2021 Toyota Highlander

When accelerating there is a whining noise coming from the front of the vehicle. There was no warning lamp that came on just the noise is what prompted me to take it to Toyota of Hattiesburg to be diagnosed. The transmission is what malfunctioned. Yes Toyota confirmed the problem and said my transmission needs to be replaced. I am very disappointed because Toyota’s has the reputation to last forever. As this is my 3rd Toyota and I have been very happy until now because Toyota is not taken responsibility for this problem that is continuing to arise in the transmissions. I have attached the paperwork showing what Toyota said.

I am filing this complaint due to a severe transmission failure in my 2021 Toyota Highlander XSE, which I believe poses a significant safety hazard. At approximately 70,000 miles, the vehicle’s 8-speed automatic transmission failed. Prior to this failure, I reported a persistent gear noise (described as a whining or grinding sound during acceleration and gear shifts) to my Toyota dealership [Shore Toyota] when the car had less than 60,000 while the vehicle was under the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. The dealership dismissed the noise as “normal” and did not perform diagnostics or repairs, despite my concerns. The gear noise worsened over time, leading to more frequent noise and shifting, jerking, issue failure in May 2025. The noise occurres while driving from 0 to at 35mph. I later learned that the 2021 Toyota Highlander’s 8-speed transmission (UA80E/UA80F) has known issues, as documented in Toyota Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) T-SB-0008-21 (issued February 2021). The TSB describes a whining noise identical to what I reported, requiring a full transmission replacement for affected vehicles. Numerous other owners have reported similar failures, with some experiencing delays of 3–6 months for replacement parts due to backorders. My vehicle’s symptoms match the TSB, and the dealership’s failure to address the noise during the warranty period likely allowed the defect to progress to catastrophic failure.

2021 Highlander has 103000 miles. Transmission started a whine that only presents under acceleration. It follows the speed of the car, not the engine speed and is getting louder. My [XXX] granddaughter asked today what is that loud whining noise. It was diagnosed by my mechanic as another bad Toyota transmission. They stated it could stop working at the most inoperative time. Could cause death. I have to wait for more than 2 months to hopefully get a new transmission. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The transmission started making a whirring and grinding noise so I took it into the mechanic who notified me that Toyota put out a TSB on this issue in February 2021. I leased this vehicle in April 2021 and it was never disclosed to me that I would experience a transmission issue down the line. At the end of my lease, I purchased the vehicle and again it was never disclosed to me of this issue. I immediately took the car into the Toyota dealership where they heard the noise and confirmed it is the transmission defect that Toyota previously identified. I am ordered to bring my four minor children from Las Vegas to Los Angeles minimum once a month and my fear is getting stuck on the 15 freeway at 75 miles an hour in the heat of summer. This is a huge safety issue and this matter should have been a recall. I understand from the Toyota service manager that Toyota did not redesign the transmission so even if I get a new transmission it will experience this issue again. At $11,000 for a new transmission or $4500 for the extended warranty, it isn't right that the consumer is on the hook for a defect Toyota knew about and didn't disclose. This is auto fraud and negligent. A car is a hefty investment and Toyota took advantage of the public. They should be held accountable.

There is a known flaw with this car that the transmissions fail prematurely. There is a technical service bulletin (TSB0008-21) released 2 months before purchasing the car on this exact issue and we were not made aware before purchase. Toyota has not recalled these vehicles and this applies to a very select serial number range of transmissions implying a manufacturer defect even further. Now my car, with 68k miles, is expected to have a transmission replaced at full cost. There are many forums discussing this issue and I hope that more people come forward because this is clearly a defect in the design that Toyota should be responsible in fixing.

Around 76k miles, a whining occurs upon accelerating. Hear ever so slightly in 1st gear. Gradually is more evident as the speed increases. At 78k I decided it was definitely getting louder and was concerned after researching and learning that MULTIPLE 2021 Highlanders have needed transmissions replaced. I brought it in to a mechanic who searched for every possible problem, but ultimately came back to tell me it is my transmission failing.

Engine/Transmission 'whining' noise upon acceleration. We cannot drive it, three places said we shouldn't - it will only get worse, and eventually fail. No one knows when. My wife was driving on interstate when it firsts occurred, she couldn't get to the side fast enough. My wife feels unsafe driving it alone and with our young son. We are receiving very high quotes - despite the fact that they don't seem to be doing any real diagnostics. It seems to be a well known problem that only Toyota can address, as their design seems to have caused this dangerous problem and their supply chain issues seem to be common knowledge to many in the industry. Toyota service tells us at least a two month wait for a new transmission to arrive. Then three of four days to install. My wife feels very unsafe driving this vehicle knowing it could just stop operation at any time.