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What 473 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota Highlander

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (473)Crash / fire / injury (26)Transmission & drivetrain (189)Brakes (64)Body & structure (48)Engine (44)Airbags (42)Fuel system (30)Electrical system (25)Visibility & wipers (16)Driver assistance (12)Lane Departure (8)

2 of 473 complaints match · Body & structure · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 28, 2024Body & structureCrash

light impact caused bumper to disconnect from my 2021 highlander. The bumper retainer clips came off. The lower valence clips are stuck and cannot be detached without damaging the lower valence.

NHTSA ODI 11579843

May 19, 2023Body & structure3 injuries

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that on various occasions, water was leaking into the vehicle from the roof rack. The contact stated that there was a bad odor in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated, and the mechanic stated the smell was possibly from a spill. The failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was black mold in the air bags, floorboards, headliner, and various other areas and that the vehicle needed to be detailed to remove the mold. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact then stated that there was condensation seen in various areas inside the vehicle, windows were failing to operate, and the headliner was sagging. The vehicle was not taken back to the dealer. The contact stated that after seeking medical attention for herself and her children for ongoing unknown symptoms, they needed to be prescribed asthma and allergy medication, and she sought legal advice. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 11522904

Working with the data? Download all 473 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 11, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2021 Toyota Highlander verdict →