Toyota bulletin T-SB-0014-25
What it saysSome 2017 – 2019 model year Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the brake, ABS, and/or TRAC warning lights are on and/or a Check VSC message displays. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Toyota filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 29, 2025, received Feb 12, 2025, about the service brakes. It names 3 model years (2017–2019). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSome 2017 – 2019 model year Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the brake, ABS, and/or TRAC warning lights are on and/or a Check VSC message displays. One or more of the following specific Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs): C1391, C1252, C1256, and/or C1253 will be stored in the vehicle memory to be used as verification. This condition may be caused by a small internal brake fluid leak inside the brake actuator.
Trouble codes it names: C1252 C1253 C1256 C1391
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-SB-0014-25 | Service bulletin | Jan 29, 2025 | 11014208 |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44050-48320 | — | — | |
| 04008-26448 | Actuator Assy, Brake w/ Fluid | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| 47070-48060 | Pump Assy, Brake Booster w/ Accumulator | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| 04008-51248 | Pump Assy, Brake Booster w/ Accumulator | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| 44598-50010 | Clamp, Brake Actuator Bracket | 1 | eBay Motors → |
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| BR2408 | R&R the Brake Actuator Assy and Brake Booster with Accumulator | 2 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (3 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Toyota’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,068 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 109 of them name Service Brakes — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2018 Toyota Highlander, the 23 owners who gave an odometer reading for Service Brakes reported it at a median of 21,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
When trying to coast to a stop at around 4 MPH the car will slam to a stop. Does not always do this but it's sometimes very hard to come to a smooth stop as the cars braking system (regenerative braking?) will kick in by itself. Can be dangerous if a car is tailing very close to me as it will seem like i'm driving unpredictably.
2019 Toyota Highlander · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Jan 20, 2020 · ODI 11300611
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while coming to a complete stop and depressing the brake pedal, he heard abnormal squeaking and rubbing sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted while at a complete stop.
2018 Toyota Highlander · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Nov 10, 2022 · ODI 11493057
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the brake power low, stop at a safe place warning message was displayed. The contact stated that shortly after several warning lights were illuminated, the brake pedal was depressed and was firm.
2017 Toyota Highlander · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Jun 29, 2021 · ODI 11422739
In depth: 2018 Toyota Highlander brake problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the service brakes
Source: same model, same component group4 other manufacturer communications filed against the Toyota Highlander under the same component group (service brakes), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24TE05 | Warranty extension | Jan 30, 2025 | Although the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies are covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 mile… |
| 24TE01 | Service campaign | Nov 4, 2024 | This Customer Support Program provides coverage as it applies to Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies on Certain 2014-2016 Model… |
| TSB010421 | Service bulletin | Feb 15, 2024 | TSB: Some 2018 ? 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with an A25A-FKS, A25A-FXS, M20A-FKS, or M20A-FXS engine may exhibit one or more o… |
| TSB005923 | Service bulletin | Aug 29, 2023 | TSB: Some drivers of 2020 ? 2022 model year Highlander Hybrid vehicles may be sensitive to the momentary transition from regenerative brakin… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Toyota, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Toyota T-SB-0014-25 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the T-SB-0014-25 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Toyota warranty extension on file lists the ones Toyota has filed.
Which vehicles does T-SB-0014-25 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2019 Toyota Highlander, 2018 Toyota Highlander, 2017 Toyota Highlander. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.