the warranty has expired.
  • 11717532 Known transmission failure.whining noise when accelerating. T-SB-0008-21
Power liftgate failure to open or closeSTRUCTURE10 complaints2025-04 → 2026-04highlander-2021-power-liftgate-failure
  • 11730318 Rear lift gate doesn't fully open or close sometimes. I have to manually assist in opening or closing after trying the key fob, inside push button and rear switch above the license plate. I have attempted to reset the height adjustment thinking it would fix it, with no success.…
  • 11715008 Trunk has stopped working. It loudly beeps and will not open on its own. Trunk has to be manually opened and shut with great force to be used.
  • 11701505 Rear liftgate motors no longer functioning.
Brake lurch during regenerative braking transitionSERVICE BRAKES9 complaints2025-06 → 2026-05highlander-2021-regen-brake-lurch
  • 11709958 Under braking conditions, typically at higher speeds or while going downhill, vehicle will lurch or accelerate momentarily before braking again. This has caught 3 drivers in our family off-guard as it is intermittent and sudden. This is unpredictable and causes the braking…
  • 11694237 My 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has a braking issue identified in Toyota Service Bulletin T-SB-0059-23, Hybrid Regenerative Brake Transition Feeling Improvement. When going downhill and applying the brake, the vehicle lurches forward temporarily as the braking system…
  • 11681929 As your braking coming to a stop, the vehicle surges forward, feels like you lost your brakes and then it stops. If the car in front of you were to stop suddenly, you would hit them from behind. It…
Passenger airbag recall remedy delay and non-deploymentAIR BAGS9 complaints2025-04 → 2025-12highlander-2021-airbag-recall-remedy-delay
  • 11702314 Recall remedy is not a available in timely manner. Recall # 23ta15
  • 11694782 The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a…
  • 11682142 The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that the parts were not yet…
Rear A/C refrigerant line corrosion and leaksUNKNOWN OR OTHER4 complaints2025-06 → 2025-07highlander-2021-rear-ac-line-leak
  • 11673121 Air conditioning lines eroded and needed to be repaired after 26,000 miles/ 3 or 4 years. A/C line repair cost was $2500. Vehicle is garage kept and cleaned regularly during winter, it should not be having rusting problems, especially in this good of condition.
  • 11665077 My 2021 Toyota Highlander, purchased with 16k miles, has a leak in the AC system in the rear of the vehicle (as of May 2025, at 3 years 10 months into the vehicle's service, with 28k miles). This pipe runs the length of the car and costs $2000-$3000 to repair. This was…
Fuel pump failure with engine stallFUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM3 complaints2026-03 → 2026-04highlander-2021-fuel-pump-stall
  • 11721649 While driving westbound on I-8 at approximately 70 MPH in the left lane, a warning message suddenly appeared on my dashboard stating that a malfunction in the hybrid system had been detected. Immediately after the alert, the vehicle lost power and stopped accelerating. I was…
  • 11731434 This appears to be a fuel pump or something with the fuel issue on a 2021 Toyota Highlander L series. While driving it would stop and switch off at stop lights and stop sign. The codes that come up have to do with fuel being lean. However this also affects the braking system…
Roof rail seal water leaks into pillarsSTRUCTURE3 complaints2025-05 → 2025-11highlander-2021-roof-rail-water-leak
  • 11701289 Failed seals on roof rack that allowed water to enter the A pillars. Unknown potential damage to air bag system, and electrical wiring. Smaller leaks can go undetected and damage components over time without owners knowledge. Dealer confirmed water intrusion, Toyota refused to…
  • 11689569 During rain, the A-pillar and headliner show evidence of a leak. Open source research found this is likely due to faulty or poor quality components used in the roof rail system. My vehicle is completely stock with no additions or installations on the roof, just the factory rails.
Front bumper detachment (recall 23V720000)STRUCTURE3 complaints2025-07 → 2025-09highlander-2021-front-bumper-detachment
  • 11670880 The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 65 MPH, the front bumper became detached. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and zip-tied the bumper to the frame of the vehicle. The vehicle was not…
  • 11674293 The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000(Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had…

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
5122021-01-252026-09-14164POWER TRAIN:219; SERVICE BRAKES:66; UNKNOWN OR OTHER:62; STRUCTURE:51; ENGINE:44

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
23V72000026/10/2023STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERSToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Highlander & Highlander Hybrid vehicles. During normal vehicle operation, minor impact to the front lower bumper cover may result in the cover coming loose or detaching.A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.Dealers will repair or replace the upper and lower front bumper covers as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 22, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB12/23TA12.
23V86500020/12/2023AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATIONToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
24V45200018/06/2024TIRESSoutheast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander vehicles. The 20-inch accessory tires with an insufficient load rating for the vehicle's Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) were installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."Tires with an insufficient load rating can be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.SET will inspect and replace the tires and information placard, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2024. Owners may contact SET's customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET24A.
26V12800005/03/2026SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:RECLINERToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.Dealers will replace the return springs in the seat back recliner assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 9, 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Toyota’s customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TB06 and 26TA06.

Investigations all years →

none listed

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_yearsoccupant_deathsmatch_typevpic_recovered
2010-202427legacy-code0

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2021 Toyota Highlander vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2021/toyota/highlander
@misc{wrenchpro_2021_toyota_highlander_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2021 Toyota Highlander},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2021/toyota/highlander}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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