Does the 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid have any recalls?

Transport Canada lists 4 campaigns and the U.S. NHTSA lists 4 for the 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Matched by make, model, and model year. Many recalls affect only specific VIN ranges — confirm with your dealer using your full VIN.

How do I know if a recall applies to my 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?

Recalls are matched by make, model and model year, but many cover only certain VIN ranges. Confirm with your manufacturer or dealer using your full VIN, or use the official Transport Canada or NHTSA lookup.

Are recall repairs free?

Yes. In both Canada and the United States the manufacturer must fix a recalled defect at no charge, through a franchised dealer.

RECALLS — MAKE · MODEL · YEAR

2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid recalls

8 safety recall campaigns have been filed for the 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid with Transport Canada and the U.S. NHTSA. Here is what both agencies say.

Canadian recalls: 04
U.S. recalls: 04
Total campaigns: 08

Transport Canada recalls

Seats And Restraints#2026101March 5, 2026
39,897 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, the seatback recliners for the second-row seats may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the seatback(s) may not lock in position and could move in a crash. Safety Risk: A seatback that moves could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Action: To reduce the safety risk, Toyota recommends not using the second-row seats to transport passengers until the recall repairs have been completed. Toyota will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the spring in the second-row seatback recliner assemblies.
Airbag#2023684December 20, 2023
99,965 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, a sensor for the occupant classification system (OCS) may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the sensor could short circuit and cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a passenger is seated. Note: This problem would cause a warning message to display on the instrument panel and the airbag indicator light would display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Toyota will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the OCS sensor.
Structure#2023574October 26, 2023
50,501 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, the front lower bumper cover may not be attached properly. As a result, if there is a minor impact to the front bumper, the lower bumper cover, engine under cover, and the fender liners could separate from the vehicle while driving. Safety Risk: Parts that detach from the vehicle could create a road hazard for others and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Action: Toyota will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the front bumper cover and secure it. If damage is found, the dealer will also replace the upper and/or lower front bumper cover(s).
Brakes#2022179April 13, 2022
41,084 units affected
Issue: Under certain conditions, the vehicle stability control (VSC) system may not switch on when the ignition is restarted. This can happen if the driver manually turns off the VSC, depresses the brake pedal, and then turns off and restarts the vehicle while continuously depressing the brake pedal. Canadian regulations require the stability control system to be active each time that you start the vehicle. Safety Risk: A stability control system that is switched off could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the skid control ECU software.

Canadian data updated August 24, 2026

U.S. NHTSA recalls

SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:RECLINER#26V128000March 5, 2026
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.
Risk: A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION#23V865000December 20, 2023
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.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
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.
STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS#23V720000October 26, 2023
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.
Risk: A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC):CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE#22V239000April 13, 2022
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."
Risk: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
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.

Does this recall apply to my vehicle?

Matched by make, model, and model year. Many recalls affect only specific VIN ranges — confirm with your dealer using your full VIN.

What to do

Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer in both countries. To confirm a recall applies to your specific vehicle, or to book the work, contact your manufacturer or dealer with your full VIN, or use the official channel:

NHTSA recall lookup (search by VIN) — U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Defects and recalls database — Transport Canada

Check a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid VIN

A VIN decode confirms your vehicle's exact model year, trim and assembly plant, then runs this same recall check against it.

Data sources and coverage limits →