2021 Toyota Highlander Complaints

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 08/24/2026

On August 24, 2026, my vehicle was parked, turned off, and locked for more than 6 hours in a parking lot. Without warning, the vehicle experienced a spontaneous thermal event/self combustion. The fire and thermal damage were entirely localized to the dashboard area inside the passenger cabin. The engine compartment, battery area and front mechanical components remained completely unaffected by the fire. The vehicle was off, motor was cold and car was closed and parked for about 6 hours when this incident occurred.

SEATS — Filed 06/06/2026

On XXX, I was driving my 2021 Toyota Highlander at approximately 55 mph when a deer entered the roadway and I had to brake suddenly to avoid a collision. My [XXX] daughter was properly seated in the second-row seat and was properly restrained by her seatbelt. During the braking event, the second-row seat unexpectedly folded forward while she was seated in it. As a result, my daughter experienced rib pain and soreness that lasted several days. After the incident, the seat was returned to the upright position and appeared to latch normally. The vehicle is subject to a recall involving the second-row seat. I contacted Toyota Customer Care on XXX, and Toyota provided a rental vehicle on XXX, while the recall issue is being addressed. I am reporting this incident because the recalled seat failed during an emergency braking event and resulted in injury to a child passenger. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 04/28/2026

My vehicle was parked for about an hr 30 min , and it started smoking from dashboard area and immediately went into flames .

STEERING,POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 08/22/2025

Vehicle had a very loud high pitch whining noise the rapid accelerated I was braking and brakes were not working vehicle screen was flashing Vehicle Malfunction. yes vehicle is available. I could not stop the vehicle I struck three signs and a lady fell down as i was approaching the the building very fast, hit a wrought iron black fence and it fell on a park vehicle and then i hit a park vehicle and it stop i threw it in park. i am not sure. Insurance company After the vehicle accelerated there was a message saying VEHICLE MALFUNCTION, not before the accident.

AIR BAGS — Filed 09/25/2025

The contact owned a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed low speed and in the process of merging into the highway, the vehicle was suddenly rear-ended in the rear quarter panel area, near the rear tire, causing the vehicle to face oncoming traffic. The driver-side and passenger-side air bags did not deploy. The message "Park Brake Malfunction" was displayed. The contact transported his wife to an urgent care clinic the evening of the incident for a medical check-up because the contact's wife was pregnant and was starting to feel pain. The contact's wife sustained neck injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The insurance company was notified of the incident and towed the vehicle to Copart to be inspected. The vehicle was totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

AIR BAGS — Filed 07/12/2025

The airbags did not deploy when I was involved in an accident on the freeway July 2025. During the collision, there was a message on the driver dashboard that read "SRS Airbag System Malfunction Visit Your Dealer". When I took my Highlander into the collision autobody shop, they notified me that my car had an open recall and that I needed to get in touch with manufacturer or schedule an appointment with a local Toyota dealership to see if they could remedy the recall as soon as possible. When I called Toyota, they confirmed that there was a recall on the Highlander's that opened in 2023 and that there was supposed to be a remedy in 2024, but unfortunately there is still no remedy available. They let me know that I would not be able to bring the vehicle in for service and that the collision center would not be able to remedy the situation on Toyota's behalf. This safety issue put myself and my family that includes multiple children that were in the vehicle at the time of the accident, in a very unsettling situation. We were afraid to drive the car any further than 5 miles or on the freeway, wondering if the airbags would deploy at any minute. There was little to no information provided whether the airbags were in fact supposed to deploy upon impact compared to if it was just a sensor mishap. There were no prior warnings, message, symptoms or mailers sent out notifying us that there were any recalls on the car.

SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 06/13/2025

Yesterday, as I do a couple times a month, I went to switch parking places, putting my 2021 Toyota Highlander where my 2007 Mazda was parked, in order to drive it and keep the battery from dying. After starting both cars I first moved the Mazda to make room for the Toyota. As I was slowly steering the Toyota at (idle speed) into the now vacant parking spot, the car accelerated on it's own, prompting me to hit the brakes, but to no avail. The car jumped the curb hitting, knocking over and and damaging a large ceramic planter and small tree in my neighbor's yard. My split second reaction upon having no brakes and a run away car was to push it out of drive, which ended up putting the car into reverse, causing a harsh jolt, followed by the car accelerating again on it's own, in reverse towards another neighbor's garage. I live in a condo complex, so all of this took place within about 30 feet of forward/backward/forward motion. My second split second decision (with no brakes) to avoid smashing into the garage was throwing it back into drive, which sent it accelerating back towards the parking place again. This time I had the presence of mind to push the power button on the dash, allowing me to barely come to stop before jumping the curb again. Whole thing lasted about 15 seconds. I had an appointment to attend, so after a brief conversation explaining to my (now outside) neighbor what happened, I left in the older car. Returning later in the day I found damage to the front of my Toyota and wonder if my transmission is damaged as well. I'm reimbursing my neighbor today. I've not attempted to drive the Toyota since, and am seeking your advice on how best to proceed, whether I should initiate contact with Toyota regarding this incident, or is that something you should initiate? Please advise. Thank you.

STEERING,AIR BAGS — Filed 10/29/2024

Headed westbound on 285 in Georgia; hit on passenger side front door and vehicle swerved several lanes and hit a wall going 60 miles per hour. The airbags did not deploy. I was injured badly and the vehicle was totaled.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — Filed 08/01/2024

The Check Engine light came on and I took it into Toyota of Downtown dealership where I was receiving periodic maintenance. After 2 days, they said the light was out but they hadn't found the cause. I could either leave if for a few more days or take it and bring it back if the light came on again. This was early August. I chose to take the car & when the Check Engine warning light came on again, I took it in on Aug 15, 2024 before I left to Portland to give them more time. I returned on Monday & couldn't reach them. The next day they informed me that while on a test drive, there was a loud bang, it started smoking and by the time 911 arrived it was on fire. After a 2 month investigation by Toyota's Engineering Analysis fire inspection, they concluded Toyota was not involved. The dealership has not provided me with the report although I've requested it but they aren't accepting responsibility either although it was in their possession when the fire occurred.

SEATS — Filed 10/25/2024

My vehicle was rear-ended while stopped by a 2014 Toyota Corolla that was estimated to be traveling between 60-70 miles per hour. During the crash, the driver seat failed, resulting in the partially reclining into the second row passenger. The failure mechanism appears to be internal to the seatback, as the seat twisted during the failure, causing me to lean more towards the passenger side of the vehicle.

AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 07/26/2024

Unknown

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 01/24/2024

I had been driving for about 20 minutes at approximately 50-55 MPH when the check engine light came on. Seconds later, the red hybrid malfunction message displayed and I lost the ability to accelerate. I was able to pull over and I saw grayish smoke and flames coming from under the hood on the right side. I exited the vehicle and called 911. It took moments from the start to being completely engulfed in flames. Several loud pops or explosions happened during this period. The police and fire department arrived and extinguished it.

STRUCTURE — Filed 04/18/2023

light impact caused bumper to disconnect from my 2021 highlander. The bumper retainer clips came off. The lower valence clips are stuck and cannot be detached without damaging the lower valence.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE — Filed 02/02/2022

Varias veces mientras conduzco en la ruta la velocidad permitida, el carro frena, pierde potencia el motor, el sistema de aceleración no responde, esas veces me salve de accidentes mortales junto a mi familia, reclame a toyota corporación indicar eso y para ellos no paso nada nunca tomaron en serio, mientras que el carro para reparar eso, paso más de 25 días en las veces que se daño xq prácticamente el carro no es seguro para manejar

STRUCTURE — Filed 10/01/2021

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.

TIRES — Filed 12/28/2022

In just two years, the four original tires were severely worn and had a mileage of 35Kmiles, which greatly affected safe driving.

VISIBILITY — Filed 09/17/2022

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.

POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 07/05/2022

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.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE — Filed 05/24/2022

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

SEAT BELTS — Filed 01/28/2022

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.

SEATS — Filed 01/11/2022

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?

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 08/20/2021

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.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 11/03/2021

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.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 06/30/2021

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.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 07/16/2021

The answer to the above questions is UNKNOWN. I do not clearly remember the moments leading up to the incident. I was parked on the driveway of my daughters house. I was in my Toyota Highlander Hybrid 2021. We were stationary at the top of the driveway after returning because we had forgotten something. My grandsons were in the car but they were not hurt. The driveway is on an incline.  I am not sure what happened from here. As I exited the car it started to roll backwards. I tried to get back in to stop it but got knocked down by the open door and moving car. I fell. The car rolled over my legs, dragged me down the incline and I was stuck under the front bumper. The car stopped either because of the ABS when I was as the front of the bumper or because it was on level ground at that point. My son-in-law tried to put the car in reverse to move it off of me but said they could not get it to start. I was barely stuck and the neighbors just lifted the front bumper a bit and I rolled out.   I have some soft tissue damage (full thickness degloving to the bone on my left calf and 4 fractures (1 in each leg and a couple in my pelvis). I have been to the operating room 4 times, the emergency room three times and spent 19 days in the hospital. It is the first car I have had with a key fob, no physical emergency break and I have safely parked in on this driveway for 5 months. It does not make sense that it would be in neutral as I never use that gear but that seems to be what would have had to have happened for this to occur. l bought this car for all of the safety features yet this still happened so I am sharing it with you in case there are further safety features that can be developed to prevent such accidents in the future. If it had a real key and real emergency brake I do not think this would have happened.