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2018 Toyota Highlander brakes problems

58 complaints (21% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 16,500. 9 crashes reported.

owner complaints
58
of this car's complaints
21%
typical mileage
16,500
crashes
9
recalls
1

Which part fails

Owners did not name a specific part.

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Toyota Highlander brakes problems in other years

200120052010201520202025

Specific symptoms reported on the 2018 Toyota Highlander brakes

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Brake failure 7ABS 6Grinding brakes 6

Related recalls

Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuumReported April 3, 2018 · 6,046 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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.
Remedy
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.

Recall number 18V211000 · Recall details

What 2018 Toyota Highlander owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed May 9, 2025 · Brakes · LA

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 the Vacuum Pump. The brakes now work as they should. I beleve the recall should be extended to include more vehicle made about this time.

Filed Jan 19, 2025 · Brakes · CA

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

Filed Dec 15, 2024 · Brakes, Fuel system · CA

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" Braking Power Low STOP in a Safe Place See Owner's Manual"

Filed Nov 24, 2024 · Brakes, Engine · MS

My husband took my car from the carport and parked it in the driveway near the water hose to wash the car. When he finished, it would not start. The message “Braking Power Low” , “STOP in a Safe Place”, “ See Owner’s Manual”showed up. Of course, we could not find anything in the large owner’s manual concerning that! I checked with my VIN to see if mine was included in the recall regarding this same matter, but it was NOT, just as all other Toyota Highlander 2018 owners who complained were told!!! We will find out tomorrow and pray it won’t be a lot of money. We have a Thanksgiving trip planned to see our grandchildren. Today is Sunday and we planned to leave on Tuesday. I shudder to think what could have happened if it suddenly stopped on [XXX] with all the holiday traffic. My husband was looking to buy a car after the first of the year and was going to buy a Toyota. After this, he has reconsidered. Toyota needs to see all these complaints and how many were not included in the recall!!! Something’s not right! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 14, 2024 · Brakes · SC

Around 29,000 miles, I noticed a severe brake vibration while slowing down or stopping from speeds above 55 mph. The vehicle is driven very carefully and not harshly. As of today (11/14/2024), the vehicle is 77 months old and only has 49,000 miles on it. I had been told by Toyota that the rotors are not warped, so it must be a defective part in the braking system.

Filed Sep 2, 2024 · Brakes · MO

Out of nowhere, I couldn’t get the car to start. It keeps saying “Low Braking Power”. I had someone checked with Code Scanner and nothing shows up, and it’s not battery issue neither. The car guy said there’s a very high chance the issue is from the brake booster vacuum pump.

Filed Aug 29, 2024 · Brakes · KS

Brake Booster did not work. We were almost in 2 wrecks due to it taking longer to stop the vehicle. The dealer finally fixed it after I paid over $1500. They didn't care about how this was a known defect in 2018 Toyota Highlanders and took forever to identify and fix. No one has looked at it since just got it back today. Once the brake light went on the dash board I brought it in. I did wait one day when it went off, but once it came back on again I was going to, but then was scared when it didn't come on and then I could barely stop.

Filed Aug 15, 2024 · Brakes · OR

My vehicle has codes C1253 and C1256. These codes are associated with faulty brake actuators, a well documented issue in Highlanders. Faulty brake actuators can cause problems with braking, which can put my safety and the safety of others at risk.

Filed Jul 31, 2024 · Brakes, Engine · CA

As I was returning to my house and about to pull into our garage I was driving very slowly, riding the brake in fact. I was going less than 1 mph but as I first entered the garage my car engine suddenly roared very loudly and sped inside. I pressed as hard as I could on the brakes and the car skidded towards the left and slammed into the garage wall. I firmly believe that the only thing that kept my car from traveling farther was the garage door frame. Between my braking and then turning off the engine, I came to a stop. There were skid marks on the pavement at the garage entrance from the hard braking and both the driver's door and the passenger door on that side were severely damaged. The car was now angled to the left and not pointed straight into the garage as it should have been. At no time did I press on the accelerator.

Filed Jan 17, 2024 · Brakes · 77,000 miles · LA

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the Brake warning light illuminated, the contact observed a beeping noise coming from the instrument panel. Additionally, the messages "Braking Power Low - Stop in a safe place - See Owner's Manual” were displayed. The contact steered to the side of the vehicle where the vehicle was placed in Park (P) and the beeping ceased. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to check the brake fluid, which was normal. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred approximately three times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

Questions about the 2018 Toyota Highlander brakes

Does the 2018 Toyota Highlander have brakes problems?

Owners have filed 58 complaints about the brakes of the 2018 Toyota Highlander, 21% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2018 Toyota Highlander brakes problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 16,500 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2018 Toyota Highlander brakes?

Yes, 1 recall: 18V211000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Toyota Highlander have bad brakes?

The Toyota Highlander model years with the most brakes complaints are 2006 (103 complaints), 2008 (82 complaints) and 2021 (68 complaints).

Other 2018 Toyota Highlander problems

Transmission 75Engine 36Fuel system 36Electrical 24Airbags 19Driver assistance 15Body 12Steering 10Acceleration 9Suspension 6Visibility 6Lights 5Wheels 4Seat belts 3Seats 2Locks 1Tires 1

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