2026 Toyota Grand Highlander
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Toyota › Grand Highlander › 2026
These records cover every 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
3 recalls name the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander. Newest first.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2026 Lexus TX350, RX350 Hybrid, RX350, RX500 Hybrid, TX500 Hybrid, Toyota Grand Highlander, and Grand Highlander Hybrid vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the front steering knuckles may crack and break, which can result in a loss of vehicle steering control.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A loss of vehicle steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the front steering knuckles, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TA19 and 26LA09.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2026 Lexus TX Plug-In Hybrid, TX Hybrid, TX, Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, and Grand Highlander vehicles. The rear axle carriers may have been manufactured with insufficient material strength and could break.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A broken rear axle carrier can cause a sudden loss of vehicle stability and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear axle carrier sub-assembly code, and replace the sub-assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TB13, 26TA13, 26LB08, and 26LA08.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As…
Risk and remedy
Risk
A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
Owner complaints
48 complaints2 involved a crash3 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Engine
A small pebble or rock was thrown from another moving vehicle and it was able to get through the large holes of the grill and punctured the radiator. There isn’t adequate protection for the radiators from such common road debris.
- Seats
The contact owns a 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact received a notification on the Mobile App to check the rear seat. The contact stated that upon inspecting the rear seat, the contact became aware that while adjusting the rear seat…
The contact owns a 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact received a notification on the Mobile App to check the rear seat. The contact stated that upon inspecting the rear seat, the contact became aware that while adjusting the rear seat, the rear seat failed to adjust as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that there was no fix for the failure.
- Service brakes · Unknown or other · Vehicle speed control
Summary: While turning into my driveway, the vehicle surged forward unexpectedly as I moved my foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal. The brake pedal felt normal, and none of the vehicle’s safety systems appeared to activate. The vehicle struck my husband’s parked car and then my garage…
Summary: While turning into my driveway, the vehicle surged forward unexpectedly as I moved my foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal. The brake pedal felt normal, and none of the vehicle’s safety systems appeared to activate. The vehicle struck my husband’s parked car and then my garage door, damaging both, and I sustained minor injuries. Details: On 10/8/26, at approximately 5:58PM, I was driving home from work and turning into my two-car driveway. I normally park to the left of my husband’s vehicle, which was parked in the driveway. As I turned in, I took my foot off the accelerator and moved it to the brake pedal, as I normally do. The brake pedal felt normal. Instead of slowing, the vehicle surged forward abruptly. No warning lights, alerts, or automatic interventions activated that I noticed. The vehicle struck my husband’s car and then continued to collide into my garage door. During the event, I was gripping the gear shifter. After the car collided into the garage, the vehicle stopped. Outcome: Both my husband’s vehicle and my garage door were damaged. I sustained back pain and a sprained right ring finger, which I believe resulted from bracing against the gear shifter during the impact. Additional information: I believe an electronic malfunction caused the vehicle to accelerate abruptly as I transitioned between pedals.
- Fuel/propulsion system
The vehicle’s fuel system is allowing a large amount of gas fumes to escape. The gas fumes are more noticeable on the driver side and in hotter weather. The vehicle has a significantly low MPG than advertised with some trip readings showing 11 MPG. The issue has been reported twice to the…
The vehicle’s fuel system is allowing a large amount of gas fumes to escape. The gas fumes are more noticeable on the driver side and in hotter weather. The vehicle has a significantly low MPG than advertised with some trip readings showing 11 MPG. The issue has been reported twice to the dealership and they stated that they cannot duplicate the problem but stated that they have received multiple reports from other vehicle owners of similar issues. The fuel system leak presents a risk of fire or explosion when the vehicle is stored in a confined space such as a garage. We first noticed the issue back in August or early September. I parked the vehicle in the garage and the space quickly filled with gas fumes. When I returned to the garage and the door to the dwelling was left open my home also filled with fumes. My daughter complained of the smell and stated that it was giving her a headache. I no longer park the vehicle in the garage. Since then I have noticed from time to time, the smell of gas fumes in the cabin. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
- Unknown or other
The seal around my moon roof keeps coming out & now when it rains, it's coming through my car and ruining my seats. my seats are always soaked when it rains.
- Seats
Back pockets of the driver and passenger seats were torn at all 4 corners. Did not realize this when the car was purchased because I do not sit in the back seat and my kids have never put anything in the pockets. Obviously by just looking at the pockets you can see that it is a manufacturer defect.…
Back pockets of the driver and passenger seats were torn at all 4 corners. Did not realize this when the car was purchased because I do not sit in the back seat and my kids have never put anything in the pockets. Obviously by just looking at the pockets you can see that it is a manufacturer defect. Toyota is blaming children or putting things to heavy in the pockets. Poor workmanship. Basically, saying that if they were to say this was poor workmanship, they would have to pay to fix. This was a purchased brand-new car. I have seen other complaints about this situation online.
- Power train
I have had my 2026 Grand Highlander Max Hybrid for only 3 months. Shortly after buying it I started noticing issues with how it shifted. It was hard for me to explain at first, but as the issue happened more it became more apparent. Periodically when driving I will be stopped at a red light or stop…
I have had my 2026 Grand Highlander Max Hybrid for only 3 months. Shortly after buying it I started noticing issues with how it shifted. It was hard for me to explain at first, but as the issue happened more it became more apparent. Periodically when driving I will be stopped at a red light or stop sign and attempt to accelerate and there is an obvious delay for a couple seconds followed by a surge of acceleration to high RPM. My foot is in a general form for acceleration at about 25 mph. This is concerning because if I pull in front of traffic timing when based on the expected acceleration, you can imagine that this is scary if I have this delay and oncoming traffic hits me. This issue is the most obvious, but there are other issues such as jerking and rough shifting at lower speeds periodically. I have taken in the car 5 times now. The first time they replicated it and said they did an update that fixed it. It did not resolve. The other times they have not been able to replicate it because it happens periodically and I can’t go without my car for several days or weeks for them to drive it to see if it does it. I have filed a issue claim and lemon law with Toyota and they just told me to go back to the dealership and denied my lemon law claim. This is a huge safety concern and Toyota isn’t doing anything about it.
- Electrical system · Structure › Body
I am reporting a serious safety concern involving the right rear passenger door of my 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, which has approximately 11,000 miles. My [XXX] daughter attempted to exit the vehicle from the rear passenger seat but was unable to open the door from inside. I immediately…
I am reporting a serious safety concern involving the right rear passenger door of my 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, which has approximately 11,000 miles. My [XXX] daughter attempted to exit the vehicle from the rear passenger seat but was unable to open the door from inside. I immediately attempted to open the door from outside to assist her, but the exterior handle also failed to release the door. After approximately seven attempts, the door finally opened. This is extremely concerning because my child was effectively trapped inside the vehicle, and I was unable to open the door to assist her. In the event of an accident, vehicle fire, or other emergency, this malfunction could prevent passengers from escaping or delay emergency responders. I have since discovered reports from other Toyota Grand Highlander owners describing similar failures, including the same right rear passenger door refusing to open from either side. My vehicle is nearly new, with only 11,000 miles, and I am concerned that this may indicate a defective door latch, lock actuator, or related mechanism. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this is a broader safety defect affecting Toyota Grand Highlander vehicles. A passenger door should reliably open when properly unlocked, especially when a child is inside. This malfunction presents a serious potential risk to occupant safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Electrical system · Engine · Forward collision avoidance › Adaptive cruise control
My Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Limited has 16000 miles. Yesterday, 5 vehicle alerts appeared simultaneously: Check Engine, AWD system, Drive-Start control system, Intelligent clearance Sonar, and Hybrid system. The vehicle has reduced power and check engine light is illuminated. I towed the…
My Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Limited has 16000 miles. Yesterday, 5 vehicle alerts appeared simultaneously: Check Engine, AWD system, Drive-Start control system, Intelligent clearance Sonar, and Hybrid system. The vehicle has reduced power and check engine light is illuminated. I towed the vehicle to dealership. They found damage to inverter radiator causing a leak of coolant. Dealership mentioned that this could be because of flying debris hitting the vent. I am requesting a goodwill technical review and repair of the same. Referencing to the NHTSA defect petition DP26006 where people have encountered similar issues with the grand highlanders from 2024-2026.
- Power train
Vehicle is experiencing hesitation, stuttering, and almost stalling at low speeds when the engine is running (it is a hybrid). Sometimes when pressing the accelerator when the vehicle experiences this hesitation, the vehicle does not move forward and bogs down, almost stalling out. This has…
Vehicle is experiencing hesitation, stuttering, and almost stalling at low speeds when the engine is running (it is a hybrid). Sometimes when pressing the accelerator when the vehicle experiences this hesitation, the vehicle does not move forward and bogs down, almost stalling out. This has happened twice when trying to quickly pull into traffic, and has almost resulted in an accident, since the vehicle failed to move forward when commanded. The dealership was able to reproduce the issue but said there is no fix available. There are no warning lamps or messages associated with this condition.
- Seats
Design of middle seat backward/forward latch adjustment and, in particular, the rear seat fold down /lean back latch adjustment is of poor engineering integrity. The latches on top of each of these seats are difficult to maneuver, particularly for those with weak hands. And if you overextend the…
Design of middle seat backward/forward latch adjustment and, in particular, the rear seat fold down /lean back latch adjustment is of poor engineering integrity. The latches on top of each of these seats are difficult to maneuver, particularly for those with weak hands. And if you overextend the latch, their is risk of bursting the associated cable mechanism. Note that Toyota does not factory warranty such a burst seat cable mechanism. In my case, I was on extended trip where I need to fold down the rear seats for luggage area expansion. I burst the cable mechanism of the left rear seat latch. It is more difficult because it located in far left position. When this happens, the seat can no longer be folded down nor adjusted for seat lean back.
- Fuel/propulsion system · Unknown or other
Design flaw of front grille of vehicle causing major damage. Due to the large gaps in front grille, the vehicle is susceptible to rock damage to the coolant system. Under normal highway driving, coolant started to leak and immediate power loss put my wife at risk. She was unable to accelerate to…
Design flaw of front grille of vehicle causing major damage. Due to the large gaps in front grille, the vehicle is susceptible to rock damage to the coolant system. Under normal highway driving, coolant started to leak and immediate power loss put my wife at risk. She was unable to accelerate to maintain speed while on a busy highway. There are no immediate signs for damage since any small rock can pass through the grille and create multiple punctures. You don't know something is wrong until symptomatic and then your placed at risk and also others around you.
- Structure › Body
About two months after purchasing my new 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, I noticed the air conditioning had stopped cooling. I did not notice any impact, so I do not know exactly when the damage occurred. I drive normally on public roads and do not go off road. The vehicle had approximately…
About two months after purchasing my new 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, I noticed the air conditioning had stopped cooling. I did not notice any impact, so I do not know exactly when the damage occurred. I drive normally on public roads and do not go off road. The vehicle had approximately 7000 miles when the problem was found. There were no warning lights or messages. The only symptom was the AC blowing warm air, which I first noticed around September 25, 2026. Tansky Sawmill Toyota in Dublin, Ohio inspected the vehicle on [date] and found the AC condenser had been punctured by a rock or road debris. The dealer classified it as road damage and declined warranty coverage. The repair cost $2005.03. The damaged part is / is not available for inspection. I have the repair order and photos of the damage. The Grand Highlander's grille has large openings with no protective screen in front of the heat exchangers, so ordinary road debris can strike them directly. In my case the condenser was hit, but the radiator and hybrid inverter radiator sit in the same exposed area, and damage to those can cause coolant loss and loss of propulsion while driving. That puts drivers and others on the road at risk. I believe this is a design defect and ask that my complaint be considered as part of Defect Petition DP26006.
- Seat belts · Service brakes · Visibility/wiper
June, July and August multiple occurrences of Electronic Parking Brake and Drive Engagement Failure intermittently occurring. The Automatic electronic park brake fails to release from Park to Drive or Park to Reverse while drivers seatbelt is fastened, all door closed, vehicle on level ground.…
June, July and August multiple occurrences of Electronic Parking Brake and Drive Engagement Failure intermittently occurring. The Automatic electronic park brake fails to release from Park to Drive or Park to Reverse while drivers seatbelt is fastened, all door closed, vehicle on level ground. Vehicle behaves as if it's still in Park and revs RPM with gas pedal pressed without movement. Vehicle may abruptly lunge once engagement finally occurs after vehicle on/off & multiple Park to Drive manually placed. Seatbelt of driver has stated that the drivers seatbelt is not buckled when it is and all doors are closed. Display on the info display states that driver door is open when it's closed and that seatbelt is unfastened, when it is fastened. Push start button intermittently fails like it has a dead battery. Button is pressed at appropriate length to start but sputters or hesitate before finally starting with sometimes multiple attempts. Excessive wind noise due to roof seal being raised. Roof weather stripping was lifted/separated. There was no full replacement of this issue on September 17th at a local dealer but rather a quick fix of refitting the molding. I stated that is not the appropriate fix due to the actual factory seal stating it cannot be reused once compromised. Today, September 29th, the back panoramic sunroof exploded going down the highway with no other external impact and was stated as a possible occurrence after a seal is not replaced appropriately. It is note in my Toyota case management file as well. Overhead console electrical failure had been fixed may 28, 2026 after purchase in March brand new. The drivers overhead light failed and all cabin lights surged when pressed. Driver door lock and key fob malfunction in June 27. The drivers door locked with the key fob still inside vehicle at center console. Toyota app indicates vehicle was unlocked. Driver door would not unlock by app. Had to crawl through the passenger side to manually unlock.
- Fuel/propulsion system
Periodically, when you apply the gas, there is no power. The gas pedal is dead. This obviously is a hazard when trying to maneuver through traffic. The problem is random and cannot be reproduced at will. The dealership said they could do nothing about it if they could not reproduce the issue. Vehicle is still under the manufacturer warranty.
- Unknown or other
Windshield has experienced multiple cracks/chips at extremely low mileage. Initial crack occurred before 1,000 miles and originated at the upper edge of the windshield. Crack has propagated from the top to the bottom. Multiple additional star cracks have developed. I am concerned about possible…
Windshield has experienced multiple cracks/chips at extremely low mileage. Initial crack occurred before 1,000 miles and originated at the upper edge of the windshield. Crack has propagated from the top to the bottom. Multiple additional star cracks have developed. I am concerned about possible windshield/glass, installation, or structural issue. I previously owned a Highlander for over 10 years and did not have any issues of this and I live in the same area. I had one crack that entire time. I currently have 9000 miles with the long crack +3 additional star shape cracks. One occurred from a very small rock that hit and the other I never even heard one hit it.
- Air bags
The contact owns a 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a commercial lawnmower that fell from a truck. The driver's seat air bag deployed in a downward position, and the other air bags failed to deploy. The…
The contact owns a 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a commercial lawnmower that fell from a truck. The driver's seat air bag deployed in a downward position, and the other air bags failed to deploy. The driver and the front passenger sustained cuts on their necks from their seat belts and received medical treatment. The driver also received trigger point injections for pain management. The vehicle was towed to Car Craft, where it was repaired. The vehicle was inspected by the insurance company. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and a case was opened, and the manufacturer requested an additional 30 days to release Event Data Recorder (EDR) information. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
- Fuel/propulsion system
My 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander XLE has a recurring gasoline smell near the rear driver’s side after long trips or when parked with the engine idling. The source of the odor and the specific component involved are unknown. I am concerned about a possible fuel or vapor leak and the potential fire risk to myself and my passengers.
- Power train
After starting the vehicle and coming to a conplete stop the vehicle will hesitate upon new acceleration. The hesitation causes a lag in the vehicle and it then will jerk or jolt while shifting. The vehicle will Rev up in a low gear and not shift correctly. This causes a safety issue especially…
After starting the vehicle and coming to a conplete stop the vehicle will hesitate upon new acceleration. The hesitation causes a lag in the vehicle and it then will jerk or jolt while shifting. The vehicle will Rev up in a low gear and not shift correctly. This causes a safety issue especially when going into traffic. I have not taken it to the dealer as of yet, but I will be. This is an intermittent issue, so i fear toyota will say they cannot replicate the issue. There were no warning lamps when the event happens.
- Unknown or other
The weather seal on the moonroof is coming off the moon roof surround and this is causing water and air to leak inside the passenger cabin.
- Structure › Body
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
- Engine
Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a potential safety defect involving the front grille design of my 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Limited. Fortunately, my vehicle has not experienced any damage or mechanical failure related to the grille at this time. However, after examining the design…
Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a potential safety defect involving the front grille design of my 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Limited. Fortunately, my vehicle has not experienced any damage or mechanical failure related to the grille at this time. However, after examining the design of the front grille and the components located directly behind it, I have serious concerns that the relatively large grille openings may allow rocks and other road debris to pass through and strike critical cooling components, including the radiator and other heat exchangers. My concern is particularly related to the potential consequences of such an impact. If road debris were to damage a cooling component, it could result in coolant loss, overheating, warning messages, reduced vehicle performance, or potentially loss of propulsion. If this occurred while traveling at highway speeds, it could create a significant safety risk for the vehicle occupants as well as other motorists. I understand that NHTSA is currently reviewing concerns regarding the front grille design of 2024–2026 Toyota Grand Highlander vehicles. I would like my vehicle and this concern to be included in NHTSA’s review. I believe this issue warrants further evaluation because the concern exists even before an actual failure occurs. A safety defect should ideally be identified and addressed before owners experience a failure that could potentially create a hazardous situation while driving. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether the front grille provides adequate protection for the critical cooling components behind it and determine whether Toyota should provide a protective screen, revised grille design, or another corrective measure. Again, I want to emphasize that I am reporting this as a potential safety defect. My vehicle has not suffered damage or experienced a failure at this time. I am submitting this complaint proactively because I believe the design presents a foreseeable risk
- Unknown or other
Small object came through the front grill and put a hole in AC condensing unit. Grill does not protect from small road objects.
- Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings · Vehicle speed control
While stopped waiting to takeoff (turn into a road or area), during takeoff acceleration, the car will sometimes have a dead pedal and slow or stop acceleration leaving you a sitting duck in an intersection or road.
- Engine · Fuel/propulsion system · Structure › Body
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)
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Road debris/rocks damaging the heat exchangers
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…
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.
Every Toyota Grand Highlander model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.