2018 Toyota Highlander · symptom sheet
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early
- 58owner reports
- 27,000median miles
- $1,000median quote
- 9involved a crash
Newest report May 9, 2025 · checked Oct 2, 2026
58 of the 266 complaints on this car describe brake wear, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2018 Highlander.
Tick what matches of 58 reports
Brake wear on other Highlander years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2023, 2024.
What this problem usually is
Brake reports cover a wide spread of symptoms. Grinding or squealing is common, and so is a pulsing pedal or a shake through the car when stopping. Others describe pads and rotors worn out long before they expected, a brake warning light, or a pedal that goes soft or sinks toward the floor. The most serious ones say the car didn't stop in time.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the booster (11 reports), the pads and rotors (6 reports), the master cylinder (6 reports) and the ABS module (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the brakes covers the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
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.
All 5 recalls on the 2018 Toyota Highlander, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
What owners paid
9 of the 58 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $600 to $2,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 12,880 and 48,000 miles, from the 27 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 3 service bulletins or notices for the 2018 Toyota Highlander that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
Some 2014 ? 2019 model year Highlander vehicles may exhibit a vibration from the front brakes during light application of the brake pedal at highway speeds. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to address this condition.
Some 2015 ? 2018 model year Toyota vehicles may exhibit brake vibration due to improper lug nut torque. Brake vibration can occur at any time if improper torque is applied to lug nuts. Even one lug nut over or under torqued can cause vibration.
What owners wrote
“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 Dec 15, 2024 · 28,000 miles
“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 Nov 14, 2024 · 29,000 miles
“Braking to stop at a traffic light then all of the sudden the car stalls with Braking Power Low message. The car won't even start for me to pull aside to a safe place. This is the second time this happened within 2 years so I decided to put a complaint in.”
Filed May 5, 2023
“Vehicle will not start. "brake pressure low" message appears on instrument panel. The truck will be sent to the dealer. Brakes worked fine previously and brake fluid is at maximum level.”
Filed Aug 18, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 9 of 58 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 25 reports