2021 Toyota Highlander recalls

5 safety recalls, 550 owner complaints and a 5-star NHTSA crash rating. Official NHTSA data.

5Recalls
550Complaints
21Crashes & fires reported
5/5NHTSA overall rating

Not every 2021 Toyota Highlander is affected by every recall. Check your VIN to see open recalls on your exact vehicle.

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2021 Toyota Highlander recall list

Seats recall

26V-128
March 5, 2026 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Problem
Toyota 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.
Safety risk
A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
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.

Tires recall

24V-452
June 18, 2024 · Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC
Problem
Southeast 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."
Safety risk
Tires with an insufficient load rating can be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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.

Air Bags recall

23V-865
December 20, 2023 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Problem
Toyota 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.
Safety risk
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
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.

Structure recall

23V-720
October 26, 2023 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Problem
Toyota 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.
Safety risk
A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) recall

22V-239
April 13, 2022 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Problem
Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Safety risk
Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.

2021 Toyota Highlander owner complaints

550 complaints filed with NHTSA, including 17 crashes, 4 fires, 19 injuries and 0 deaths.

Problems by component

Power Train229
Service Brakes67
Unknown or Other67
Structure56
Air Bags50
Engine47
Fuel/Propulsion System32
Electrical System29
Forward Collision Avoidance12
Vehicle Speed Control10

Recent complaints

October 29, 2026Power Train

My 2021 Toyota Highlander XLE began making a high-pitched whining noise when accelerating. When researching this noise, associated with the make, model, and year of my vehicle, it became apparent that the noise is associated with a manufacturer's defect in the [XXX]‑speed transmission (Toyota [XXX]). The cited notification states that the correction for this defect is a transmission replacement that is only covered by the 60,000 mile/5 Year warranty. There are three class-action lawsuits associated with this issue, and I wanted to document my incident in the event that my service appointment with [XXX] Toyota in [XXX], on 11/23/2026 indicates that my transmission is affected by the defect so

October 29, 2026Seats

When driving I had to brake hard to avoid a collision. My daughter was riding in the front passenger seat. Both my daughter and myself were buckled in our seat belts. When I had to brake, her seat moved all the way to the front position and she was thrown forward towards the front windshield. There is an active recall for my car where the recliner assemblies in the second-row seats may not fully lock after seat back adjustment. This seems to be the exact same issue but we experienced this with the front passenger seat. I reported the issue to Toyota but my vehicle has not been inspected yet. I am having the rear recall fix completed in late November. The issue put my daughters safety at risk

October 22, 2026Power Train

I recently purchased a 2021 Toyota Highlander Platinum. Within a few weeks from purchase, the transmission started making a whining noise. Upon further research, it was discovered that Toyota has been installing the UA80=F transmission in their vehicles, knowing full well that there are serious issues with this particular transmission. But yet they continued using this transmission. Someone needs to address this issue and hold their feet to the fire.

October 21, 2026Vehicle Speed ControlCrash1 injury

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds and attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated into a rail while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to a nearby Collision Center for the repair. The contact sustained injuries to the left leg, left hand, and left elbow. The contact sought medical attention for the injuries. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by telephone. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

October 11, 2026Electrical SystemVisibility/Wiper

On November 19, 2025, the 12.3-inch infotainment display in my 2021 Toyota Highlander Limited went black and never recovered. That screen is the only display for the rear-view backup camera. With it dead, there is no backup camera image when reversing. The failure started as an intermittent blank screen with the reverse camera still working, then progressed to a fully dead screen including the backup camera display. A replacement display unit did not fix it. Toyota has acknowledged this defect in Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0055-22, which identifies the integration control sub-assembly (part 840C2-48010) as the cause, but has not issued a recall. Toyota service repeatedly diagnosed the p

2021 Toyota Highlander crash test ratings

VersionOverallFrontalSideRollover
2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER HYBRID SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER HYBRID SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Driver aids on the tested 2021 Toyota Highlander: electronic stability control standard, forward collision warning standard, lane departure warning standard. Rollover risk: 16.4%.

2021 Toyota Highlander recall FAQ

Does the 2021 Toyota Highlander have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls for the 2021 Toyota Highlander. The most recent, filed March 5, 2026, concerns the seats.

What are the most common 2021 Toyota Highlander problems?

Owners have filed 550 complaints with NHTSA. The most reported area is power train (229 reports), followed by service brakes.

Is the 2021 Toyota Highlander safe?

The 2021 Toyota Highlander earned up to a 5-star overall safety rating in NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program crash tests.

How do I get a recall fixed on my 2021 Toyota Highlander?

Contact any authorized Toyota dealer. Recall repairs are free, even if you are not the original owner or the warranty has expired.

This page combines NHTSA records for: Highlander, Highlander Hybrid.