Toyota Highlander Complaints (2021)

550 consumer complaints on file.

#11715008February 2, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714697January 31, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
whinning noise during acceleration on the road and gear shift problems
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713495January 26, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
- The vehicle has been experiencing shifting issues (its an automatic vehicle) when driving in all instances and at all speeds that has progressively gotten worse over the past 4-8 weeks. - As it seems to be a transmission issue (and a known one pending litigation) the safety issue is if the transmission fails during operation of the car. - It was brought to a dealership to be inspected after it was initially felt as more of a vibration than the more harsh shifting/engine sounds and issues that it is currently experiencing. The dealership thought it to be the front hub assembly/bearing that was the issue. I had the front driver side replaced and the issue still remains and has continued to worsen. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representative. - There have been no warning lamps or messages at all. - Through research it appears this is a known issue with ongoing litigation (2 class action lawsuits currently in litigation related to UA80F transmissions of which it appears that our VIN is in the affected group).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713431January 26, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission has failed, making high pitched whining noise while accelerating. Will need full replacement the car only has 66k miles on it - just out of warranty
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713234January 25, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Just after the 60,000 mile warranty, the car started making a whining noise when pushing the accelerator. This is part of the well known transmission problem. Transmission will need to be replaced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713180January 25, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Technical Service bulletin was issued for my 2021 Highlander car in February of 2021 for a well documented transmission issue (whine and grind noise). We are now put in a position that requires us to replace the transmission at a substantial cost. This expense is budget crushing and any assistance in getting Toyota to assist with the expense would be greatly appreciated.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713091January 24, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I started hearing a winning noise that got louder with speed, this month I took it to the dealership in Austin, TX and they said it needed a new transmission. It only has 67,219 miles. My 2008 was sold at 219k miles with no problems. I see online there has been problems with this type of transmission for many years. They are replacing it with the very same transmission....
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713066January 24, 2026
ENGINE
We have been hearing whining coming from the front of the vehicle for months. Over the life of our time with this car, we have reported to Toyota multiple times about the sound, and about how sometimes the engine seems slow to shift. The whining increases as you press the gas pedal. Toyota is aware of this issue with Highlanders, but has told us they aren't going to fix it, as there is no recall on the issue. Turns out, there's a TSB related to the exact issue that we have with our Highlander. Now that we are out of warranty, we are looking at potentially replacing the transmission of a vehicle that Toyota has a record of intentionally avoiding to repair. Multiple independent service centers have confirmed the issue. They all have referred us back to Toyota because of the severity of the issue. There were no warning lamps or lights or the issue. However, the "whining" is audible every time in the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712736January 22, 2026
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact pulled to the side of the road. The vehicle failed, then failed to respond while in drive or reverse. No warning light was illuminated. The contact called for Roadside Assistance and had the vehicle towed to a safe location. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710429January 12, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission started to make a whining noise. After a month the sound increased in loudness and took to dealer to check. Came back with needing transmission replaced due to bad bearing. Was replaced with aftermarket warrenty protection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710072January 10, 2026
POWER TRAIN
In May 2021 I purchased my Highlander XLE with 5 miles on the odometer. In Feb 2021 dealerships were notified of Toyota Technical Service Bulletin (T-SB-0008-21) dated Feb 2021 was a problem. I have never been notified of the TSB for transmission whine/grinding noise. At approximately 75,000 miles (out-of-warranty) and regular servicing, my vehicle developed a noticeable whine from the transmission. Now at 102,000 miles I am stuck with a transmission replacement ($7500-$9000) looming at sometime in the future. Very disappointed. I have been reprimanded by grandkids that "You drive like a Grandpa" so, I am not hard on my vehicles. My 1993 Chevy S10 had over 388.000 miles when sold. it was solid!. I think Toyota should be forced to do the right thing and cover any cost of replacement and temporary rental. Seems replacements are back ordered for months!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709958January 9, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
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 distance to vary. We are working to reproduce it. The dealership has not tried to recreate the issue but has told us there is a software update that will fix the issue, it is not covered under any safety recall or safety campaign by Toyota.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709492January 7, 2026
ENGINE
My transmission is making acceleration unreliable, whining noise and unreliable. No accident yet but I took to toyota and they quoted $8K for entire new transmission when it appears this is a known ongoing issue for toyota highlanders. They should be recalled and fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708422January 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I bought my 2021 Toyota Highlander on 11/17/2025 and approximately one month later, I heard a whining noise when the car accelerates past 25 mph. The whining noise gets progressively louder the more the car accelerates. In addition, when driving over a bump or hump, there is a grinding/creaking noise that occurs. I took my car into the Toyota dealership on 12/29/2025 and the service technicians were able to replicate my issues. They even stated that the issue is caused by a bearing failure inside the transmission. I also purchased an extended warranty but unfortunately the inspector sent by the warranty company wants me to get a transmission fluid exchange because they think that will solve the issue. The entire transmission needs to be replaced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708038December 31, 2025
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
While I was driving the vehicle on December 30, 2025 emerging on to the highway I heard a loud popping sound which I thought was one of the tires going flat when the plastic barrier underneath the car became unattached
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707861December 30, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the contact heard an abnormal whining sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that it was a known failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to work with the dealer to have the transmission repaired. The failure mileage was 66,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707494December 29, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
I have a faulty transmission that is now widely known. 2021 Highlander with the UA80 transmission. Out of warranty and Toyota wants to provide no help even know this is an ongoing issue with so many owners
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11706427December 21, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
There is a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB-0059-23) issued for 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid models addressing a braking issue. It happens every day. There are a lot of issues Some drivers reported a momentary transition from regenerative braking to hydraulic braking, particularly when driving downhill or turning with light brake pedal application. Toyota has provided a software update for the brake actuator control module to improve brake feel. If you own one of these models and are experiencing this issue, you can visit a Toyota dealership and request this specific TSB repair. Addendum: There is no charge for this fix if your vehicle is within the warranty period. The repair procedure under Toyota’s Technical Service Bulletin (TSB-0059-23) is covered by Toyota’s warranty, meaning the brake actuator control module reprogramming is performed at no cost to the owner.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705290December 16, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
I own a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The vehicle exhibits a dangerous braking surge defect. When braking during cornering or in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicle randomly surges forward even though the brake pedal is depressed. This creates a serious safety hazard and increases the risk of collision. On multiple occasions, this defect has nearly caused an accident. The last time it happened we were driving in stop and go traffic and the vehicle surged forward while depressing the brakes and the engine died leaving a red triangle on the dash. Toyota has acknowledged this condition through Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0059-23, which applies to my vehicle. The bulletin involves reprogramming the brake actuator assembly control module to address the braking transition between regenerative and hydraulic braking. Despite this, Toyota has refused to apply hybrid system warranty coverage, misclassifying the defect as a conventional brake issue. My vehicle is available for an inspection. I contacted Toyota corporate, who initially responded but failed to provide follow-up or resolution. The defect persists after the bulletin was applied. Toyota’s refusal to cover the repair under the hybrid warranty leaves me with an unresolved safety defect. This complaint is intended to document the ongoing safety risk and Toyota’s failure to provide adequate remedy under warranty. I request NHTSA investigate this issue as a systemic safety defect affecting 2020–2022 Highlander Hybrid models.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705014December 15, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The transmission has developed a transmission whining noise which Toyota has released a TSB 0008-21. My vehicle has 104,000 miles and is now out of warranty. If this is a known defect on many Toyota vehicle models a transmission replacement should be free if no longer in warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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