2018 Toyota Highlander: Premature brake wear
Common wear/failure (not a recall)
Symptoms
Owners of the 2018 Highlander report: premature brake wear. CarComplaints.com lists 3 owner complaints, average mileage 25,100 miles.
NHTSA has 59 owner complaints for the 2018 Highlander in this area. Examples:
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11660006 (filed 05/09/2025): “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 …”
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11636909 (filed 01/19/2025): “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…”
Likely causes
Sources do not establish a single root cause; diagnosis is needed. Owner-reported fixes are listed below.
Fix, in plain English
Most common owner-reported solutions on CarComplaints.com: replace brakes (2 reports) replace pad (1 reports). Check for open recalls and extended warranty coverage with a dealer before paying out of pocket.
DIY difficulty: Moderate
Pads and rotors are a common DIY job with hand tools and a jack; ABS/hydraulic faults need a scan tool. (Our assessment.)
Cost
CarComplaints.com owners report a typical repair cost of about $910 (owner-reported average, not a quote).
Typical parts (search links, no affiliate codes)
AutoZone · O'Reilly · Advance · RockAuto
Sources
Page last updated .