- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 4
- on record
- MPG
- 23
- combined
Open recalls on record
4 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2021 Toyota Highlander
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 478
- Complaints citing a crash
- 16
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
4 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 23V720000high
Body/structure issue
STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
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.
Consequence
A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 23V865000high
Airbag system issue
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
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.
Consequence
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 24V452000high
Tire/wheel issue
TIRES
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."
Consequence
Tires with an insufficient load rating can be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 26V128000high
Safety restraint issue
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.
Consequence
A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will replace the return springs in the seat back recliner assemblies, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed April 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated August 27, 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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2021 Toyota Highlander.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 4 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 16.4%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2021 Toyota Highlander 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 7 comparable 2021 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 16.4% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2021 Toyota Highlander, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
20
City
28
Hwy
23
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,650
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 389 g/mi
How this compares
At 23 MPG combined, the 2021 Toyota Highlander ranks 6th of 8 small SUVs (2WD) EPA rated for 2021 — 2 MPG short of the 25 MPG median for that group.
That places it in the lower third of its class. If annual mileage is high, the running-cost gap against a class-average rival compounds quickly.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,650, $125 less than the $2,775 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $13,250, a $625 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 389 grams per mile — about 5.8 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
478 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 478
- Total
- 16
- Crashes
- 3
- Fires
- 18
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE213
- BRAKES63
- OTHER45
- AIR BAGS42
- STRUCTURE40
Notable Issues
478 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 18 reports involve injuries. 16 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2021 Toyota Highlander, newest first.
- Recall
A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Recall
Tires with an insufficient load rating can be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
- Recall
A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
20
City
28
Hwy
23
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,650
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Recall
Tires with an insufficient load rating can be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
- Recall
A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.