Model year record

2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

4 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 22 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 26V128000

Seats: mid/rear assembly: recliner

Component
Seats: mid/rear assembly: recliner
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Vehicles affected
686,588
Reported to NHTSA
2026-03-05
Owners notified
2026-09-04

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 23V865000

Air bags: sensor: occupant classification

Component
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Vehicles affected
999,901
Reported to NHTSA
2023-12-20
Owners notified
2024-10-31

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 23V720000

Structure: body: bumpers

Component
Structure: body: bumpers
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Vehicles affected
750,795
Reported to NHTSA
2023-10-26
Owners notified
2024-04-22

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 22V239000

Electronic stability control (ESC): control module: software

Component
Electronic stability control (ESC): control module: software
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Vehicles affected
458,110
Reported to NHTSA
2022-04-13
Owners notified
2022-05-27

Defect description

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."

Safety risk

Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Air bags10
Structure327,300 mi
Electrical system277,900 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic26,000 mi
Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: support device/strut250,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system1301 mi
Hybrid propulsion system110 mi
Vehicle speed control110 mi

The 2020 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. The 2022 model has 2 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.