At a glance

LocationOr, USA

ColorBlueprint

Last listed price$45,217

Open recalls4

Vehicle identity & specifications

Make

Toyota

Model

Highlander

Year

2021

Trim

XLE

Body style

Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)/Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV)

Vehicle type

MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE (MPV)

Engine

2.5L 4-cyl 186 hp

Cylinders

4

Fuel type

Gasoline

Drivetrain

4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4

Transmission

Automatic

Doors

5

Assembly plant

PRINCETON, INDIANA, UNITED STATES (USA)

Manufacturer

TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, INDIANA, INC.

What's a 2021 Toyota Highlander worth?

What comparable 2021 Toyota Highlander vehicles are listed for — a quick gut-check before you negotiate.

Low

$38,803

Typical price

$43,503

High

$49,217

Most 2021 Toyota Highlander listings fall between $38,803 and $49,217, from 12 comparable cars.

Is the seller's price fair? Get this exact VIN's current market value — retail, trade-in & loan value — in the full report.

See this car's exact value →

Full vehicle history report

$14.99 USD · one-time

What a full report checks for VIN 5TDGBRCH0MS065996

⚠️ 4 open safety recalls — shown above, free 🔒 Title & brand records 🔒 Accident & damage history 🔒 Salvage, total-loss & theft 🔒 Odometer & owner count 🔒 Liens & market valuation

A full report searches national title databases (NMVTIS) and licensed history providers for this VIN and shows whatever records are on file — not every vehicle has every record type. The decode, safety recalls and owner complaints above are always free.

📜 Title status Clean, salvage, rebuilt, junk, flood or lemon

🏷️ Title brand history Every brand ever applied, by state

🧾 Number of owners How many registrations on record

🛞 Odometer readings Reported mileage over time

🔎 Rollback check Mileage inconsistency / tamper flags

💥 Accident & damage Reported collisions and damage events

🚧 Total-loss records Insurance total-loss declarations

♻️ Salvage & auction Salvage-yard and auction history

🚓 Theft records Reported / recovered theft events

🏦 Liens & impounds Outstanding liens or impound records

🏷️ Sale & listing history Past marketplace and dealer listings

💰 Market valuation Estimated value for this exact spec

Unlock full report — $14.99 → or get up to 20 reports a month for $19.99/mo → One-time purchase · permanent access · VIN 5TDGBRCH0MS065996

Safety recalls 4

STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS

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.

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.

NHTSA Campaign #23V720000 · 26/10/2023

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

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 …

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 con

NHTSA Campaign #23V865000 · 20/12/2023

TIRES

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander vehicles. The 20-inch accessory tires with an insufficient load rating for the vehicle's Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) were installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Remedy: SET will inspect and replace the tires and information placard, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2024. Owners may contact SET's customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET24A.

NHTSA Campaign #24V452000 · 18/06/2024

SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the return springs in the seat back recliner assemblies, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed April 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Toyota’s customer service at 1-800-331-

NHTSA Campaign #26V128000 · 05/03/2026

Get free recall alerts for this vehicle

We'll email you the moment a new safety recall is issued — no spam, unsubscribe any time.

Common problems & what to inspect

Based on 454 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota Highlander, here are the most-reported problem areas — and exactly what to check before you buy.

🚑 1 reported injury

Power Train 11 reports

🔍 Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.

Seats 1 report

🔍 Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.

Electrical System 1 report

🔍 Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.

Air Bags 1 report

🔍 Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.

Lane Departure 1 report

🔍 Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.

Engine 1 report

🔍 Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.

Pre-purchase checklist

Match the VIN on the dash, door jamb and title — they must be identical.
Cold-start the engine; listen for knocks and check for blue or white exhaust smoke.
Test-drive through all gears at low and highway speed — no slipping, shudder or pulling.
Confirm every warning light clears at startup (none should stay on).
Check fluids — oil, coolant, transmission — for level, color and leaks.
Look underneath for rust, fresh undercoating or signs of collision repair.
Always get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a trusted mechanic.

Owner complaints 454

Complaints filed with NHTSA by owners of the 2021 Toyota Highlander.

SEATS

On XXX, I was driving my 2021 Toyota Highlander at approximately 55 mph when a deer entered the roadway and I had to brake suddenly to avoid a collision. My [XXX] daughter was properly seated in the second-row seat and was properly restrained by her seatbelt. During the braking event, the second-row seat unexpectedly folded forward while she was seated in i…

1 injured · NHTSA ODI #11743952

POWER TRAIN

Right after the manufacture warranty of 60K miles, the car began to make a humming noise. I took the car into the dealership with 65K miles on 13 Jun 2026, and the Toyota dealership stated that the humming is caused by the transmission and we will need to replace the entire transmission. The cost would be $9,447.29. This issue is known by Toyota and Toyot…

NHTSA ODI #11743904

POWER TRAIN

On two separate occasions I was traveling approx. five to ten miles an hours and had to change lanes. Traffic was heavy and I had to accelerate quickly to do the lane change. The vehicle engine started to rev high and I was barely moving. It was like the transmission didn't know what to do. I had to let my foot completely off the gas for fearing I was going …

NHTSA ODI #11743749

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,LANE DEPARTURE

Four days after I took delivery of this used vehicle (April 25, 2026), multiple warning lights appeared at once: BRAKE, ABS, PARK, Check Engine, Blind Spot Monitor Unavailable, and RCTA OFF. An independent Toyota dealership diagnosed the vehicle April 27-28, 2026 (approx. 109,000 miles) and found (1) water leaking into the rear hybrid battery area through a …

NHTSA ODI #11743384

POWER TRAIN

Transmission makes whining noise

NHTSA ODI #11743525

POWER TRAIN

My vehicle has 67,100 miles. A whining/whistling noise recently started and the dealer has diagnosed that a new transmission is needed at a cost of $6,000-$8,000 and it is out of warranty. Researching this shows that this is a known manufacturing defect referred to under T-SB-0008-21. I am concerned that my transmission will fail while I am operating th…

NHTSA ODI #11743547

POWER TRAIN

Our transmission is whining during acceleration.

NHTSA ODI #11742853

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Car has stopped while pumping gas seems to be specifically after rain. There was a heavy rain and immediately after while pumping gas car was not able to start. Received message steering power low. Happened 3 times after first incident while pumping gas. Car was checked by a mechanic and believe it might be a defect with a part called purge flow ? After par…

NHTSA ODI #11742503

+ 446 more complaints on record.