2018 Toyota Highlander Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2018 Toyota Highlander, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 13,490 miles. The words owners use most often: “braking power low” (26% of reports).
- 53service brakes complaints
- 13,490median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 31%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Braking power low: mentioned in 14 of 53 complaints (26%)
- Stop safe place: mentioned in 10 of 53 complaints (19%)
- Vacuum pump: mentioned in 9 of 53 complaints (17%)
- Brake booster: mentioned in 8 of 53 complaints (15%)
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 18 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 53 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Toyota Highlander service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Highlander | 2 | 20% | 15,000 |
| 2024 Highlander | 8 | 19% | — |
| 2023 Highlander | 19 | 10% | — |
| 2022 Highlander | 37 | 14% | 1,800 |
| 2021 Highlander | 67 | 13% | 14,855 |
| 2020 Highlander | 38 | 12% | 15,592 |
| 2019 Highlander | 18 | 4% | 5,500 |
| 2018 Highlander | 53 | 20% | 13,490 |
| 2017 Highlander | 28 | 10% | 14,750 |
| 2016 Highlander | 19 | 17% | 26,500 |
| 2015 Highlander | 15 | 8% | 10,000 |
| 2014 Highlander | 3 | 2% | 23,000 |
| 2013 Highlander | 16 | 8% | 26,000 |
| 2012 Highlander | 12 | 7% | 7,500 |
| 2011 Highlander | 13 | 7% | 64,300 |
| 2010 Highlander | 25 | 12% | 69,300 |
| 2009 Highlander | 21 | 16% | 152,450 |
| 2008 Highlander | 66 | 16% | 155,000 |
| 2007 Highlander | 29 | 23% | 127,000 |
| 2006 Highlander | 71 | 26% | 150,500 |
| 2005 Highlander | 6 | 3% | 116,667 |
| 2004 Highlander | 6 | 2% | 110,961 |
| 2003 Highlander | 10 | 4% | 137,000 |
| 2002 Highlander | 4 | 1% | 120,000 |
| 2001 Highlander | 3 | 2% | 88,536 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry and Highlander vehicles, 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles and 2017 Lexus RX350 vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the oil galley in the rotor for the brake booster vacuum pump assembly may have been improperly machined possibly resulting in a sudden loss of brake assist.
Risk: A sudden loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake booster vacuum pump, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371, or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0K/JLD.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The brakes are very soft and unreliable. There is a recall #18V-211 dated April 2,2018. This recall did not include this specific car but the car was manufactured within a few days of the recall. After Toyota failed to repair the problem I took the car to a a private auto repair shop who replaced…
Car will not start due to message that says "Braking Power Low. Stop in a Safe Place" There have been recalls on 2018 Highlanders for the brake vacuum pump but it is not listed for my particular vehicle
I own a Toyota Highlander 2018 LE. I have been servicing it regularly at authorized Toyota delaership service centers. I have around 28000 miles on it. While trying to start the car this morning, the car wouldn't start, the brake feels hard and won't depress, and the dashboard displays the message"…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Toyota Highlanders have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 53 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2018 Toyota Highlander (20% of the 268 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Toyota Highlander service brakes?
Yes: 1 safety recall list service brakes. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 13,490 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2018 Toyota Highlander?
The most frequent phrase is “braking power low”, in 14 of 53 complaints, followed by “stop safe place” (10).
Other 2018 Toyota Highlander problems
- Power Train problems (68)
See all 2018 Toyota Highlander problems or service brakes problems across all Highlander years.