NHTSA ODI #11717730

2021 Toyota Highlander Complaint

Power Train

Filed February 13, 2026 · Incident date December 31, 1969

Vehicle
2021 Toyota Highlander
Component(s)
Power Train
Complaint filed
February 13, 2026
Date of incident
December 31, 1969
Reported VIN
5TDDZRBH1MS

Owner's description

2021 toyota highlander AWD limited - Car started making a whirling (whirring, whining) noise upon acceleration. It ramps up as accelerating. There are no warning lights showing. It stops when you take foot off of gas. Problem had been confirmed by 2 toyota dealers as needing a new transmission. One said it was in last gear, the other simply said noise was coming from the transmission and based on the NSB in 2021 it was transmission so would need to be replaced. One was $9700+, the other was $8600+. Went back and forth with Toyota to see if they would provide any help. They won’t cover any of the cost. Husband has a 2019 toyota highlander XLE making the same exact noise. Haven’t taken it yet for diagnostics

Check a specific vehicle

Enter your VIN to see all NHTSA complaints, recalls, and safety ratings for that exact vehicle.

Related

Data sourced from the NHTSA Complaints database. Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and have not been independently verified.