YearToAvoid

2021 Toyota Highlander Electrical System Problems

NHTSA lists 33 Electrical System complaints for the 2021 Toyota Highlander, 6% of its 517 total complaints for the year. Two of those complaints involved fire, though no crashes or injuries were reported. There are no related recalls in NHTSA data.

Electrical System complaints
33
6% of 517
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
2
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
27,109 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical electrical symptoms owners report

  • Owners report a spontaneous fire localized to the dashboard area while the vehicle was parked, turned off, and locked.
  • Dashboard warning messages such as "Engine Failure," "Brake Failure," and "Pull Over to A Safe Place" appear together with multiple unknown warning lights, sometimes persisting after restarting the vehicle.
  • Low-beam headlights aim too high, causing oncoming drivers to flash their high beams, with dealerships reportedly declining to adjust the aim.
  • The start/stop system has failed to restart the engine after it shut off at a stop, with the ignition indicator staying on while the engine remained off.
  • Owners describe intermittent power steering malfunction warnings, including a "Low Voltage Abnormality" message, accompanied by a stiff, hard-to-turn steering wheel.

When 2021 Toyota Highlander electrical complaints were filed

First complaint May 29, 2021, latest Sep 17, 2026.

2021 Toyota Highlander electrical system complaints: complaints filed per month2May 2021Jul 2022Oct 2023Aug 2024Mar 2025Nov 2025Jun 2026
33 complaints filed with NHTSA from May 2021 to Sep 2026; peak Nov 2022 (2).

Electrical System recalls for the 2021 Toyota Highlander

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Electrical System complaints by Highlander model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201059 (28%)
  2. 201127 (15%)
  3. 201230 (16%)
  4. 201329 (14%)
  5. 201437 (27%)
  6. 201561 (32%)
  7. 201622 (20%)
  8. 201750 (19%)
  9. 201828 (11%)
  10. 201960 (12%)
  11. 202018 (6%)
  12. 202133 (6%)
  13. 202225 (10%)
  14. 202312 (7%)
  15. 20246 (14%)
  16. 20251 (10%)

Frequently asked questions

How many electrical complaints does the 2021 Toyota Highlander have?
NHTSA lists 33 Electrical System complaints for the 2021 Highlander, which is 6% of the 517 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2021 Toyota Highlander electrical system?
No. NHTSA data shows no related recalls tied to the Electrical System complaints for this model year.
Did any of the electrical complaints involve fire or injury?
NHTSA records two fire-related complaints in this category and zero crashes and zero injuries for the 2021 Highlander's electrical system complaints.
At what mileage do electrical problems typically show up on the 2021 Highlander?
The median mileage at failure across these Electrical System complaints is 27,109 miles.
What kinds of electrical issues do owners describe most?
Owners describe headlight aim problems that blind oncoming traffic, dashboard warning message failures, start/stop system malfunctions, and one dashboard fire incident.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.