Toyota Highlander Complaints (2021)

550 consumer complaints on file.

#11527972June 20, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Driver side mirror glass started shaking all the time. The mirror frame is stable, but the mirror glass is shaking when car is idling and driving. Makes it almost impossible to use that mirror when driving
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11527427June 16, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
With increasing frequency, we have noticed what feels like the brakes releasing after being applied. This has happened at low speeds 5-10mph and mid speeds of 20-30's mph. It seems to happen more often when cornering or coming to full stop at low speeds. When the brakes let up it seems almost to accelerate the vehicle. So far we have been able to avoid a collision, but we are fearful that we may hit and injure someone as a pedestrian or in another vehicle. We have complained to Toyota twice now and had the car looked at. They can't find anything wrong and tell us it is normal for hybrid cars?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11527245June 15, 2023
SUSPENSION, WHEELS, STEERING
3 wheel alignments in same vehicle needed in less than 30 months: <5,000, 30,000 and 35,000 odometer readings It’s not from pot holes; I have owned about 14 cars in family fleet and have never had 1 vehicle need more than 1 alignment during it’s time of ownership of over 1,000,000 miles driven Something is wrong with vehicle design or mechanical components to go out of alignment so frequently
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11526439June 11, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
When braking, often it feels like the brakes are not engaged, not right away, but during the braking process. This causes the vehicle to surge forward like there are no brakes. Immediately you feel like the brakes failed, then you push them again, they work. It is very random with no reference to different speeds, inclines, never know when it may happen. It has caused many near misses for our family whenever this happens.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11526422June 11, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
my vehicle showing break power low and indicating all safty feature malfunction
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525779June 7, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
While in the process of slowing down, especially through roundabouts, the car braking systems seem to fail for a few seconds and actually surge/accelerate forward. It is sporadic but has happened to me more than 10 times in the last 6 month but I worry that it will jet forward into another car. I have notified my Dealer Ed Martin of Noblesville and they have stated this is the hybrid braking system (part of how it works). I understand this system but it should fail while braking. I was dismissed and wanted to report it as I did see on-line of other complaints.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525562June 6, 2023
AIR BAGS, SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I came to a stop sign in my neighborhood on Windy Drive and I heard what sounded like a gunshot. I immediately put my vehicle into park and got out and noticed that the sunroof glass was shattered. The best description I can give is the glass looked like a volcano where the broken pieces were facing upward. I then proceeded to my local Toyota dealership located in Alexandria, Louisiana. They told me my car was out of warranty and provided me with a quote of $1,450.00. I believe that this occurred due to a defect from the manufacturing process and I don't think the consumer should be responsible for the cost to fix the sunroof. After researching on the internet, I see several complaints from other Toyota owners that have experienced the same incident and I feel this should be a recall on Toyota's part. I am frustrated that I have to pay $1,450.00 for damage that I know was a manufacturing defect after I researched and found hundreds of other consumers with the same experience.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525473June 5, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
I was driving 50 mph on 28 E in Pineville, Louisiana when I heard what sound like a gunshot. I pulled over and realized my sunroof exploded.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525127June 2, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Driver side view mirror shakes a lot making it impossible to make things out in your mirror while driving. Very dangerous to see what is in your mirror.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11523053May 20, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY, VISIBILITY/WIPER
We purchased 2021 highlander in March 2021. Since the day we experienced some vibration in the driver side mirror and we first notice bad vibrations when we drove above 40 to 50 mph. We never bought this up with Toyota or the dealer untill May 5th 2023. When we created a case with Toyota, they directed us to the dealer. Once we scheduled the service they confirmed the vibration and replaced Part Number: 879400E351. After the replacement we noticed that the vibrations are getting bad even during lower speeds now. The mirror is vibrating during idle and any speed higher than 30/ 40mph. We scheduled another appointment with the dealer and the manager did test drive another highlander 2022 model and confirmed that it is also vibrating. It was surprising to see that all the highlanders have these mirror vibrations. They said eventhough theres is vibration, it'd be considered normal. I rive mostly during night. The driver side mirror is blurry, vibrating and is extremly difficult to drive the car and is scary that the image on the mirror is not steady and create confusions to the driver. Changing lanes or entering to highway is really challenging as the mirros are vibrating too much and extremely hard to concentrate. This may even can cause major accidents as the image is not clear. The vibrations (humps, dips, rumble strips) are even translated to driver side vibrations and is very hard to see. The dealer even agreed to it but said that it’s a Toyota flaw in design because all Highlanders have this… and after talking to them, they said the only way Toyota would even look at this issue or have an engineer take a look in to it is if they get enough complaints or see a pattern. This is why I am reporting this to NHTSA. I want to keep Americans road safe and sound to all my fellow humans. They also said Toyota RAV4 also had these issue and Toyota issued a TSB however there is nothing on Highlander. I humbly request NHTSA to seriously look in to this and assist us.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522904May 19, 2023
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that on various occasions, water was leaking into the vehicle from the roof rack. The contact stated that there was a bad odor in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated, and the mechanic stated the smell was possibly from a spill. The failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was black mold in the air bags, floorboards, headliner, and various other areas and that the vehicle needed to be detailed to remove the mold. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact then stated that there was condensation seen in various areas inside the vehicle, windows were failing to operate, and the headliner was sagging. The vehicle was not taken back to the dealer. The contact stated that after seeking medical attention for herself and her children for ongoing unknown symptoms, they needed to be prescribed asthma and allergy medication, and she sought legal advice. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
3
Deaths:
0
#11522850May 19, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
When coming to a stop, when I apply the brakes, they stop working and I have to press harder on the petal to stop the car. It feels like the brakes "let go" , it is scary since the brakes stop working. I have searched the web and found the Manufacturer has been sited with an issue on another model. Toyota Camry- NHTSA 21V890 - bad vacuum pumps- "van cap" - many break causes the break to lose brake assist . I am planned to see my dealer for its 35000 mile checkup and plan to report to the dealer this issue- 5/19/2023
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522568May 17, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
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. The issue seems to be worse on bumpy roads or downhill road when I tried to hit break to slow down or stop the car. I brought the car into dealer on 5/17 which they connected with diagnostic tool. However it showed everything is normal. The service agent told me there is one case just reported few days ago with same issue. Toyota sent expert to dealer to investigate the issue so I need to come back on same day for further investigation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522023May 15, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The driver side mirror wiggles at highway speed or with strong wind and the image in the mirror is not clear which causes the driver to do a double take on where and how far the car is. This is a safety issue that needs to be addressed and fixed by Toyota. I’m not the only one experiencing this issue, see other reports. Thanks for your quick action on this matter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521620May 11, 2023
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES
While parking, the shifter was inadvertently left in reverse. The engine was turned off while foot was still on the brake. After preparing to exit the car and removing my foot from the brake, the car began rolling forward until I noticed and slammed on the foot brake. We are used to the vehicle parking brake engaging automatically as there is no way to do so manually, that we know of. There was no warning that the shifter was not in park and no audible or noticeable visual notification that the vehicle was not in park. In some cases, on a flat surface when the vehicle wasn't in park, it didn't allow me to shut off or arm the security system. In this case, I was able to stop the vehicle and fortunately there was nothing in front of the vehicle. Since the vehicle was powered off, anti-collision likely would not have stopped a collision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11514374March 29, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
While driving my 2021 highlander on the road my Driver side mirror shakes alot. It makes my visibility shaky when im trying to switch lanes. I took the car to toyota and newer models are having same issue the toyota dealer told me
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11513098March 21, 2023
TIRES
In just two years, the four original tires were severely worn and had a mileage of 35Kmiles, which greatly affected safe driving.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11509671March 1, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 3 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle surged over the curb and sidewalk. The contact was able to release the brake pedal, stopped the vehicle, reversed, and parked the vehicle. While driving on a hill with the accelerator pedal depressed, the vehicle hesitated and failed to properly drive forward. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Germain Toyota of Naples (13315 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, FL 34110), who informed the contact about a brake issue and provided an unintended acceleration form; but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the original dealer who informed her about brake calibration. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the tailgate failed to open, and the seat heaters became inoperable. The remote start failed to turn off. The windshield wipers randomly came on for five minutes but self-corrected. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11509109February 25, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Braking system How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Vehicle braking is unpredictable. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? We can not get the issue to be reproduced, braking variables seem random Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Inspected by Toyota Dealership Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lights or computer codes go off Assessment of the incident: When applying the brakes to stop or slow, the brakes will slip for a second then re-engage. This can happen when coming to a slow stop or an abrupt stop. The exact parameters to cause this issue are unknown at this time and is unpredictable. My dealership is aware and has documented the issue but has been unable to reproduce the issue. Never experienced this before with other Toyota hybrids I have owned.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11508626February 22, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
my car experiences intermittent acceleration when applying the breaks. It lunges forward for some reason. It has also not stopped when hitting the breaks hard but lunges as well. I am using the last date that this happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Toyota Highlander