35 of the
488 complaints filed about the Toyota Grand Highlander
are about the body and structure —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2024.
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH on the highway with a three-year-old child in the vehicle, the message "Pull Over Immediately and Shut Off the Vehicle" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and waited for a tow truck in hot weather. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the radiator was punctured by a rock that had gone through the front grille and caused a coolant leak. The dealer determined that the radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was scheduled for the repair. The contact informed the dealer that the failure was a common issue associated with NHTSA Action Number: DP26006 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer was not aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 12,200.
NHTSA complaint #11762169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The front grill by design has bigger holes with potential of rock hitting radiator . I have seen very small damage to radiator more like superficial. A bigger rock could damage the radiator
NHTSA complaint #11760986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle’s A/C suddenly began blowing hot air. We took it in for diagnosis. The technician asked if the vehicle had been in an accident, if the front had hit anything, or if we had noticed hitting a rock or other object. We answered no to all questions. The technician stated they have seen this issue numerous times, where road debris passes through the large openings in the factory front grille and damages the A/C condenser. The condenser was found to have localized physical damage of approximately 1 cm in size, consistent with an impact from a rock or other road debris. The impact cracked/punctured the condenser, causing refrigerant to leak from the sealed A/C system and the A/C system to stop functioning. The condenser requires replacement. We researched this issue and found other Toyota owners reporting similar condenser damage from road debris entering through the front grille. We understand that road debris and normal wear can occur, but our concern is that the large factory grille openings allow ordinary roadway debris to directly reach the condenser, with inadequate shielding or protection. A $1,700 repair for a condenser that can be damaged by ordinary road debris entering through the factory grille openings is a significant and potentially recurring expense. Consumers should not reasonably expect to repeatedly incur this level of repair cost because a critical component is inadequately protected from normal roadway conditions, particularly when the vehicle is also covered by an extended warranty that does not cover the repair. This issue also appears relevant to NHTSA Petition DP26006. We ask NHTSA to investigate whether this design leaves the condenser unnecessarily vulnerable to normal roadway debris and whether other vehicles are experiencing the same problem. While the immediate result is loss of A/C, we are concerned about the broader safety implications of critical vehicle components being vulnerable to damage under normal driving conditions.
NHTSA complaint #11760369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Damage occurred to the front air conditioning system because a rock flew through the open grill area. This punctured the system causing a couple thousand dollar repair, not under warranty. The car was nearly brand new at the time. The grill area is a problem, it's a bad design.
NHTSA complaint #11759524 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The hybrid inverter cooler failed due to an impact with what was described as a rock or road debris shooting through the front grill and striking the inverter cooler so that it leaked coolant and failed. There was no notice of impact, while driving on the highway the hybrid system rapidly went into shut down/safety mode and acceleration and power to the drivetrain of vehicle dramatically reduced. This took a matter of seconds while on the highway without any warning. The problem, cause, effect, and repair was all diagnosed by a Toyota service personnel at a Toyota dealer. It was reported that this is a common issue with the grill design.
NHTSA complaint #11759213 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
road debris entered into front grill though the holes in grill adn damaged condensor fins causing vehicle to loose propulsion. Vehicle would not travel over 25 mph after the incidnet. This is safety issue as vehicle slowed from 55MPH to 25MPH rather abruptly on highway. Multiple lamps came on dash at time of incident and were reatained untill fixed (non warranty repair)
NHTSA complaint #11759168 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A rock went through the grill and pierced the AC condenser. The result left us with no AC. Toyota of Grand Rapids charged us $2300 to replace it. The holes in the grill are massive. Toyota of Grand Rapids has a video on file documenting the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11758738 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Platinum has an issue that is commonly referred to as "cabin boom". It occurs at approximately 30mph going over bumps or rough patches in the road. When it occurs it creates a droning noise that amplifies the bump or rough surface you drove over and also creates a cabin pressure similar to flying on an airplane. This issue has caused significant ear pressure and headaches from driving my brand new vehicle. As a chronic migraine sufferer, this is unacceptable when you commute 25 miles to and from work. The issue has been reproduced by the Toyota dealership and they are currently in a waiting phase of next steps from Toyota corporate engineers on how to fix the issue, however there is no timeline on a resolution. Considering this has been an issue for over two years I find it unacceptable. They have added sound proofing materials around the spare tire and that didn't help the issue at all. This has apparently been an issue since the first Grand Highlander model was released, however it seems to not affect all of them but does affect across all trim levels.My dealership just got two brand new Grand Highlanders in this past week, and they make the same exact sound. I'm hoping with more reports of the issue Toyota will actually address it because I know of many other owners who have this problem. Other owners have taken these same steps over the past two years with no results. Please help make Toyota recognize and figure this out.
NHTSA complaint #11758692 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving on highway and suddenly panoramic sunroof glass shattered spontaneously. It nearly caused us to crash into median due to the sudden extremely loud noise that sounded like a gunshot at close range and then the sound of glass shattering and hitting into sunroof shade and top of car. My 18 year old daughter was driving and it was extremely scary for her and myself. No nearby vehicles on either side of the road or near an overpass. We were fortunately near an exit and able to safely remove vehicle from road. I feel extremely lucky that no accident or injury occurred and credit my daughter's ability to stay calm and not panic at highway speed. To date, the car insurance company Travelers states it is not covered as there was no accident and dealership states it is not a warranty item (but they have escalated it to Toyota corporate for further review) and no one is willing to repair it so far (including stand alone glass companies!). But it will certainly be several thousand dollars in repairs. In the meantime I cannot drive my car when there is any chance of rain or really at highway speed. No warning prior, no history of any cracks or damage to sunroof prior. The car is just barely 1 year old.
NHTSA complaint #11753991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander exhibits abnormal fluttering/vibration of the hood at speeds above approximately 25 mph. I have identified that this is the same defect documented in Toyota's own Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0111-24 (issued December 4, 2024), which addresses this condition on 2024 model year Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid vehicles, with the same complaint widely reported by 2025 model year owners as well. Despite this being a known, documented Toyota defect for three consecutive model years, I have been unable to get it resolved through Toyota's official channels: I contacted Toyota's PATT Lab (Parts and Technical Assistance) regarding the vibration under Dealership Task Number DC261970283. PATT Lab informed me that other 2026 model year vehicles exhibit the same condition, characterized it as "intended behavior," and closed the task without applying the known TSB remedy. I was directed to Toyota Brand Engagement for further assistance. This was opened as Case Number 260722000822. Toyota Brand Engagement stated they are not mechanics and that the issue must be resolved at the dealership level, but has provided no directive or authorization to the dealership to perform the known TSB repair. As a result, I am caught in a loop between Toyota corporate departments, none of which will authorize or perform the fix that Toyota's own engineering team has already documented and issued a bulletin for. My vehicle has a known manufacturing/design defect that Toyota has acknowledged in writing for prior model years, yet I am being told simultaneously that it is "normal" and that it's a dealership matter — while no dealership has been given authorization to apply the remedy. Requested Action: I am requesting that Toyota Motor Sales, USA be required to apply the existing Technical Service Bulletin remedy (or its 2026 model year equivalent) to my vehicle at no cost, consistent with how this defect has already been addressed for 2024 and 2025 mod
NHTSA complaint #11752112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
“The aluminum vehicle hood exhibits severe, abnormal fluttering and vibration across the rear-center section when driving at highway speeds (approx. 55-70+ mph). This movement is constant and highly distracting, creating a safety hazard by drawing the driver's attention away from the road and causing concern about the structural integrity of the hood latch system. Despite having the manufacturer's recommended repair (T-SB-0111-24) performed by an authorized dealership, the condition persists without improvement. I am concerned the hood could eventually unlatch or detach completely at high speeds, posing a danger to myself and other motorists.”
NHTSA complaint #11737282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While i was closing the trunk Did press area below my license plate to close the trunk, and got a dent below the license playe. Looks like very poor quality of steel being used
NHTSA complaint #11736903 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
It was noted that the drivers door weather strip deteriorated even though the car is less than 3 years old/ 47,000 miles. The dealer and the Toyota customer care said it is likely related to external factors and not covered under warranty. I keep the car in a garage. We have had other cars that are well over 10 years old but do/did not have this problem. This can potentially lead to damage of other components. I see on the internet that other owners of this car have encountered this same issue . There have been 3 safety recalls on this model, related to air bag, instrument panel and rear view camera. These have been fixed. There have been at least 5 Toyota technical service bulletins ( TSBs) published on this model. These were fixed after I brought it up with the dealer/ manufacturer. I was not contacted by the manufacturer proactively. TSB 0017-24 : hesitation felt while accelerating from stop. A software update was performed. TSB 0060-25 : Fuel level logic enhancement. A software update was made. TSB 0028-25 : Shudder sensation at stop. A software update was performed. T-SB-0082-24: CV axle issue: it was fixed T-SB-0111-24: vibrating hood.I notice the issue but did not fix it since the fix involves placing a foam under the hood, which may not fix the underlying issue and might cause other issues. I believe these issues are related to the manufacturing oversight and especially more frequent because it is a first year model .
NHTSA complaint #11736129 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on in the left most lane on a highway at 70 miles speed with multiple trucks speeding from behind. My car suddenly lost acceleration and saw multiple warning messages on my car display. I barely managed to save my car from being hit by the trucks speeding from behind, applying emergency lights and steering my vehicle from the left lane to the right side of the highway. After towing the car to nearest dealer I understood that a stone went through the front grill of the car and it got the radiator converter leaking all the coolant and that created the loss of acceleration. This is a safety issue in the design of the car grill as it has unusually large holes leaving a critical part vulnerable and failure leads to loss of acceleration and a safety hazard. For similar other hybrid models in Lexus or Toyota Sienna the same grill is protected with smaller vents in the grill.
NHTSA complaint #11735710 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving at approximately 20-25 mph, the panoramic sunroof glass of my vehicle suddenly shattered without any warning. There was no impact from road debris, no visible chip, and no prior damage to the glass. The glass appeared to explode outward, creating a loud noise and causing shattered glass to fall inside the vehicle. This created a dangerous situation that could have led to driver distraction or injury. Safety Concern: This incident poses a serious safety risk. Sudden shattering of the sunroof while driving can: Distract the driver and lead to loss of control Cause injury from falling or flying glass Create hazardous driving conditions, especially at highway speeds Dealer Response: I reported the issue to a Toyota dealership, but they denied warranty coverage, stating it was not covered without providing evidence of impact damage. Additional Notes: There was no visible point of impact, which suggests a possible stress fracture or manufacturing defect rather than external damage. Request: I request that NHTSA investigate this issue as a potential defect, as spontaneous sunroof glass failure while driving presents a significant safety hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11732822 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11718364 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 11/02/2025 with the cruise at 55mph all glass closed. Heater on with no vehicles around, the sunroof exploded. It pushed up from the inside. With less than 9k miles on the vehicle. It took my dealer 8 days to look at it then Toyota denied the warranty. Then Quoted me over $2,100 to replace. This vehicle isn't safe to drive as told to me from the dealer.
NHTSA complaint #11698699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am writing to report a serious issue with my 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid (VIN: [XXX] ), purchased on [XXX] from Hillside Toyota . I have noticed water leaking from the top of the windshield, dripping onto the steering wheel and dashboard, particularly during rain or after a car wash. This issue began on [XXX] and I saw couple of times under these conditions, posing a potential safety hazard due to driver distraction and possible damage to electrical components. I have taken the vehicle to Hillside Toyota on 05/05/25 and 07/21/25 where they inspected the vehicle but could not identify the source of the leak” or “attempted a repair, but the issue persists. This issue is concerning, as it affects the safety and functionality of my vehicle, which has only 1184 miles INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11677229 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hood on 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander vibrates/flutters due to poorly designed aluminum construction. Very distracting and causes drivers to take eyes off the road. Toyota has issued T-SB-0111-24 for the 2024 Grand Highlander for this specific issue but my dealership told me that it doesn't apply to the 2025 but the hood part number is the same for both years. The constant vibration could eventually "work harden" the thin metal and ultimatlly allow the hood to break off the vehicle. Check out the old Jimmy Stewart movie when the constant vibration made the tail break off the airplane.
NHTSA complaint #11668805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.