How many recalls does the 2021 Toyota Highlander have?

4 open NHTSA safety recalls are on record for the 2021 Toyota Highlander, alongside 609 owner complaints.

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2021 Toyota Highlander Recalls & Complaints

open safety recalls on record

Serious

609 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.32 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious23V720000

Structure:Body:Bumpers

detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious23V865000

Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification

air bag that does not deploy during a crash raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious24V452000

Tires

Tires with an insufficient load rating can be overloaded and fail, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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."

Serious26V128000

Seats:Mid/Rear Assembly:Recliner

seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

29Crashes

5Fires

31Injuries

0Deaths

Across 609 complaints. Severity Index 0.32.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Power Train — 197 reports
Service Brakes — 64 reports
Unknown Or Other — 59 reports
Engine — 44 reports
Air Bags — 42 reports
Structure:Body — 32 reports
Fuel/Propulsion System — 31 reports
Electrical System — 25 reports
Structure — 10 reports
Visibility/Wiper — 9 reports

What to do

Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2001 (3) · 2002 (2) · 2003 (2) · 2004 (5) · 2005 (6) · 2006 (7) · 2007 (4) · 2008 (13) · 2009 (9) · 2010 (10) · 2011 (5) · 2012 (2) · 2013 (3) · 2014 (5) · 2015 (2) · 2016 (3) · 2017 (4) · 2018 (5) · 2019 (3) · 2020 (4) · 2021 · 2022 (5) · 2023 (9) · 2024 (7) · 2025 (3)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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