2025 Toyota Grand Highlander

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated July 20, 2026. The Petition requests an investigation of road debris / rocks damaging the heat exchangers in model year (MY) 2024-2026 Toyota Grand Highlander vehicles. The Petition contends that the Grand Highlander’s front-end grill has large, open apertures and no protective screen between the grill and the vehicle’s heat exchangers. The Petition further alleges that as a result, during normal driving, the damage to heat exchangers results in coolant leakage and sudden loss of propulsion. The Petitioner cites thirteen (13) complaints received by ODI alleging this failure, which, when added to the petitioner’s own complaint, bring the total under consideration at this time to fourteen (14). ODI will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the Petition and conduct a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. This Defect Petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the petition. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11754975.

The front panel of the two-panel glass moonroof spontaneously shattered, buckled and collapsed onto the panoramic roof sunshade of my 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid without any impact or accident. I was driving at about 35-45 mph on a paved road and noticed the sound of wind coming from the car ceiling. I opened the panoramic roof sunshade slightly to see if the moonroof was open and saw that the front panel of the two-panel glass moonroof had spontaneously shattered. By the time I got home about an hour later, the moonroof glass had buckled about 1/2 inch into the air and a large chunk of the moonroof glass had collapsed onto the sunshade on the ceiling of the car. I now have a 6x10-in. hole in the moonroof glass and large, raised cracks much longer than that. The repair shop told me not to drive the car, because the broken shards of glass could damage the sunshade and get into the moonroof track. My car is available for inspection upon request. The defect in the moonroof glass clearly put my safety at risk. Had the sunshade not been closed when the glass collapsed, my car would have been full of shards of glass. I could have been hurt, and it could have caused an accident. This problem has been reported online repeatedly in Toyota Highlanders, as well as in Toyota RAV4s, resulting in a class action lawsuit with respect to the RAV4s. A service representative at the Toyota dealer saw the problem, but she could not help me because they don't handle glass. I also reported the problem to Toyota at 800-331-4331, but they have not inspected the damage. I have been informed that there are no replacement skylights for my car anywhere in the US and that it will take 1-2 months before the part will arrive. Nevertheless, Toyota has refused to pay for a rental car or cover the indoor storage I will need to obtain for my vehicle while we wait for some indeterminate time for the part to come in. There were no warnings of any kind before the skylight glass failed.

NHTSA ID

11774081

Incident

Oct 27, 2026

Experienced repeated axle issues, acceleration hesitation, and poor suspension performance. Dealer failed to identify or reproduce the problem despite multiple visits and diagnostic fees. Axles eventually required out-of-pocket replacement due to popping and clicking. Suspected axle defect persists, and the vehicle remains unsafe-feeling and unresolved. Requesting Toyota investigate and provide free repairs.

NHTSA ID

11773485

Incident

Dec 17, 2025

The vehicle exhibits abnormal fuel system behavior. When the vehicle reaches a low fuel condition (approximately 40–50 miles to empty), the fuel tank only accepts about 12 gallons, even though the listed tank capacity is 17.2 gallons. After refueling, the fuel gauge displays FULL and the “Distance to Empty” reading jumps to over 360 miles, which is inconsistent with the amount of fuel added. A Toyota dealer documented this behavior on a repair order, stating that the tank accepted only 12 gallons from a low fuel condition and immediately displayed a range of 363 miles. A second repair order states that the fuel system was inspected and that the tank supposedly has a “3–5 gallon reserve,” but no technical documentation was provided to support this claim. Toyota’s customer support later provided a written response stating only that mathematically 3–5 gallons must have been in the tank, without offering any engineering explanation for why the gauge reads FULL or why the vehicle reports an inflated driving range after adding only 12 gallons. The dealer also provided documentation explaining the issue using online forums and social media posts rather than Toyota engineering documentation. Safety concern: Because the gauge displays FULL and the vehicle reports a high range when the tank has not actually been filled to capacity, the vehicle may be operating with significantly less fuel than indicated. This creates a risk of unexpected fuel starvation, hybrid system shutdown, and loss of propulsion if the vehicle runs out of fuel while the driver believes adequate range remains. Supporting documents include dealer repair orders, Toyota’s written response, a dealer explanatory response, and confirmation that the issue was escalated internally.

NHTSA ID

11771331

Incident

Aug 20, 2026

I experienced a serious safety incident involving my 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander with approximately 14,000 miles. While driving on a straight interstate highway at approximately 70 mph, surrounded by other vehicles, the steering wheel suddenly made two to three sharp, forceful jerking movements to the left. Afterward, the steering wheel remained approximately 20 degrees off-center to the left. All lane departure assistance sensors were active during the incident. This unexpected steering behavior created a significant safety hazard. At highway speed, I could have lost control of the vehicle, departed my lane, or collided with surrounding traffic. I was able to reach my destination, but the steering wheel remained crooked. Immediately afterward, I took the vehicle to an authorized Toyota dealership for inspection and repair. The technician reported that the left rear wheel was significantly out of alignment and that the left rear alignment eccentric lock nut was loose. According to the technician, this caused excessive wear on the inside tread of the left rear tire. The dealership also performed a vehicle health check to identify any system faults. My vehicle has always been serviced by authorized Toyota dealerships. At the last service appointment, at approximately 10,000 miles, no related problems were identified. The technician confirmed that no alignment-related work had been performed during that visit. The vehicle had no previous similar issues. I am concerned that the loose alignment eccentric lock nut and resulting severe misalignment may indicate a mechanical defect that could compromise vehicle stability and steering safety. The sudden steering movements at highway speed presented a serious risk to me, my passengers, and other motorists. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this incident and determine whether a safety defect exists in the 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander involving the rear suspension alignment component, eccentric locking, sensors.

NHTSA ID

11771001

Incident

Sep 19, 2026

On 9/26 at about 10:15am, my husband and I were fully stopped at a red light with his foot on the brake. Without him touching the gas pedal, the car suddenly surged forward as if it had been accelerated. It stopped for a moment, then surged forward again. Because he was holding the brake, the car didn’t move much, but each surge caused a hard jolt that felt like being rear-ended. No other vehicle hit us.

NHTSA ID

11770201

Incident

Sep 26, 2026

While driving in neighborhood at around 25 mph car started to sputter and lose power. Started flashing on display regarding ADAS which all disengaged then hybrid system failure message displayed. Stopped car, called dealership and asked if safe to drive. They said it was ok and set appointment for next morning, they contacted Toyota and confirmed it needed a new transmission. Gave me a rental and said car was do not drive. Said transmission backordered under warranty.

NHTSA ID

11769337

Incident

Oct 2, 2026

Driving in city traffic during morning rush hour, sitting at traffic light, when display lights up indicating “Hybrid Malfunction” and “take vehicle to dealer”. Leaving traffic light, the vehicle at first does not move after pressing accelerator, then slowly engages and thugs along. Pull over on closest side street and turn off vehicle, hoping just a fluke. Restart vehicle and drive a few yards. Stop and attempt to resume driving. This time the vehicle does not react at all, neither in drive or reverse. I was able to put in neutral and coast to nearby parking spot so not to block traffic. Had vehicle towed to my hometown Toyota dealer. Upon inspection, they notified me that a small object, probably a rock, had punctured the radiator , that it was not covered under the warranty, and would cost $2500 to fix. The suddenness and abrupt fashion this incident occurred could certainly have resulted in an accident or left be stranded in an unsafe area.

NHTSA ID

11768196

Incident

Sep 25, 2026

Engine temperature overheated during long idle on an out of town event. The vehicle put in park and engine running in idle with AC running. Vehicle coolant temp reach high mark in the red area. Vehicle temp alarm gave a warning to shutdown. I estimated the car idle time 40 min due to traffic accident ahead. The incident occurred on 9/11/26. The car was taken to dealer 9/17/26 for checkup/diagnose the issue. Dealer stated, they could not duplicate the issue. But they did my find the vehicle computer log, the engine registered high temp.

NHTSA ID

11767331

Incident

Sep 11, 2026

Flash reprogramming allows the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) software to be updated without replacing the ECU. Flash calibration updates for specific vehicle models/ECUs are released as field-fix procedures described in individual Service Bulletins. This bulletin details the Global Techstream+ (GTS+) ECU flash reprogramming procedures and outlines use of the Technical Information System (TIS) and the Calibration Update Wizard+ (CUW+). To ensure the correct ECU software is installed, ECUs will require a Security Signature before the ECU will initialize the flash reprogramming sequence. This bulletin also details the process for acquiring a Security Signature from TIS during the GTS+ ECU flash reprogramming process.

Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interior of the vehicle for odor remediation. Refer to the applicable model and model year Repair Manual and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines.

Some 2024 – 2025 model year Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit an abnormal fluttering and/or vibration across the rear-center section of the hood. This phenomenon is most notable on darker color vehicles. However, this condition may be noticed on the subject vehicles regardless of the paint color.

The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.

Some 2024 – 2025 model year Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition where the Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) system is inoperative, there is a BSM malfunction message on the multi-information display (MID), or the driving assist information indicator is illuminated, along with one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) present: •C1AB413 – Outer Mirror Indicator (Module "B" Side) Circuit Open •C1AB513 – Outer Mirror Indicator (Module "A" Side) Circuit Open The BSM sensor software has been updated to reduce the possibility of these conditions.

Some 2024 – 2025 model year Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition where the Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) system is inoperative, there is a BSM malfunction message on the multi-information display (MID), or the driving assist information indicator is illuminated, along with one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) present: •C1AB413 – Outer Mirror Indicator (Module "B" Side) Circuit Open •C1AB513 – Outer Mirror Indicator (Module "A" Side) Circuit Open The BSM sensor software has been updated to reduce the possibility of these conditions.