2021 Toyota Highlander Power Train

Known transmission failure.whining noise when accelerating. T-SB-0008-21

Transmission started to make a whining noise. After a month the sound increased in loudness and took to dealer to check. Came back with needing transmission replaced due to bad bearing. Was replaced with aftermarket warrenty protection.

Toyota is asking me to pay for a brand new transmission replacement in my car that is only 5 years old, 74,000 miles on it. The cost is $10,000. How is it possible a brand new vehicle is needing this? I have read a lot of reviews that Toyota is knowingly using the transmission type that they even had to recall on earlier models. Why are they still making vehicles using this type of transmission when it continues to need total transmission replacement so early on? And Offer zero assistance. We bought Toyota because we thought it was the best. I will never buy Toyota again, this is a huge cost for a young family with a teachers salary.

The transmission in my 2021 Toyota Highlander began making a loud whining/whirring noise that increases with vehicle speed. The vehicle was inspected by a Toyota dealership, and I was told the transmission has failed and needs to be replaced. Toyota stated the repair would be out of pocket, despite the vehicle’s age and proper maintenance. There were no warning lights prior to the failure. This condition affects drivability and raises safety concerns, including the risk of sudden transmission failure or loss of power while driving, especially at highway speeds. I believe this is a premature transmission defect and am reporting it for investigation.

In May 2021 I purchased my Highlander XLE with 5 miles on the odometer. In Feb 2021 dealerships were notified of Toyota Technical Service Bulletin (T-SB-0008-21) dated Feb 2021 was a problem. I have never been notified of the TSB for transmission whine/grinding noise. At approximately 75,000 miles (out-of-warranty) and regular servicing, my vehicle developed a noticeable whine from the transmission. Now at 102,000 miles I am stuck with a transmission replacement ($7500-$9000) looming at sometime in the future. Very disappointed. I have been reprimanded by grandkids that "You drive like a Grandpa" so, I am not hard on my vehicles. My 1993 Chevy S10 had over 388.000 miles when sold. it was solid!. I think Toyota should be forced to do the right thing and cover any cost of replacement and temporary rental. Seems replacements are back ordered for months!

I am writing about my 2021 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD VIN # [XXX] . I purchased this vehicle brand new on 3/29/2021 at ‘Koons Easton Toyota’ in Easton, MD. In October 2025 I started hearing whining noise from the engine compartment. It was audible only when accelerating the vehicle and would go away if I took my foot off the accelerator. On 10/22/2025, I took the vehicle for inspection to ‘Ourisman Toyota 40’ dealership in Edgewood, MD. The technician told me that this is a known issue in this model/year and recommended to replace transmission as there was no other fix. He gave me a $9,995 estimate for transmission replacement. I subsequently learned that there was technical service bulletin on this exact defect released by Toyota on 2/9/2021. It said that models with UA80F transmission will make whining noise and then fail. The only remedy was to replace the transmission with brand new transmission part number 30500-0E160. This bulletin was posted on NHTSA website also. [XXX] This bulletin was released 50 days before I purchased the brand-new vehicle on 3/29/2021. My frustration and disappointment came from the fact that Toyota had known about this issue for 50 days and still proceeded to sell this vehicle to me. This is unacceptable as there should have been a recall on this defect or Toyota should have pulled the vehicle from the market. This is not about the powertrain warranty running out as that would apply to unforeseen issues that neither manufacturer nor buyer knew about in advance. It is about knowingly selling the customer a defective product even after disclosing the major defect publicly. Transmission failure can be a serious safety issue because it could have caused sudden loss of power and difficulty controlling speed. I request NHTSA to investigate these widespread Highlander transmission issues the same way Ford F150 transmission issues are being investigated. Thanks INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

We began noticing a whining sound that has progressively gotten louder and more frequent upon acceleration. After taking it to the dealership, they claim it requires a transmission replacement. According to the dealership themselves and information online, this seems to be a common defect with 2021 Highlanders.

I had the 60,000 mile service on February 2,2026 and after the service was completed I left the dealership and got on the freeway to go home. I heard a whining noise and immediately turned around and took it back to the dealer. I took the mechanic who worked on my car for a drive and he was able to hear the winding noise and we returned to the dealership. It took the mechanic three hours to come to the conclusion that I needed a new transmission. They still have my car and I have not heard anything about coverage or when it will be done.

At around 70,000 mi the transmission started making noises and at the 80,000 mile marker I took it in for its maintenance they found debris in the transmission fluid and I was just told it's either a replace it now or replace it when it falls out of the vehicle. A vehicle with less than 100,000 mi and I am the only owner, for the transmission to go out or start going out and Toyota not solve problems is ridiculous

I was driving to a stop light when I heard a Raddle. Pull over and all the oil came out the engine. When I took it to the dealer they told me that the engine blew up. 14k repair that Toyota would not cover the repair.

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the transmission. The contact was concerned about the sound and contacted a dealer. The vehicle was driven to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,347.

I am reaching out regarding our 2021 Toyota Highlander which currently has $65 K miles and is just out of warranty. Recently we noticed a wining noise during acceleration. We took the vehicle to the dealer who told us that the transmission will need to be REPLACED. $9500 repair. This is a known issue with Toyota and they will not work with us on this. We are stuck! No customer goodwill! Thank you!

I purchased my brand new Highlander on January 31, 2021 and was told today that I need a transmission replacement. My vehicle started about two month ago with a whining sound while accelerating. My vehicle currently has 78,000 miles and is out of the extended warranty of 60,000/5 year. I learned that Toyota released a bulletin on February 9, 2021 stating transmission issues for particular Toyota models, the Highlander being one. After researching the issue, there are several stories of Highlander owners who are experiencing the same issue. It’s a shame that they knew of the problem in February 2021 and with the transmission replacements on vehicles less than 5 years old and haven’t issued a formal recall for this known defect.

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

I bought my 2021 Toyota Highlander on 11/17/2025 and approximately one month later, I heard a whining noise when the car accelerates past 25 mph. The whining noise gets progressively louder the more the car accelerates. In addition, when driving over a bump or hump, there is a grinding/creaking noise that occurs. I took my car into the Toyota dealership on 12/29/2025 and the service technicians were able to replicate my issues. They even stated that the issue is caused by a bearing failure inside the transmission. I also purchased an extended warranty but unfortunately the inspector sent by the warranty company wants me to get a transmission fluid exchange because they think that will solve the issue. The entire transmission needs to be replaced.

Transmission has failed, making high pitched whining noise while accelerating. Will need full replacement the car only has 66k miles on it - just out of warranty

Just after the 60,000 mile warranty, the car started making a whining noise when pushing the accelerator. This is part of the well known transmission problem. Transmission will need to be replaced.

Technical Service bulletin was issued for my 2021 Highlander car in February of 2021 for a well documented transmission issue (whine and grind noise). We are now put in a position that requires us to replace the transmission at a substantial cost. This expense is budget crushing and any assistance in getting Toyota to assist with the expense would be greatly appreciated.

I started hearing a winning noise that got louder with speed, this month I took it to the dealership in Austin, TX and they said it needed a new transmission. It only has 67,219 miles. My 2008 was sold at 219k miles with no problems. I see online there has been problems with this type of transmission for many years. They are replacing it with the very same transmission....

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the contact heard an abnormal whining sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that it was a known failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to work with the dealer to have the transmission repaired. The failure mileage was 66,000.

The transmission has developed a transmission whining noise which Toyota has released a TSB 0008-21. My vehicle has 104,000 miles and is now out of warranty. If this is a known defect on many Toyota vehicle models a transmission replacement should be free if no longer in warranty.

The transmission has a whining, grinding noise and occasional jerks vehicle. I had dealership look at the vehicle and they said it's a problem with this model but Toyota has not done a recall they issued a service bulletin. I was told it needs replacement but Toyota has been reluctant to work with owners outside of the service manufacturers warranty. This proved true, I was denied any goodwill assistance, and after several days of requesting why they denied any assistance, I'm not able to get an answer. This is a safety issue that they are aware of and not taking proper acceptance and assistance in rectifying. We carry our new born and toddler grandchildren in this vehicle as well as elderly parents. The thought of a total transmission failure on a busy highway or street is terrifying, I asked the dealership service manager about the safety of driving the vehicle and he recommended not operating it until it's replaced. In my[XXX] I haven't asked the government for anything, but I am asking you to look into this matter and if called for mandate a recall.. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The transmission is making a whining noise when accelerating. I took the vehicle to a Toyota dealership and they said the transmission needs to be replaced. And I asked why the Highlander only has 58 thousand miles on it. How is it already going out. And they couldn’t give me an answer

transmission failure at approximately 80,000 miles dealer has confirmed diagnosis and recommended replacement on-line forums indicate this is a recurring problem with this model engine noises began at approximately 78,000 miles

To whom it may concern I hope I've chosen the proper avenue for my problem. I purchased and new 2021 Toyota Highlander. I chose Toyota for it reputation of high standards of dependability. However I took the vehicle in at 20,611 miles (9/22/2021) into the dealership for multiple transmission issues. When passing it would kick down into a lower gear and race the motor. There was also chunky shifting and a small whining noise. (service Ref #XXX). The service manager only wrote down the first symptom. Upon doing a computer diagnostic without driving the vehicle the service manager told me to just drive it more that it probably needed more breaking in. The downshifting and chunky shifting did go away for the most part, but the whining persistently got worse. Finally at 115,000 miles it got much worse and I took it back to the dealership. They informed me that the transmission needed replaced at over $9,000. I reached out to Toyota upon finding out there was a in company TSB alert for this very symptom (Case #XXX). Toyota informed me there was nothing they were willing to do since it was out of warranty even though I reported the problem with no resolution when it was in warranty. My wife and I are in our [XXX] and don't have cash like that. we don't feel we should be responsible for the repair, especially when the issue was report properly before the warranty expired. How can you help? Thank you for your attention. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)