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Reliability report · 2021 Toyota Highlander · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,700/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

A strong gen-four year with one loud thread — the same eight-speed whine, at higher mileage.

On paper the 2021 is a settled gen-four car: the V6 and eight-speed are carried over and proven, the early-2020 flare-up software is behind it, and the recall list is short. But it has the second-largest complaint file in our Highlander data, and the reason is the transmission — owners describe the same UA80/UA80E whine-then-failure pattern as the third-gen cars, now appearing on 2021s at 65,000–127,000 miles, with dealers quoting $6,000–$8,000 to replace it out of warranty.

Toyota issued service bulletins (owners cite T-SB-0008-21) and extended the transmission warranty, so a whine caught in coverage may be free — verify the current window by VIN. This is why 2021 reads 'Squawking' rather than 'Calm': it's an expensive, known pattern that's avoidable with a careful test drive and a coverage check. The Hybrid (four-cylinder + eCVT) does not share this transmission.

Evidence: 486 NHTSA complaints · 4 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Squawking

What that means: 471 complaints on the gas Highlander plus 15 on the Hybrid (486 total) — the second-largest file in our set. The recall picture is light, but the powertrain cluster carries the same UA80 eight-speed whine seen in 2017–2019, now surfacing on higher-mileage 2021s and quoted at $6,000–$8,000 to fix out of warranty.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

486

Federal complaints

4

Recalls

$6,000–$8,000

Out-of-warranty replacement (owners' dealer quotes)

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD (NHTSA VehicleId 15829)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

UA80 eight-speed whine — now on higher-mileage 2021s

major

The 2021 gas Highlander uses the same eight-speed automatic as 2017–2019, and its most-reported problem is the same: a high-pitch whine on acceleration that dealers diagnose as internal transmission failure. On 2021s the complaints cluster at roughly 65,000–127,000 miles — past the powertrain warranty for many owners — with replacement quoted around $6,000–$8,000. Owners cite Toyota bulletin T-SB-0008-21 and a warranty extension. A whine that rises with acceleration on the test drive, unchanged by a scan-tool reset, is the tell; if the car still has transmission coverage, that changes everything, so verify it by VIN. This does not affect the Hybrid, which uses a four-cylinder and an eCVT (electronically variable transaxle — no clutch or torque converter).

This problem spans 2017–2022 — the full UA80 eight-speed automatic story →

Replacement under extended coverage

$0

Out-of-warranty replacement (owners' dealer quotes)

$6,000–$8,000

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Highlander + Highlander Hybrid · NHTSA manufacturer communications (transmission bulletins, recall documents, CSP 22TE09) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (Car Care Nut current-Highlander review)

Front lower bumper cover can detach — recall 23V-720moderate

Recall 23V-720 (2020–2023 Highlander/Highlander Hybrid) covers a front lower bumper cover that a minor impact can loosen or detach, becoming a road hazard. The remedy is free repair or replacement. Many 2021 structure complaints are exactly this — including owners waiting on recall parts. Confirm it shows completed by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Highlander + Highlander Hybrid · NHTSA manufacturer communications (transmission bulletins, recall documents, CSP 22TE09)

$0

Recall bumper-cover repair

Passenger-airbag occupant sensor — recall 23V-865major

Recall 23V-865 (2020–2021 across several Toyota models) covers a short in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor — the sensor that detects the front passenger — which can prevent the passenger airbag deploying. The remedy is a free inspection and sensor replacement. A large share of the 2021 airbag complaints are owners who received the notice but were waiting for parts. Verify it by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Highlander + Highlander Hybrid · NHTSA manufacturer communications (transmission bulletins, recall documents, CSP 22TE09)

$0

Recall sensor replacement

Second-row seat-back recliner and accessory-tire recallsmoderate

Two later campaigns reach 2021 cars. 26V-128 (2021–2024): the second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during adjustment, so a seat back might not restrain an occupant in a crash — dealers replace the recliner return springs free (interim owner letters mailed in 2026; final remedy following). 24V-452: certain 20-inch accessory tires fitted by a regional distributor have an insufficient load rating and are replaced free. Both are free; confirm by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Highlander + Highlander Hybrid · NHTSA manufacturer communications (transmission bulletins, recall documents, CSP 22TE09)

$0

Recall remedies

My 2021 Toyota Highlander is experiencing the documented transmission issue with the UA80E — it whines and hesitates or jerks under acceleration.
6 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Toyota dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 23V-720Front lower bumper cover (2020–2023) can loosen or detach after minor impact — a road hazard. Free repair/replacement.open
  2. 23V-865Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor short (2020–2021) can prevent the front passenger airbag deploying. Free inspection/sensor replacement.open
  3. 26V-128Second-row seat backs (2021–2024) may fail to lock during adjustment. Dealers replace the recliner return springs free; interim letters mailed 2026.open
  4. 24V-452Certain 20-inch accessory tires (Southeast Toyota, 2021–2024) have an insufficient load rating. Free inspection/tire and placard replacement.open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2021 Highlander

Four sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

23 MPG combined (20 city / 28 highway) for the FWD, 3.5L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 43128 (Highlander).
Other builds EPA lists: AWD, 3.5L 23 MPG · Hybrid AWD, 2.5L 35 MPG · Hybrid FWD, 2.5L 36 MPG.

$2,700/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Crash losses

Collision losses run about average here. Neither a red flag nor a discount at the insurer.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI collision losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report R-23). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Toyota Highlander 4dr 4WD.
Other series: Toyota Highlander 4dr 87 · Toyota Highlander hybrid 4dr 4WD 109 · Toyota Highlander hybrid 4dr 109, where 100 = average.

97 vs 100

3% below average

Theft

Stolen about 51% less often than the average vehicle. One less thing to price into coverage.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report WT-22). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Toyota Highlander 4dr 4WD.
Other series: Toyota Highlander 4dr 31 · Toyota Highlander hybrid 4dr 4WD 56 · Toyota Highlander hybrid 4dr 17, where 100 = average.

49 vs 100

51% below average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Replacement under extended coverage$0
Out-of-warranty replacement (owners' dealer quotes)$6,000–$8,000
Recall bumper-cover repair$0
Recall sensor replacement$0
Recall remedies$0
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

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Have a specific one in your sights?

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Test-drive at 15–55 mph and listen for a transmission whine on acceleration — the 2021's signature failure mode on the gas V6.
  2. 02If a whine is present, price in a $6,000–$8,000 replacement unless remaining transmission coverage is confirmed by VIN.
  3. 03Verify recalls by VIN: 23V-720 (bumper cover), 23V-865 (passenger-airbag sensor), 26V-128 (second-row seat recliner), 24V-452 (accessory tires).
  4. 04Prefer the Hybrid if you want to skip the eight-speed entirely — it uses a four-cylinder and an eCVT.
  5. 05On the Hybrid AWD, check for the high-voltage (HV) cable-corrosion program (22TE09 — a Toyota Customer Support Program, a quiet extended coverage) in salt-belt cars and treat AM-radio static as a symptom.
  6. 06Confirm the second-row seats latch firmly in every position during your inspection.

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