The Lemon IndexC1256 is a manufacturer-specific code, so its exact meaning depends on the make. Full C1256 page
13 owner complaints · the #2 code Toyota Highlander owners name · 14% of Toyota Highlander complaints that name a code (every car: 0.5%)
Middle of 154,000 miles · most between 138,000 and 180,000 (7 owners gave it)
Toyota Highlander owners named C1256 in 13 complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), most often on the 2008, 2006 and 2018 model years, at a middle of 154,000 miles. The part they name most is the ABS module, pump or accumulator (10 complaints). Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Toyota Highlander model years that report C1256
Owner complaints naming C1256, by model year. Raw counts: years that sold more get more complaints, so this is each model year's record, not a failure rate.
Mileage when it happened
154,000 miles is the middle of what 7 owners entered. Half were between 138,000 and 180,000 miles.
The mileage on the complaint form, when the owner gave one.
What owners say caused it or fixed it
The most-named part is the ABS module, pump or accumulator, in 10 of the 13 complaints (77%). 5 of those mention it being replaced or repaired, and 2 say the problem came back afterwards.
- ABS module, pump or brake accumulator10 complaints5 mention a repair or replacement, 2 of them say the problem came back · what Toyota Highlander owners paid
4 complaints mention a recall and 6 mention a warranty.
Counted from the owners' own words: a part counts when a sentence names it with a cause or repair word. What owners wrote, not a diagnosis. A shop should confirm the cause before replacing parts.
Symptoms owners describe with C1256
- Brakes or ABS act up100%13 of 13 complaints
- Warning lights and electrical faults31%4 of 13 complaints
Share of the complaints naming C1256 whose text also describes each problem. A complaint can describe more than one.
Codes owners report with it
C1391 11 C1252 8 C1253 5 C1241 4 C1345 2
Other codes named in the same Toyota Highlander complaints, and in how many.
Repair costs
Toyota Highlander ABS module replacement cost
Recalls on these Toyota Highlander years
- Brakes · 2018 · issued 2018
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. NHTSA 18V211000 - Brakes · 2006 · issued 2010
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 AVALON, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 LEXUS RX, AND MODEL YEAR 2006 LEXUS GS AND IS VEHICLES. NHTSA 10V499000
2 recalls for the same systems (brakes) on the Toyota Highlander model years above. A recall for the same system isn't proof it's behind C1256. Recall work is free at any dealer: check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with our VIN check.
Keep going
- C1256: meaning, causes and every car that reports it
- Toyota Highlander reliability by year
- 2008 Toyota Highlander problems and recalls
Other codes Toyota Highlander owners report
C1256 on other cars
Toyota Prius (34)
The details
How we count
We read every owner complaint in the NHTSA file whose text names this trouble code, and count the ones filed about this model (matched by the make, model and model year on the complaint). Mileage is what the owner entered on the form.
Parts: a complaint counts for a part when one of the owner's own sentences names that part together with a cause word (failed, bad, diagnosed, caused by, leaking ...) or a repair word (replaced, repaired, new, reprogrammed ...). "Came back" means the same complaint also says the problem returned or the repair didn't fix it. These are counts of what owners wrote, not a diagnosis, and one complaint can name several parts.
Complaints are reports, not proof of a defect, and most owners never file one. Popular models get more complaints, so the counts are not a failure rate. The code meaning is the standard SAE J2012 definition in our own words, or the carmaker's meaning where we verified it for that make.
What C1256 means
C1256 is a manufacturer-specific code: each carmaker decides what it means, so the same code can point to different problems on different brands. We haven't verified its meaning for Toyota yet. A dealer or a scanner with the maker's software can tell you exactly.
Check the complaints yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11674307, 11608758, 11601445, 11546037, 11465651, 11430796, 11152787, 11142421, 11133576, 11090121, 11046961, 11004974 and 1 more.
Quick answers
Which Toyota Highlander years have the most C1256 complaints?
In complaints to NHTSA, owners of the 2008 (6), 2006 (4), 2018 (1) Toyota Highlander named C1256 most (13 complaints in all, 2006–2018). Raw counts, not a failure rate.
What fixes C1256 on a Toyota Highlander?
Owners most often name the ABS module, pump or accumulator (10 of 13 complaints). That's what owners wrote, not a diagnosis: have a shop confirm the cause with a scan and tests before replacing parts.
At what mileage does C1256 show up on a Toyota Highlander?
Owners who gave their mileage reported a middle of 154,000 miles; half were between 138,000 and 180,000 (7 owners).
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints that name C1256 on the Toyota Highlander, counted by The Lemon Index; NHTSA recalls; repair bills owners named. Meanings: SAE J2012 in our own words. Owner reports, not a diagnosis or repair advice for your car.