2021 Toyota Highlander vs 2021 Honda Pilot — Which Should You Buy Used?

The board

Numbers from each year’s full report

Canary status: Squawking

2021 Toyota Highlander

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

486

Federal complaints

Recall campaigns

$6k–$8k

Eight-speed replacement out of warranty

Canary status: Chirping

2021 Honda Pilot

One of the quieter third-gen years — check the brake recall and the idle-stop coverage.

399

Federal complaints

Recall campaigns

Behind it

Catastrophic-engine era

486 complaints and a six-thousand-dollar transmission question against 399 and a list of free fixes.

See where both rank among Midsize SUVs →

Where each one bites

The signature problems, with real repair money — every fact cited in the full reports.

2021 Highlander

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

Covered

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).

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-720

Covered

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)

Passenger-airbag occupant sensor — recall 23V-865

Covered

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)

2021 Pilot

Brake master-cylinder recall — 23V-458

Covered

The most serious 2021 item: a tie-rod fastener connecting the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been assembled improperly, which can let the master cylinder separate from the booster and cause a loss of brake function. Recall 23V-458 covers 2021–2022 Pilots (with Civic, Ridgeline, Passport and Acura MDX); dealers inspect and repair the brake-booster assembly free (Honda codes VEU/AEV/ZET). This is a braking-consequence recall — confirm 23V-458 shows completed by VIN, and test the brake pedal for a firm, consistent feel.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall database, 2021 Pilot

Idle-stop no-restart and brake-switch failures

moderate

Two nuisance-to-moderate patterns show up on 2021 cars. The auto idle-stop can struggle to restart the engine after it shuts at a light — Honda's fix is a fuel-injection (PGM-FI) software update, backed by a warranty extension covering the related valve-adjustment and starter repair to 10 years with no mileage limit for 2016–2022 Pilots. Separately, a mechanic reports a rising trend of brake-switch failures on 2021–22 Pilots: the car won't start because it doesn't sense the brake pedal, and the brake lights don't work — a relatively inexpensive repair. Confirm the idle-stop software was applied and check that the brake lights function and the car starts normally.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall database, 2021 Pilot · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (3rd-gen Pilot) and Honda manufacturer-communication bulletins

Rearview-camera software, tires and transmission checks

Covered

2021 carries the camera-software recall family — instrument-panel software (20V-439), central-network software (20V-440), and the MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport — a fiber-optic data network) cable replacement (23V-431) — plus a side-view-mirror recall (23V-174) and a Continental-tire over-cure recall specific to 2021 (20V-725). All are free by VIN. The third-generation transmission behavior is quieter here, but a few owners still report hesitation or failure, so drive through all gears and check the fluid. Test the camera on the drive and confirm the recalls are closed.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall database, 2021 Pilot · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (3rd-gen Pilot) and Honda manufacturer-communication bulletins

The tiebreakers

How to actually decide, listing by listing.

Listen before you badge-buy

Highlander only after a highway listen — and a coverage check.
The UA80 whine is the file's loudest thread. Replacement is $0 under the extended coverage and $6,000 to $8,000 outside it, so ask the dealer for this VIN's coverage status before the test drive, then listen for whine under acceleration at speed.
Pilot with the brake recall done → the quieter buy.
Verify the brake master-cylinder recall (23V-458) on the VIN, then test the idle-stop system: the no-restart quirk is the generation's known annoyance, and you want to feel how this example behaves.
The Highlander's airbag recall is a waiting game.
The occupant-sensor recall (23V-865) has had parts backlogs. "Scheduled" is not "done" — check the actual status, because an open airbag recall rides with the car until parts arrive.
Hybrid Highlander? The file is thin and clean.
Only 15 of the 486 complaints are on the Hybrid. If the eight-speed is the thing that scares you, the hybrid's different drivetrain simply doesn't have it.