Page 10 of 11 · complaints 451–500 of 535

2021 Toyota Highlander complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2021 record →

Power Train
Filed Jan 9, 2023WA

Vehicle self drained 12 volt battery, causing hybrid drive system to not start up, leaving vehicle stranded, wife stranded alone at night. Dealership installed new software, 2 days later the hybrid drive system glitched again and this time the 12 volt battery was not drained but the vehicle hybrid system would not go into the ready mode and left the vehicle stranded, again with wife alone at night. Took to the dealer, service dept said "no trouble found". Has not glitched again but no longer trust this vehicle. Warning lights? Just about every light on the dash was flashing. Center screen said "hybrid system failure"

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Dec 19, 2022MT

Visibility for interior windows defroster/defogger is not functioning. Inside windows are fogging up and icing no matter what heating setting is used. This poses significant risk of visibility in all windows. I have had to try to defrost the inside of my windows just to see out of my side windows and see in my rearview mirror. I have not gone to the dealership, but do intent to. No warning messages present.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Dec 6, 2022MI

The front headlights (low beam) are aimed too high resulting in blinding of oncoming drivers. More than half of all oncoming cars flash their lights suggesting. This has occurred for a year and a half since the vehicle was purchased. While a small adjustment was made to the headlights by the vehicle owner, this type of adjust was denied from the Toyota service department, and should never have been needed in the first place.

Service Brakes
Filed Dec 1, 2022CT

This occurs occasionally when I brake. I have my foot softly on the brake and the brakes cut out. The car feels like it accelerates/surges forward rather than slowing down. I need to apply the brakes hard to then stop the vehicle. I never know when it will happen. When it occurs and a car is in front of me, I have had near miss accidents. I often transport my grandchildren to daycare so I'm not only concerned with my safety, but my passengers as well. I have shared with my dealer and have called to report this to the Toyota corporate office. My dealer has noted this problem on my scheduled service invoice. They have inspected and recalibrated the brakes, but it is still happening. The dealer has checked each service appointment for any recall or notification from Toyota. I have researched online and know there are other Toyota Highlander Hybrid owners who are experiencing this same malfunction. When I called the Toyota national number, they indicated they would give my situation a case number. No one from Toyota has admitted there is a problem, but from my online research many owners have reported this problem. I would assume there are owners that have not reported it. It's truly a safety issue. I love everything else about the vehicle and hope by submitting this malfunction, it will lead to a recall and repair.

Power Train
Filed Nov 29, 2022MO

We rented this vehicle from Avis at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Tuesday, 11/22/22 at approx. 7:50 pm. It was raining, cold and temperature was dropping. We drove approx. 1/8 to 1/4 of a mile from the facility. As we turned left on to a major roadway (Goddard) southbound, I turned on the rear defroster. Suddenly, the engine went into limp mode. I tried to make a U-turn to drive back to the facility. Engine lights flashed (low oil pressure, check engine, etc) and then the engine stopped. We barely had enough power to turn the vehicle out of the turn lane before we would have been struck by a bus. We sat in left northbound lane of Goddard for approx. 2 min without our hazard lights on. The vehicle would not start. I then pressed the defroster again and the engine fired up. We drove back to the facility and demanded a new vehicle. While we waited for a new vehicle to be prepared, I demonstrated to the manager what had happened. Again, after depressing the rear defroster button, the engine shut off and would not restart. Again, after turning off the defroster button, the engine started back up. This engine condition was replicated multiple times. I warned the Avis manager not to rent this vehicle as it was a death trap.

Service Brakes
Filed Nov 28, 2022MI

Upon starting my 2021 Highlander Platinum with 10,700 miles on it several warning lights repeatedly came across my display including reduced engine power, brake system malfunction, pre collision system malfunction. See your dealer. No codes showed up on their scan but every time they cleared the screen the messages came back. They decided it was a bad knock sensor. Then I received a call that a critter had chewed wires and they might find further damage. I was surprised because I’ve been in my house for 45 years and I’ve never had a critter in my garage. The service manager said “Toyotas attract critters because of the covering they use on the wires.” I said, “Soy?” And he said, “Yes”. So, isn’t this a manufacturing defect? How many times a year is this going to happen? I’ve owned Toyotas for 27 years. I’ve never had a problem until this car. I’m also having problems with the navigation system, 2 visits to the dealership and 45 minutes on the phone with the Toyota Engagement Center.

Service Brakes
Filed Nov 9, 2022MA

I have noticed that if I hit a bump in the road while braking, the brakes release momentarily and I have to press harder to continue braking. I have confirmed that this happens consistently, and is more likely to happen when I am braking slowly (i.e. I'm not pushing very hard on the brake pedal, just slowing the car gradually). This indicates that it's the regenerative brakes that are disengaging when I hit a bump or pothole. It has happened 20+ times and continues to happen consistently under these circumstances.

Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly1 injured
Filed Oct 13, 20227,500 milesTX

The contact owned a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH with a passenger in the rear passenger seat, she heard an abnormal popping sound and the sunroof exploded from the inside-out without warning or impact. The shattered pieces of glass were propelled outside the vehicle. The occupant in the rear passenger seat sustained a cut on the finger but did not seek medical assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the sunroof glass panel needed to be replaced and it was confirmed that the failure was not due to an impact to the sunroof. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that she was concerned about a potential reoccurrence of the failure. As a result, she traded the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 7,500.

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Oct 5, 2022MS

Driver side mirror vibrates and gets worse on the interstate and windy days. It does not give clear, steady view. Night time all you see is shaking headlights. It’s highly distracting and discomforting to eyes and causes headaches. Taken it to dealership plenty of times. It was replaced one time and still same issue. Dealership contacted Toyota about the issue and still no solution.

Seat Belts
Filed Sep 8, 2022WA

Rear passenger seatbelt has torn in multiple places. I believe something inside may be cutting it when it retracts. The buckle is now stuck in a tear and the seatbelt will not fully retract. Toyota refuses to fix it under warranty because it’s “not usual wear and tear” and there’s no recall. I believe this is a significant safety risk.

Service Brakes
Filed Aug 19, 2022CA

We have owned our 2021 hybrid awd platinum highlander for 8 months and within the past two months (around 16k miles) it has started to do an acceleration upon applying the brake. The car does catch itself and then after hitting the brake harder it does stop. This has happen on 7 different occasions, flat roads, hills, parking spots now. It has happened while my husband drives it and myself. It was brought it for computer recalls around the same time that this issue started. After the recalls were fixed I brought it back in and left it with the dealer for a few days. They cannot replicate it and therefor won’t do anything. They tried to tell me that I can’t drive with two feet…. Which I don’t. I’ve seen other reports where Toyota claims it’s inexperienced regenerative braking driving. We have owned a 2011 Prius that we had for 6 years and it never did it once. We also had a 2021 Audi e-from which fully relies on regenerative braking. We are not novice when it comes to hybrid driving systems. It has come to the point where I’d like to sell the car and get something else rather than worry about a car crash with my babies in the car. I also owned a 2019 awd regular gas highlander that never had any braking issues. So I don’t know what the solution is, but this is a very expensive car to be having these kinds of issues.

Service Brakes
Filed Aug 5, 2022TX

I bought this car in March 2021 to haul my 1st grandchild around. I noticed early on their was something weird happening when I braked, but it occurred randomly, so I thought maybe it's a hybrid thing (or even my imagination). I was the sole driver of the car 99.9% of the time. It gradually got worse over the first 12 months. My husband would occasional drive us to town, but never experienced it, until he did. Scared and concerned for my safety, he didn't want me to drive it anymore. The brakes literally fail when you least expect it causing you to turn too fast, it catapults you forward and you have no control of the vehicle for several seconds. We have had numerous near accidents. I took it to the dealership and they said they fixed the problem with a computer update. I picked it up on a Friday around closing time and got halfway home when I decided I needed Starbucks. Turning into the drive thru I nearly rear-ended a DPS car! GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK! I called the dealership that Monday morning and they said it fixed, but I could bring it back in. Took it back and they basically handed the keys to me and said there's nothing wrong. I told them it's dangerous and when my luck runs out and I have an accident, then what?? Who will be responsible?! No one is allowed to drive my car. My mom, my sister, not even my 21 year old who could drive a NASCAR. It is extremely dangerous and will eventually get someone hurt or dead. I told them I refuse to pick the car up until they figure

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 5, 2022CA

The front bumper, with the lower bumper cover, detached from the car while driving in the highway.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jul 28, 2022PA

The headlights on the Toyota Highlander XLE AWD (2021) are set too high. They are constantly bothering vehicles in front of me, they believe I have the high lights and upcoming traffic are constantly putting on their highlights because they are annoyed. My Toyota dealership has not received any complaints but they are legit.

Engine
Filed Jul 26, 2022IN

On July 19, the car was parked and refused to start. Tried Jump start and the gas was at more than half a tank. The car would operate for 30 seconds, stutter and then stop. On July 20, took the car to ED MARTIN TOYOTA in Noblesville, IN. They could not diagnose the issue. Replaced Fuel Pump system. Evaluated all electrical and no issues observed. Escalated to TOYOTA Regional Engineering to teoubleshoot. The car is still in the shop with no root-cause. If the car was in motion and this issue would have occured, could have resulted in a serious accident.

Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Jul 16, 2022NJ

Several minutes after leaving my vehicle once I parked and shut the engine routinely, it rolls back a hundred feet and crashes into another vehicle. When I come back I became aware of this as I noticed the back of the driver side of my vehicle is lodged into the side of another vehicle. This caused damage to both vehicles.

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 22, 202227,109 milesPA

Vehicle was driving at highway speed, transitioning to off ramp. Warning lights came on stating Braking Power low. Brakes proceeded to fail. Stepping on brakes did nothing but initiate a stuttering response. Vehicle would not slow down. Rolled into dealership that was luckily .5 miles away. It was diagnosed to be a wheel speed sensor. A sensor failing should not cause a vehicle to be unable to brake. Shocked and traumatized over the incident.

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 16, 2022FL

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!!!

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed Jun 15, 2022FL

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 func

Engine
Filed Jun 8, 2022AZ

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 radiat

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 3, 2022CA

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.

Back Over Prevention › Rearview System Braking
Filed May 31, 2022VA

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.

Unknown or Other
Filed May 28, 2022MD

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

Service BrakesCrash
Filed May 27, 2022FL

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

Service Brakes
Filed May 20, 2022IN

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.

Engine
Filed May 18, 2022AZ

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.

Other/I Am Not Sure
Filed Apr 25, 2022MO

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.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Mar 23, 2022PA

Head lights are situated too high and are distracting upcoming vehicles, which may distort upcoming traffic.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Feb 28, 2022CT

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.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Feb 25, 2022CA

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!

Engine
Filed Feb 14, 2022NY

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.

Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 9, 2022OH

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.

Seat Belts1 injured
Filed Feb 3, 2022IL

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.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Feb 2, 2022MD

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 n

Seats1 injured
Filed Jan 25, 2022OH

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?

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jan 19, 2022WA

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.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jan 9, 2022TN

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.

Forward Collision Avoidance › WarningsCrash
Filed Dec 21, 2021NY

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.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 6, 2021CA

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.

Lane Departure › Lane Keep › Automatic Steering
Filed Dec 2, 20215,000 milesOH

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.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Nov 28, 2021NJ

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

Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
Filed Nov 26, 202119,000 milesNJ

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.

Unknown or Other
Filed Nov 23, 2021MA

Driver side mirror shakes when going greater than 25 mph. This does not happen on passender side, makes it more difficult to see object in mirror and more dangerous changing lanes on highways. First noticed after a few months of minimal driving.

Service Brakes
Filed Nov 23, 2021CA

At only 12,000 miles there is significant vibrating and shuddering when applying brakes. I was told after an inspection that it is the rotors.

Service Brakes
Filed Nov 18, 2021TN

Regarding brakes: There is an inconsistent involuntary brake pressure release occurring when slowing down via braking where the brakes let loose for about a second before applying again. This occurs with no change in pressure applied to the brake pedal. This is a dangerous situation, especially if in emergency braking situation. This has occurred multiple times over the 16k miles that it's been driven, but more recently. There is no consistency on the speeds it occurs at either. Regarding fuel: We are unable to fill fuel tank completely due to poor venting in gas tank, which could lead to spilled gas similar to overfill, causing a hazard. This vehicle has a 17.1 gallon fuel tank but we are only able to get 12-13 gallons upon fill-up at empty. Both of these issues have been reported to our local Toyota dealership, with no resolution.

Tires › Markings
Filed Nov 15, 2021CA

235/55R20 Michelin CrossClimate 2 UTQG ratings missing on outside of tires, for 2 out of the 4 tires. Note: the previous CrossClimate has had a recall for the same issue.

Power TrainCrash
Filed Nov 4, 20212,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated his wife pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine while the vehicle was in reverse. The vehicle then switched gears to neutral on its own, started reversing, and slightly crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The warning message "Put Transmission Into park Illuminated". The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 2000.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Sep 29, 2021NC

I have a 2021 FWD Highlander Hybrid, running in ECO mode with just over 5K miles. I just had this problem happen this afternoon. Pulling into a parking spot at the grocery store. I was going pretty slow, almost stopped, and then the car engine revs and lurches forward. Thank goodness I had my foot on the brake, otherwise the car would of jumped the curb/parking block. Also, happened to me previously coming out of our neighborhood on to a busy street. I'm stopping at the stop sign, going pretty slow, and then all of a sudden the car engine revs and lurches forward. Quite frankly I consider this a huge safety concern. If my foot was not already on the brake the car would of moved forward into on coming traffic The car was just in for its 5K mile service at the Toyota Dealership, and there are no warning lamps or messages displayed when the problem occurs

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Sep 18, 2021VA

Toyota claims that the 2021 Highlander Hybrid had a fuel tank capacity of 17.1 however I am not able to fill my gas tank to this level. At most I am only getting about 12-13 gallon. This issue seems very similar to the Rav 4 one. We need a fix asap.

Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Sep 4, 2021AL

While driving a piece popped off of the passenger door mirror. It flew off and hit the passenger door causing scuff marks before flying into traffic and causing the car behind me to swerve in traffic to avoid it from hitting their car or driving over it, which could have caused an accident. I wasn't able to recover the piece due to the incident occurring on the interstate. I did take the vehicle to the dealership (Serra Toyota - Birmingham, AL) in July and was told by the service technician that they had three other cars to come in with the same issue within the last month. Also, I was told that the entire mirror would have to be replaced since the manufacturer didn't make the piece alone. I was told that it would cost me $800 to replace the entire mirror. I should not be responsible for a faulty piece on the vehicle that was just purchased at the end of April. The technician told me that he would put in a ticket with the manufacturer, but I have not received a response.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2021 Toyota Highlander → · Every Highlander year → · How the figures are calculated →