Toyota Grand Highlander Complaints

375 consumer complaints on file.

#11719872February 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V595000 (Electrical System), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions, but the dealer informed the contact that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the instrument panel had failed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was not driving properly, and the vehicle was shuddering while exceeding 70 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an axle leak, and the contact was informed that there was no warning light illuminated for the failure due to the instrument panel failure. The axle leak was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718709February 18, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The front panel of the sunroof shattered while the vehicle was parked in our garage. Glass shards are inside the car. The dealership submitted a claim to Toyota who denied any material defect and refused to repair under warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718519February 17, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I own a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid and am experiencing an intermittent knocking/clicking noise that appears to come from the drivetrain area. The noise occurs most often during low-speed driving and while turning left or right, particularly on the first drive of the day after the vehicle has been sitting overnight, but it has also occurred at other times while driving. The condition is intermittent and does not occur every trip, however it has been heard by multiple drivers. The noise is most noticeable during light acceleration combined with steering input at lower speeds. I have brought the vehicle to the dealership for inspection, but the condition has not yet been duplicated during testing. I am concerned this may indicate a developing drivetrain or axle-related issue that could affect vehicle safety if it worsens while the vehicle is in motion. I am submitting this report so the condition can be documented and evaluated for potential safety concerns affecting this vehicle model.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718364February 16, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
We were going down the highway in our brand new Grand Highlander yesterday (3500 miles, 3 months old) and it was like a bomb had gone off. The panoramic sunroof exploded up and out. Glass started falling on my daughter whom was in the middle seat. My husband had to quickly pull off the highway to safety. I have never experienced anything like this and it was extremely scary. Obviously there is a defect that needs to be addressed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718221February 16, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am submitting this complaint to formally report a serious safety issue involving the left front axle of my Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid XLE. The vehicle was first diagnosed by my local Toyota dealer on January 14, 2026, at which time the left front axle issue was identified. I contacted **Toyota Motor Corporation**, and I was initially informed that the required replacement part would arrive on February 6, 2026. After that date passed, I was told the part would arrive in early March. I have now been told it will not arrive until late March. Based on these repeated delays, I am concerned that “late March” could easily become late April or even later, with no firm commitment or guaranteed repair date. I have contacted Toyota dealership multiple times and made several phone calls seeking assistance, updates, or a definitive timeline. Unfortunately, no one has been able to provide a clear solution, firm delivery date, or alternative support while the part remains on back order. Due to the axle issue, I do not feel safe operating the vehicle, as I believe it presents a significant safety risk. This vehicle is essential for my work and daily financial responsibilities. Because I do not feel it is safe to drive, I am unable to use the car to earn my day-to-day income and meet my financial obligations. As a result, I am currently losing wages, and the prolonged delay is causing financial hardship and significant inconvenience. Given the safety implications and the ongoing lack of resolution, I respectfully request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration review this matter. I would appreciate guidance on the appropriate next steps, including whether this issue warrants further investigation, inspection, or potential recall action. I also seek clarification regarding what protections or remedies may be available to consumers when critical safety components are unavailable for extended periods.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717740February 13, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
outside temperature reading is 2 to 7 degrees high, which is not good when it makes the difference between freezing temps and not freezing temps
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717584February 12, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I had my front axle assemblies replace under T-SB-0082-24 around 20,000 to 25,000 due to rotational clicking noise per bulletin. The tsb uses the old part number which was the defective original part. The axles are failing agin at 50,000 and the dealer and toyota are refusing to fix it as they can’t replicate in shop. There is a new part number that was updated and supposedly fixed the issue but that is not the part that was installed in my car. They stopped the production line and updated the part at one point supposedly there was not enough grease in the cv joint boots causing premature wear. The old part number is still listed in the tsb even though it is superceded, tsb should be update or recall issued for all affected models to get the new updated part. Old part number 43420-0E340 new part 43420-0E341. Other side old part 43410-0E520 new part 43410-0E521. Toyota installed the old obsolete parts on my car in all paperwork for my work history and is refusing to install a working set of axles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717218February 11, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
At low speeds under 40 mph, there is a very pronounced and uncomfortable cabin boom noise when going over bumps.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717059February 10, 2026
POWER TRAIN
2024 toyota grand highlander had TSB 0082-24 repair done around 20,0000 to 25,000 miles due to rotational clicking noise and vibration when turning under power. Both front axles replaced. Car now has 50,000 miles on it and clicking noise is present every day in cold conditions until it warms up. It is at the dealer for the third time and they are unable to replicate the clicking and vibration and will not replace the part. The symptoms are identical to when the first repair was done. Possibility of cv axle failure in the near future if not replaced. A full recall and redesign is needed at this point if I am experiencing 2 failures within 50,0000 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716177February 6, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The car was running perfect, 9 months after I bought this car, before 20,000 miles Front Left Axle become defective, and therefore, the dealer promised to reemplaced it, but I am still waiting from the dealer. It is a big risk to runs the car like that.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11715972February 5, 2026
STEERING
clicking noises from front of engine area/tire area whenever steeing wheel turned left or right turned out to be cv axels and replaced feb 2. 2026 -so far will monitor for recurrence - grand highlander forum with numerous such complaints
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11715336February 3, 2026
POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
At a complete stop my car started shaking violently back and forth. It felt like we were in an earthquake. It has happened before but not as violently and not as long. No warning lights or anything. It has had problems with lurching and stuttering since we bought it. The dealership said they fixed it once (the stuttering) but it’s still happening. They cannot duplicate it and it’s not throwing any codes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714183January 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
In the middle where the car chargers are – the one in the center isn’t working but the one to the right is. When doing maps, the visual map disappeared and just showed where to turn – happened about 2-3 time. Today the entire screen went black – no radio, phone, maps, nothing. No way to operate it at all. This is unrelated to the current recall that addresses the speedometer / display right behind the steering wheel.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714181January 29, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The entire life of the car from initial purchase the fuel gauge is incorrect. The car has a 17 gallon gas tank and the fuel gauge is calibrated to around 13 gallons. The car thinks it is out of gas around 13 gallons when there is actually 4 more gallons left.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713620January 27, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V744000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the camera had failed, and that the contact would be notified when the remedy was available. The contact stated that after leaving the vehicle with the dealer, the back over camera started to fail. The back over prevention camera no longer switched the screen for the camera while in reverse, but remained on the home screen or radio instead. The contact had not heard from the dealer regarding the parts availability for the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713179January 25, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, SERVICE BRAKES
The Electronic Park Brake (EPB) fails to release when the car is shifted into gear. The park brake dashboard light remains on, and the brake does not release. The problem is intermittent but has occurred multiple times in the first 2 months and 2,000 miles of owning the newly purchased vehicle. The vehicle was purchased in Nov 2025, and in Jan 2026 it was taken to the authorized Toyota service center at the Toyota dealership where it was purchased to have this issue repaired. But Toyota refused to replace any parts. Multiple photographs of the brake failure were provided to the Toyota service center, but they will not replace any parts or do any repairs related to the issue unless they can replicate the intermittent failure while the car is at the service center garage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710025January 9, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid AWD, with about 16000 miles. While driving, the brakes failed. The brakes would only work if the pedal was pushed all the way to the floor. A "Low Brake Power" warning light came on the dash. The following warnings came on at the same time. Parking Brake System, Advanced Ultrasonic Detection, Vehicle Stability Control, Check Engine, Smart Stop System, Brake System, Electronically controlled Brake, Secondary Collision Brake, Anti-lock Brake System. I was lucky to have been traveling on a road that was not busy and was traveling at less than 30 mph very close to my home. Had I been driving on the interstate, on a busy road, or near pedestrians, the event could have injured or killed myself, my family, or others. The car was towed into the dealership. The dealership said that the issue was not current and the car operated normally when after it was towed in. The following DTC codes where present (P05E000, P05E062). This indicates an issue in wiring or brake pedal stroke sensor. They suspect its an intermittent issue with the sensor. The sensor was replaced (P/N, 89510-0R010 and 62112-0E040-C1). They also said the car battery was low and replaced it (P/N 00544-H5061-540). The dealership said that they would send the affected part to Toyota for inspection, but I have not heard anything back. The dealership experience was poor (Mark Jacobson Toyota, Durham, NC).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709947January 9, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
UNKNOWN, vehicle dash warnings advising front sensors were not working causing error messages. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for a recall and they advised the Right front Ultra Sonic Sensor also needed to be replaced. They alleged this was potentially caused by an unknown impact such as small rocks or bugs. The faulty sensor causes error messages on the dash and needed to be replaced. They would not cover this under warranty which is a repair cost of $823.81. The only other band aid was to turn of the other sensors to get rid of the dash notifications, not allowing the other sensors to work as designed to monitor items or people in front that may not be seen by the driver. This turns off some of the vehicle's safety features. Toyota was directly notified of this incident but refused to cover the issue under warranty and expects consumers to pay for a new sensor and programing for a part that is faulty or not durable enough to perform under normal driving conditions. I am making this notification to NHTSA so there is a record of the issue with the durability of the Toyota Ultra Sonic Sensor or failing under normal driving conditions in case there are other complaints about the same issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709793January 8, 2026
STEERING, SUSPENSION
When I turn to the left or right I hear a clicking/popping noise. Took it to the dealer and they said it was the CV axle. So they replaced the driver side. After the repair, it would make the same sound from time to time so I took it back in to the dealer(Northside Toyota in San Antonio, TX) they couldn't recreate the sound and notated my account. This was all when the car had less than 30k miles. The grand highlander now has 47k miles and it is making the noises alot more. Im on a grand highlander forum and a lot of other owners are having the same issues. Some are already on their 3rd set of cv axles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709767January 8, 2026
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
The vehicle takes an excessively long time to make heat, I know NHTSA only has requirements related to defrosting the windshield and it's clear Toyota is aware of the heating issue because they added an electronic defrost to be able to pass the defrost test. The vehicle when it is less than 20f outside takes 40+minutes to warm the cabin to a reasonable temperature. The dealership let the vehicle warm up in their 80deg F shop and said it took 20minutes to get heat out of the vents and claimed that this was normal behavior. I have owned several new cars and also work as an engineer in testing so I've driven countless new vehicles to do various tests and have never had it even take 20 minutes to have heat in a vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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