- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 4
- on record
- MPG
- 0
- 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 Hybrid
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 15
- Complaints citing a crash
- 0
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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.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.
- 22V239000high
Electronic stability control (esc) · control module · software
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC):CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
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."
Consequence
Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 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.
- 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 Hybrid.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 4 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 16.9%
- 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 Hybrid 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 16.9% 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 Hybrid, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
0
City
0
Hwy
0
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $1,700
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 245 g/mi
- Charge time
- 0 hours (240V)
How this compares
The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid against its peers.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 245 grams per mile — about 3.7 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
15 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 15
- Total
- 0
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
Most reported components
- AIR BAGS8
- STRUCTURE3
- ELECTRICAL1
- BRAKES1
- OTHER1
Normal Range
15 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, 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
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.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds
- Recall
Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases 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
- Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (AV-S6)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
0
City
0
Hwy
0
Comb
- Annual cost
- $1,700
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Adjacent model years
All Toyota Highlander Hybrid yearsSystems 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
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.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds