2021 Toyota Highlander problems & reliability
513 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota Highlander, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 23, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
12 complaints report injuries (18 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Toyota Highlander vehicles were involved in 70 fatal crashes with 17 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 219 | 43% |
| Service Brakes → | 66 | 13% |
| Unknown / Other | 62 | 12% |
| Structure → | 51 | 10% |
| Engine → | 45 | 9% |
| Air Bags → | 42 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 31 | 6% |
| Electrical System → | 27 | 5% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 12 | 2% |
| Visibility/wiper | 9 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 26 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 39 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 31,000 miles (middle 50% between 3,700 and 58,450 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. While driving 20 MPH uphill, the messages "Engine Failure," "Brake Failure," and "Pull Over to A Safe Place, See Owner's Manual" were displayed, and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. After…”
Electrical System · filed Sep 17, 2026
“Tech: SCOTT RICHART test drove vehicle performed inspection. Noise hear is coming from transmission internally. condition present is similar to condition described in T-SB-0008-21 for whine noise from transmission. Transmission would need replaced to remedy the noise. Vehicle is out of warranty, DOFU is 04/14/21…”
Power Train · filed Sep 14, 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 22 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed…”
Power Train · filed Sep 14, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
180 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota Highlander. The 10 most recent:
Some 2020 – 2026 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a water leak from the roof rack attachment clips. This may be caused by the sealant in the roof channel obstructing the proper seating…
T-SB-0040-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2026
Some 2020 – 2024 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the air conditioner does not cool due to a leak and/or corrosion in the rear underbody air conditioner tube and…
T-SB-0021-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2026
OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 2026
Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
T-SB-0001-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 28, 2026
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026
Some 2020 – 2023 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the Power Back Door (PBD) will not open or close and/or stops moving while opening or closing. A modified PBD unit…
T-SB-0086-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2025
Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’…
22TE09 · Service Campaign · issued Sep 17, 2025
The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and…
T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · Service Campaign · issued Jun 13, 2025
To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system…
T-TT-0780-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system…
T-TT-0780-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Toyota Highlander has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Toyota Highlander?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 31,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.