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The 2021 Toyota Highlander is a small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicle covered by 6 EPA fuel-economy configurations. In NHTSA's records it has accumulated 533 owner complaints and 4 recall campaign(s). Of those complaints, 17 report a crash and 4 report a fire; 13 complaints report injuries totalling 19 injured people, and 0 deaths are recorded across all complaints for this model-year. The single most-reported component is Power Train, named in 228 complaints (42.8% of the total). The sections below reproduce the underlying records in full: crash-test ratings, every recall campaign with its NHTSA campaign number, complaint counts by component, and EPA fuel-economy figures for each configuration.
NHTSA Safety Ratings
NHTSA tested the 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD under its 5-Star Safety Ratings program. Ratings run from 1 to 5 stars; "Not rated" means NHTSA did not publish a score for that test for this variant.
| Test | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — overall | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — driver | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — passenger | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash — overall | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side pole crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover resistance | ★★★★☆ |
NHTSA also rated other 2021 Toyota Highlander variants: 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV AWD — 5★ overall. The table above shows the most completely rated variant.
Electronic stability control was fitted as standard equipment on the tested variant, and NHTSA records no safety recall investigation rating adjustments for it.
Recall Campaigns (4)
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) that include the 2021 Toyota Highlander. Each campaign below shows the official NHTSA campaign number, the affected component, and the manufacturer's own summary, consequence and remedy statements as published by NHTSA. To check whether a specific vehicle is covered, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.
Campaign 23V720000 — Structure:body:bumpers 26/10/2023
Summary: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Campaign 23V865000 — Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification 20/12/2023
Summary: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Campaign 24V452000 — Tires 18/06/2024
Summary: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Campaign 26V128000 — Seats:mid/rear Assembly:recliner 05/03/2026
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the return springs in the seat back recliner assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 9, 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.
Owner Complaints (533)
Owners have filed 533 complaints about the 2021 Toyota Highlander with NHTSA. Complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — higher-selling vehicles naturally attract more complaints — but the breakdown by component shows where owners report problems most often.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 228 | 42.8% |
| Service Brakes | 68 | 12.8% |
| Unknown Or Other | 67 | 12.6% |
| Structure | 52 | 9.8% |
| Engine | 47 | 8.8% |
| Air Bags | 42 | 7.9% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 31 | 5.8% |
| Electrical System | 28 | 5.3% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 12 | 2.3% |
| Visibility/wiper | 10 | 1.9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 1.7% |
| Steering | 9 | 1.7% |
Complaints by Component — Visual
Bar length is proportional to the most-reported component for this model-year (Power Train, 228 complaints).
By filing year, complaints peaked in 2026 with 171 filings. Owners filed 533 complaints in total across 6 calendar years in the database extract. Complaints involving a crash number 17 and those involving a fire number 4; 13 complaints report at least one injury.
EPA Fuel Economy
The EPA classifies the 2021 Toyota Highlander as a small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicle and published ratings for 6 configurations (engine, transmission, drive and fuel combinations). Combined fuel economy spans 23–36 MPG; the median configuration returns 28 city / 31.5 highway / 29.5 combined MPG. Fuel types covered: Regular Gasoline.
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | Fuel | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | Automatic (S8) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 23.5 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | Automatic (AV-S6) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 35 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | Automatic (AV-S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 36 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | Automatic (S8) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 23 |
Showing the 4 most common configuration groups of 6 EPA configurations.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and safety ratings databases and EPA FuelEconomy.gov dataset, accessed October 2026. See our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2021 Toyota Highlander have?
NHTSA's complaints database held 533 complaints for the 2021 Toyota Highlander when accessed in October 2026. The most-reported component was Power Train with 228 complaints.
How many recalls affect the 2021 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) covering the 2021 Toyota Highlander in the data accessed in October 2026, including campaign 23V720000 for Structure:body:bumpers.
What is the 2021 Toyota Highlander's safety rating?
NHTSA gave the tested 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with 4 stars for frontal crash, 5 for side crash and 4 for rollover resistance.
What MPG does the 2021 Toyota Highlander get?
The EPA rated 6 configurations of the 2021 Toyota Highlander. Combined fuel economy ranges from 23 to 36 MPG, with a median of 29.5 MPG (median city 28, median highway 31.5).