2021 Toyota Highlander Safety Rating — 5 Stars Overall
NHTSA rates the 2021 Toyota Highlander 5 out of 5 stars overall — 4 for frontal crash, 5 for side crash, 4 for rollover. Check a specific Highlander’s crash and title history below.
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2021 Toyota Highlander— By the Numbers
- Overall rating
- 5★
- Frontal crash
- 4★
- Side crash
- 5★
- Rollover risk, single-vehicle crash
- 16.9%
- Recall campaigns on NHTSA's file
- 4
Overall rating
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover risk, single-vehicle crash
Recall campaigns on NHTSA's file
Quick Answer
- What is the 2021 Toyota Highlander safety rating?
- NHTSA rates the 2021 Toyota Highlander 5 out of 5 stars overall — 4 for frontal crash, 5 for side crash, 4 for rollover. These are results for the 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD, from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program.
- Did NHTSA test every part of the 2021 Toyota Highlander?
- Yes — NHTSA published frontal, side barrier, side pole and rollover results for the 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD.
- Does the 2021 Toyota Highlander have recalls or complaints on file?
- NHTSA's record for this version lists 4 recall campaigns, 505 owner complaints and 0 investigations. Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is answered by its VIN, not the model year.
2021 Toyota Highlander crash-test ratings
Side-impact marks are top across the board, while the frontal test sits lower for driver and passenger alike, and rollover lands at that same lower level.
NHTSA rates the 2021 Toyota Highlander 5 out of 5 stars overall — 4 for frontal crash, 5 for side crash, 4 for rollover.
Behind the top overall score, the frontal test came in lower for driver and passenger, the weakest of its crash tests. That makes front-end crash history the repair to rule out before anything else on a used example.
Recalls, complaints and investigations
NHTSA keeps these alongside the crash-test results for the 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD. They answer a different question: not how the vehicle was built to perform in a crash, but what owners and the agency have reported since.
A recall campaign covers a range of vehicles; whether the repair was done on a particular car is a per-VIN question. Check open recalls by VIN.
What NHTSA did — and did not — test
A star rating is only as complete as the tests behind it. This is which of NHTSA's four crash tests the 2021 Toyota Highlander actually went through.
Yes — NHTSA published frontal, side barrier, side pole and rollover results for the 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD.
The rating is for the HighlanderNHTSA crashed. Check the one you’re buying.
Salvage and rebuilt brands, reported accidents and odometer records follow the VIN.
Inspecting a used 2021 Highlander
The ratings describe the Highlander as it left the factory. A car that has been in a serious crash, rebuilt, or had its airbags replaced is no longer the car NHTSA tested.
Open the hood and look at the radiator support, the headlamp mounts and the front ends of the rails for wrinkles, fresh welds or unpainted replacement parts, and check that the hood and fender gaps run even.
Front-end repairs can disturb the radar behind the grille emblem that the standard forward collision warning uses, so no driver-assist warning should stay lit after start-up, and on a drive the collision and lane warnings should run without a blocked-sensor message.
Rollover rated at the frontal level, below the side results, so check the roof pillars and headliner edges for signs of repair, and see that the tyres match in size, wear evenly and that the car sits level on its springs.
Every rated version of the 2021 Toyota Highlander
NHTSA rates body styles and drivetrains separately, and the results are not always the same. Match the version to the car you are looking at.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 16.9% |
| 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV AWD | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 16.4% |
How NHTSA's current ratings work
NHTSA announced new NCAP crash tests and rating criteria in July 2008, including a new overall rating that combines the frontal, side and rollover results. It then postponed the change by a year: the new criteria apply to vehicles tested beginning with model year 2011, not 2010 as first announced.
In NHTSA's own words, its rollover resistance ratings “estimate the risk of rollover if a vehicle is involved in a single-vehicle crash.”
One limit applies to every vehicle here. NHTSA notes that the frontal crash rating “depends on vehicle mass, and cannot be compared across vehicle weight classes” — a full-size truck's frontal stars and a compact car's are not the same measure.
- Federal Register, 73 FR 79206 (Dec. 24, 2008) — new NCAP criteria begin with model year 2011
- Federal Register, 73 FR 40016 (July 11, 2008) — NCAP testing and rating changes, including the overall rating
- Federal Register, 68 FR 59250 (Oct. 14, 2003) — NCAP rollover resistance ratings
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Compare and keep going
Nearby model years and the same make, rated by NHTSA.
5 stars overall
5 stars overall
5 stars overall
5 stars overall
Whether a recall was repaired on one specific car.
Reported crashes and damage after the car left the factory.
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2021 Toyota Highlander Safety FAQ
What NHTSA’s record shows for this model year, and what it cannot tell you about one car.
What is the 2021 Toyota Highlander safety rating?+
NHTSA rates the 2021 Toyota Highlander 5 out of 5 stars overall — 4 for frontal crash, 5 for side crash, 4 for rollover. These are results for the 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD, from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program.
Did NHTSA test every part of the 2021 Toyota Highlander?+
Yes — NHTSA published frontal, side barrier, side pole and rollover results for the 2021 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD.
Does the 2021 Toyota Highlander have recalls or complaints on file?+
NHTSA's record for this version lists 4 recall campaigns, 505 owner complaints and 0 investigations. Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is answered by its VIN, not the model year.
Can I compare the 2021 Toyota Highlander's stars with a newer model?+
Yes, with other vehicles rated under NHTSA's current program (model year 2011 onward). Stars from before then came from different tests.
Does a good safety rating mean a used Highlander is safe to buy?+
A rating describes the vehicle as it left the factory. A used Highlander that has been in a serious crash, rebuilt from salvage, or had an airbag replaced is no longer the vehicle NHTSA tested. A VIN check reads its title brands, salvage and accident records from NMVTIS.
Five stars at the factory. What about since?
A crash rating can’t see a salvage title, a rebuilt frame or a replaced airbag. The VIN record can.
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