2021 Toyota Highlander service brakes problems
66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the service brakes on the 2021 Toyota Highlander — 13% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“While driving and applying the brakes to come to a complete stop at low speed (approximately 5–15 mph), the vehicle intermittently loses brake responsiveness for a brief moment during the transition from regenerative braking to hydraulic (friction) braking. This causes the vehicle to lurch forward…”
filed Sep 2, 2026
“I had the dealer perform the repair described in Toyota Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0059-23 (Hybrid Regenerative Brake Transition Feeling Improvement), which reprograms the brake actuator control module. Following this repair, the vehicle continues to exhibit the same lurching behavior at the…”
filed Aug 10, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Service Brakes problems in other Highlander years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Highlander | 8 | 19% |
| 2023 Highlander | 18 | 10% |
| 2022 Highlander | 37 | 15% |
| 2020 Highlander | 37 | 12% |
| 2019 Highlander | 18 | 4% |
| 2018 Highlander | 53 | 20% |
| 2017 Highlander | 28 | 11% |
| 2016 Highlander | 19 | 17% |
| 2015 Highlander | 15 | 8% |
| 2014 Highlander | 3 | 2% |
| 2013 Highlander | 16 | 8% |
| 2012 Highlander | 12 | 7% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2021 Toyota Highlander
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.