2025 Toyota Grand Highlander other reported problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My wife was driving and a small rock passed through the front grill puncturing the radiator and causing her check engine light to come on. Within 5 minutes the coolant leaked out and the car was undrivable. We took it to Bredemann Toyota in Park Ridge who replaced it.

NHTSA complaint #11758770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Component that failed: Sunroof How was safety at risk: I was driving my 2025 Grand Highlander on Sunday, [XXX} in the morning. While I was driving, my sunroof exploded, causing a loud noise and a blowout in the front part of the sunroof (pictures included). There was no debris on the road or any other reason for the sunroof to have exploded. This was extremely shocking and concerning - if we had not kept the sunroof shade closed, the glass from the sunroof would have fallen directly on myself and my wife as we were driving, potentially causing an extremely dangerous situation. The sunroof blew outward, NOT inward as would have been expected if something had hit it and caused it to shatter. I also found multiple forums where I discovered that this is a common problem: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] The problem is widespread enough across models that there is an ongoing lawsuit regarding panoramic sunroofs: [XXX] The dealer and Toyota are claiming that it had to be an external source, but again, there was no debris in the area or any other reason to cause the blowout. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer's field service technicians. It is currently still at the dealer, awaiting final decision on coverage for the blowout. There were no warnings. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11739910 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The 2025 Grand Highlander XLS front sun roof exploded. Will be taken to dealer upon appointment. Had the interior cover not been closed, we would have been showered with glass particles. According to many articles this is a known defect by Toyota. Lemberg Law phenom. Vehicle will be inspected by Toyoto dealer on Apr 29, 2026. There were no warnings. Outside temp was 64 degrees F. Traveling at 45 mph at 2:30 EDT, Apr 27, 2026. Massive exploding sound, like a gunshot. Pulled over to check vehicle and noticed front sun roof center blown outward and rest of glass fractured.

NHTSA complaint #11734096 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Due to the design of the grill located at the front end of the 2025 toyota grand highlander the vehicle poses vulnerability for multiple debris items to fly up into exposed air conditioning condensor. The damage caused by the debris is not covered by the warranty because it is considered an outside occurrence. However the design creates the vulnerability for the ac to become damaged. It is also sitting below the radiator posing an additonal risk for damage and should have additonal protection to help prevent damage. I am currently having to dispute the refusal to cover the damage to my own ac condensor done by a rock flying into the grill space causing damage and losing freon, because they state it is an outside occurrence regardless of the fact that the design is faulty. There are multiple people who have experienced this happening to their vehicles some not even at the 2000 mile mark and are responsible for the financial cost. Upon doing research the 2026 toyota grand highlander model was created with an even lower setting bumper that provides better coverage and protection for the air conditioning condensor and all other important mechanical components. Suggesting that Toyota is aware of the issue if they created an additonal part to help protect that area from damage. I am literally at risk each time I drive my car just for the fact that rocks are on every road way as well as other debris. I have called the customer relations department with no resolution given only to be told I am responsible for the cost of the repair. I believe this is something that needs to be addressed as well as fixed for the sake of the buyer and the already large cost of owning and maintaining a vehicle. If it happens more than a few times its not bad luck, it's a flaw in the creation of the product and consumers should not have to be held financially responsible for someone else mistake, whether individual or corporate entity. I have previously owned 4 other toyotas with no issues!

NHTSA complaint #11726754 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Driving when it sounded like a gunshot went off in the car. I looked to the back of my car to see what was around me (nothing), and saw no damage to any windows. I could hear glass cracking so I went to open my moonroof screen to check the glass and I could hear glass on the screen so I closed it right back. I pulled over and was able to confirm the sunroof had busted across the back of the glass. It did not look like it was hit by anything, but like it blew out then spidered across the remainder of the glass.

NHTSA complaint #11724589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Sunroof spontaneously exploded leaving an 8” hole and a completely shattered sunroof. The sunroof is flexed upwards like it was under extreme pressure. The high temperature was 70 degrees in Tuscaloosa today with cloudy skies and misty rain. So there shouldn’t have been any concerns from heat or cold. This left shattered glass every above the sunshade. Fortunately the shade was closed to catch most of the shattered glass.

NHTSA complaint #11722846 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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

NHTSA complaint #11717740 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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.

NHTSA complaint #11715336 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While driving under normal conditions, the air conditioning system in my Toyota Grand Highlander suddenly stopped working. The vehicle was inspected by a Toyota dealership, which determined that the AC condenser had a hole/puncture that caused a refrigerant leak and complete AC failure. Toyota denied warranty coverage, classifying the damage as “road hazard,” despite acknowledging that this is a common issue with the Grand Highlander. There was no collision, no unusual road event, and no warning prior to failure. The condenser appears to be positioned in a highly exposed and vulnerable location, allowing small road debris to puncture it easily. Based on discussions with the dealership and reports from other owners, this issue is occurring repeatedly and results in expensive repairs (approximately $1,500–$2,000). This appears to be a design-related vulnerability, not an isolated incident or abnormal use. A failure of the air conditioning system significantly impacts vehicle safety and operability, particularly in extreme heat conditions. I am reporting this issue to document a pattern of premature AC condenser failure in Toyota Grand Highlander vehicles and to request further investigation.

NHTSA complaint #11709267 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While driving at approximately 50 MPH with no other vehicles around, there was a loud bang and then the sound of air. We identified that the panoramic sunroof had exploded. We pulled over immediately and took photos of the sunroof which at that time was shattered but intact. There was a clear bulge upward and no sign of impact from an outside force. We then continued driving to our home approximately another 40 miles, during that drive shards of glass flew onto the roadway leaving a hole in the sunroof of approximately 10-12 inches. We brought the vehicle to Toyota dealership for a warranty repair. Toyota refuses to cover under warranty, stating outside influence. I am confident there was no outside influence causing the glass to explode. The vehicle is a 2025 Grand Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited with approximately 9000 miles on it, the incident happened on Nov 2nd. 2025 around noon. Weather was mild, 50-60 degrees F, no precipitation or severe winds.

NHTSA complaint #11699755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

There is a coolant leak in the hybrid radiator caused by a puncture. When taken to the dealer, they said a rock must have punctured it. The dealer currently has the part. Me, my husband, and 2 children were driving on I-5 when the car stopped accelerating and a "hybrid malfucntion" code and "engine malfunction" code started flashing. Prior to this, there were no warnings. I was thankfully able to full over safely, but we were stuck on the side of I-5 for at least an hour waiting for a tow. I am reading online that this is an issue with the car and seems to be a design flaw. The gaps in the grill are too large, and there is no mesh or anything else behind the grill to protect the front end of the car.

NHTSA complaint #11697495 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Sun roof shattered unprovoked in 2 month old vehicle while driving slowly in parking lot. We didn't know what happened at first but then opened interior lining and the shattered glass fell into the cabin; nobody was hurt. when we took this to dealership, we were told this wasn't under warrantee and we had to get it fixed independently. I filed a complaint with Toyota Care but they denied covering cost to fix the shattered sun roof. We did not have the shattered sun roof inspected by anybody else but it has been fixed by glass shop.

NHTSA complaint #11693925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I am told my 2025 Grand Highlander has a hole in the AC Condenser from "road debris" according to a Toyota dealership leading to no air conditioning. I've never taken the car off-roading. A simple google search shows that others are having this issue and are buying extra netting to protect it from happening again. I'm told I need to pay $1,800 to have this fixed when I haven't even had the car for a year. This seems like a design flaw that needs to be addressed.

NHTSA complaint #11683665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Apparently, a rock flew into the front grill striking the radiator (which is located directly behind the grill) and put a hole in it. This caused fluid to leak and fortunately during a routine maintenance check (my first service) on 8/15/25, it was discovered. The car was deemed not safe to drive until repairs were made. I submitted it to my insurance company and they inspected it and verified the issue. The radiator was replaced by Toyota at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle. They said they heard of a few cases, but I went online and discovered several vehicles that had this happen. Apparently the grill on the new highlanders is the issue - it has wide openings and the radiator is directly behind it. I am purchasing a bra and some mesh to place behind the grill in order to prevent another incident. No warning lights or indicators came on and the dealership said it would've eventually when it got hot enough. Fortunately, most of my driving was local after the incident occurred so the vehicle didn't have time to overheat. I am thankful it was discovered before I was stranded.

NHTSA complaint #11682016 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Front Windshield cracked out of nowhere with no trauma, , now needs replacement due to crack expanding. I discovered it in the morning when my car was parked and not driving.

NHTSA complaint #11668173 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

When going over rough or uneven roads, the car produces a strong low-frequency resonance, like a bass-heavy "boom". This causes a very uncomfortable feeling of pressure changing in my ears, gives me a headache and ear pain whenever I drive in local roads, which is the majority of driving in my area. This causes me to need to pull over and stop the car frequently to readjust my hearing. I've found many reports from others of the same issue but Toyota have not acknowledged it or found a solution.

NHTSA complaint #11667916 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The Panoramic Roof Glass shattered on its own while driving on the freeway, there were no overpasses, no trees, no semi-trucks, no other vehicle in front of me while i was driving. The shattered glass pieces fell on my children in the back seats luckily there were no injuries as we closed the screen immediately.

NHTSA complaint #11661706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.