Problems · by component

2006 Toyota Highlander service brakes problems

72 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Toyota Highlander cite service brakes, 26% of all 279 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
72
26% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“My brake actuator assembly failed while driving. The brakes stopped working. The cost to repair is over $3,000. This is a fairly common problem in the 2006 toyota highlander hybrid. In fact, Toyota extended the car's warranty to cover this issue, but it expired in 2017. The problem usually occurs once the car has approximately 150k miles which is likely outside the warranty period. This is extremely dangerous.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 6, 2026Service brakesODI 11776370
“Multiple warning lights appeared on the dash board including ABS, also check VSC system in the dialogue window. Code C1391 (Abnormal leak in accumulator) appeared in a diagnostic scan. After some internet research, it appears this a common problem with the 2006 Toyota Highlander and is a very costly repair $2000-$4000. The leaky accumulator creates an unsafe driving condition as the ABS and VSC system are disabled due to the leak. Due to the high number of failures for these vehicles, I feel that Toyota should take responsibility and warranty this part and repair. Thank you”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 7, 2026Service brakesODI 11769614
“The Antilock Braking Actuator has failed. This seems to be a known issue and was already recalled on the Toyota Camry. Toyota sells the part for $1500 locally and labor will be added to that as well - which will put the cost of replacing this critical part almost above the current value of the vehicle. This is a safety issue if I lose braking capability. It has not yet catastrophically failed, but is making a buzzing sound which is the indication of this unit losing brake fluid pressure and trying to keep the brake booster pump running to restore the pressure. The booster pump will burn out, possibly catch fire and/or blow the fuse and then the braking will loose power assist, and with unit in place....that makes braking almost impossible as it is NOT a typical brake system, all fluid goes through this failed module and without the electronic boost assist, one can not press the pedal hard enough to engage the brakes.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 12, 2026Service brakesODI 11763765
“The ABS/Brake Actuator is going out. There is a stuttering as I'm coming to a stop, but when I brake from normal speeds to slow down, there is no stutter/vibration. Only when I'm going very slow and about to stop the car is when I feel a vibration/stutter in the vehicle. When pressing the brakes all the way down, there is a weird chirping/clicking noise that comes from under the hood towards the passenger side of the car. I do not have and did not get any warning lights about this, even still I don't have any. I have taken it to 2 mechanic shops now and they both have diagnosed the brake/ABS actuator failing.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 1, 2026Service brakesODI 11761452
“ABS actuator/accumulator issue on 2006 Toyota Highlander hybrid limited. Internal component failure there are recalls on others but not this particular year. Was driving along hit the brakes and got hard pedal. Yes there were other indicator lights on including the VSC system and traction control I came to an intersection and I couldn't stop I couldn't even kind of stop it was all hard pedal were before it was normal as if there wasn't an issue. I've done a lot of research and I've seen a lot of forums and people are complaining that Toyota isn't backing this problem my 2006 Toyota is in perfect condition not a single problem except for this break issue and if you take it to Toyota the park cost $2,200 in about roughly over $5,000 to fix it well who wants to put that kind of money into a car of that year the problem is it's just a shame and a safety deal that it put my family's life at risk we could have crashed it if I wasn't an actual driver by trade I wouldn't have known how to react in other families could be harmed in this. It's worth looking into I did not need to make her police report because I veered off into a field that saved my family's life. As of…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 5, 2026Service brakesODI 11755074
“My 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited has an ABS fault that has caused my vehicle to undergo several maintenance issues and poses a serious safety hazard. My vehicle has less than 150,000, and over the course of the last year, my ABS light, my emergency brake light, my TSC light, and my tire pressure sensor light have all come on and refuse to go away. Additionally, the maintenance light, along with a "CHECK VSC SYSTEM" message has been on my dash for months and will not reset. My ABS has been making an intermittent buzzing sound that cycles every ten seconds when my car is on. That has been going one since shortly before the lights. When the lights came on, I noticed a serious change in my braking. The pedal would become spongy one moment and rock solid the next, or my car would brake intensely with the lightest pressure or require my foot basically to the floor to stop it. This has caused a serious issue for the safety of myself and my family. After using and OBDII scanner with ABS capabilities, the codes I received point to the ABS assembly failing to retain pressure, hence the persistent cycling to compensate for it loosing pressure. This was confirmed…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 12, 2026Service brakesODI 11710274

Showing 6 of 72 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2006 Highlander problem areas