2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Owner Complaints

I purchased this vehicle in Canada and I need to use this vehicle in United States roads as well. Toyota is reluctant to confirm this vehicle is meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards except labelling and it is safe to drive in United States roads. This vehicle is equipped with TPMS but it is not listed as a part present in the vehicle which makes me worry. Request you to probe this requirement and make me and my loved ones feel safe in driving this vehicle.

11/20/2023

side mirror vibrated badly with out music turn on. with music, shaking likes dancing

11/21/2023

Very loud Popping/clicking noises when turning/accelerating from a stop. Only had 2,162 miles on the vehicle when this happened. While driving, it also felt like my front driver side wheel was wobbling-very unsafe. Called Toyota roadside assistance and had car towed to dealership. Lead service technician was able to reproduce the popping and clicking noise. Dealership opened a case with Toyota, and had engineers come look. 10 days later, they called to tell me that they have to replace CV axle. Car was in the shop 18 days total. This problem shouldn’t be happening to a brand new car with 2,000 miles on it. There are MULTIPLE reports of this same thing happening to MULTIPLE Grand Highlander owners-on a “Grand Highlander Owners” Facebook page. Some have had to have both cv axles replaced.

1/7/2024

Every time we turn in the vehicle it knocks/clicks. A lot of research shows the CV Axle is causing this problem.

1/12/2024

I was just recently in an accident where I was T-boned by another driver. My side air bags did not deploy. There is structural damage and my front passenger tire is laid in this this wasn't a light tap on my car.

5/27/2024

There has been a recall impacting the safety of driving this vehicle (air bag related) and the dealer and manufacturer have provided no ETA on when there will be a fix for this or when the vehicle will be safe again to transport our children. In our view we should be refunded in full for this vehicle purchase given the ongoing safety issue resulting in us being unable to drive the vehicle.

8/6/2024

Our vehicle loses power after initial startup when you first accelerate. We have had three incidents where we were pulling out from a stop sign or stoplight on a major road and you press the gas and the car shutters and doesn’t move at all. All three times a car accident almost occurred. This has been reported to the dealer and they replaced the entire hybrid powertrain. The issue persists at random with no warning messages generated by the car. It also hasn’t been replicated for a dealer to see themselves. It’s extremely dangerous and has been reported numerous times on forums.

6/19/2024

Starting off from a stop or at low speeds the vehicle loses all power. Engine stumbles and does not respond, when it happens it almost feels like the engine may stall. Pressing the accelerator and the vehicle will not move, then suddenly will start to go seconds later. This has almost resulted in a crash since the vehicle loses all propulsion unexpectedly. No warning lights. Took to the dealer twice and everything is “normal” no codes stored.

7/18/2024

Myself and all Grand Highlander owners of the new version that just came out in 2024, we have the same fuel issue. The car is only registering half a tank of gas. If you go to the grand Highlander forum every driver is reporting the exact same issue over the last three months that the car has been out Toyota has put out a statement but has no solution, it is a hybrid and it’s supposed to get 400 miles or more per tank and we have to fill it up every time we drive only 170 miles. However, when the tank says on the digital screen that it is empty, there is still 10 gallons in the tank. This is for all owners and effects all cars of the Grand Highlander Platinum Max only.

3/16/2024

Toyota is having issues filling up the tank as the specs says (Owners manual book). According to the Owners manual book, the Gas tank of these vehicles are 17.2 Gallons and 2.6 of those are saved for the reserved. In theory, we should have 14.6 Gallons to fill-up as soon as we see the "Empty sign" on the vehicles. Now, the thing is that even after this happens, we can only fill-out up to 11.5 gallons. I have tried several times, saving the history on FUELLY, and its always the same. I have asked the dealership and they don't know what to do. If you just search for "Grand highlander gas tank issues" you will find thousands of people that have the Grand Highlander (not only the Hybrid, models, but all models) are saying the same thing (Facebook groups you can join and talk with real people who can prove you this issue) the gas tank cannot be filled up to what the size of the tank is (owners manual) This is not good since we dont know the real value of miles / gallons of tank left so we know when we could fill up the tank specially if you are on a long road trip where there are not a lot of gas stations between places. Please ask TOYOTA to find where the issue is in here, it might be just the air is not allowing the gas pumps to fill out more gas in the tank.

4/4/2024

Toyota provides the ability to use a phone for a key. Only one key was provided due to chip shortages. My phone has been registered as a key. I left my home with only my phone. Upon coming out of the store my phone would not open the door after trying numerous fixes including calling Toyota. My wife unlocked the car remotely via satellite. Trying for 20 minutes with Toyota we could not get the vehicle to recognize my phone. My wife had to drive the only set of keys to my location. The vehicle still wouldn't start until I unlocked the vehicle with the FOB. Had this issue occured in a remote area without cell service I would have been locked out of my vehicle with no way to call for help.

11/19/2023

Sometimes the radio lose volume all the way. You could turn the volume all the way up , change stations, FM, Sirius and nothing happens. The only way that this issue goes away and you can go back and start listening is to turn off completely the vehicle, leave if off, for a few secs, then power on . turn on the vehicle. This is very annoying since if you are driving for a long period of time, you cannot turn off the vehicle to do this trick. I hope this 3.0 Toyota Multimedia works better and more reliable.

4/26/2024

**Vehicle:** Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max **Issue:** On high-temperature days, when the A/C is running at full capacity, the vehicle occasionally fails to accelerate from a stop. This issue persists even after applying the recommended ECM update. **Safety Concern:** The lack of reliable acceleration poses a significant safety risk, particularly when turning across oncoming traffic or entering a busy street. This situation can leave the vehicle stalled in the path of approaching vehicles, increasing the likelihood of an accident. **Action Taken:** Applied the ECM update that is supposed to resolve the issue, but the problem persists.

7/18/2024

1. Transmission issues with slippage, response. Issues where when going from reverse into drive taking 2-3 seconds to engage. Issues coming from a stop to going as well whereas there’s a hesitation with propulsion. 2. Safety has been at risk numerous times when pulling into heavily trafficked areas. Response to pedal should not have a 1-2 second hesitation, but it does and it’s sporadic. Can no longer back into locations where it may be important to put it into drive and move fast, a 3 second delay is a long time when you’re not moving and someone is going 50mph in a 35. 3. Dealer reproduced the delay from reverse to drive and annotated it was “normal” behavior. 4. Dealer denies issues with transmission, brought to another where they said it was a CVT and that’s just how they are and master tech came for drive with me. He was wrong, XLE is not a CVT. They flashed it/reset it. Seemed to help with shifting issues, however it did not fix delays. 5. No warning lamps.

7/18/2024

I wanted to open the hood using the hood support rod. Holding the hood with left hand using right hand grabbed the support rod . It burned my fingers immediately.Looking at the designed it is placed in the center of the hood underside right above engine compartment.It took one week and 3 phone calls to Toyota product liability area. I told him I learn my lesson the hard way that I will never grab it again without a glove. It is that hot I asked him why would they design a bar above the engine compartment which will except all the heat from the engine, I looked in the owners manual and I read it to the Toyota person I contacted and this is what it says and I quote the support rod may be hot after driving the vehicle. Touching the hot support rod may lead to burns or other serious injuries so I told the representative at Toyota they put this in the book knowing that people are going to get burned or drop the hood when their hand gets burned and it’s gonna fall on their head or it’s going to hit their hand. Why would they design something so poorly like this he thanked me for letting him know about it I asked him what will someone be back in touch with me to validate my concern and that they’re looking into it and he said absolutely not he said if there’s any recall, I’ll get notified by mail. Thank you very much is all I got from them

10/10/2023

Hope this email finds you well. I am writing just to give some feedback about my brand new Grand Highlander Platinum. Unfortunately, I have been noticing some issues with the hood (vibrating) at any speed which raised a huge concern about the safety of my family as it seems like the hood is going to fly away from the vehicle (at high speed like 50 mph or more). The formal response received from 2 different dealers is: We just got off the phone with the Toyota technical specialists about the concern with the hood. They have one other case open for the same complaint but are telling us there is no safety concern at this time and to release the vehicle back to you. We did test 2 other Grand Highlanders and they are both doing the same thing. My personal opinion is that due to the lightweight nature of the hood it is susceptible to flex and is showing that movement more obviously because of the black paint’s reflection properties. In my experience, if more of these cases arise, the manufacturer will open an investigation into a possible resolution but at this time we have been instructed to take no action. If you want I can send you some videos about the vibration. As you can see, the answer does not make sense since it is uncomfortable to see how the hood moves while you drive. I think it is important that customers know this defect before investing money in this vehicle. Kind regards, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

10/24/2023

Very loud Popping/clicking noises when turning/accelerating from a stop. Only had 2,162 miles on the vehicle when this happened. While driving, it also felt like my front driver side wheel was wobbling-very unsafe. Called Toyota roadside assistance and had car towed to dealership. Lead service technician was able to reproduce the popping and clicking noise. Dealership opened a case with Toyota, and had engineers come look. 10 days later, they called to tell me that they have to replace CV axle. Car was in the shop 18 days total. This problem shouldn’t be happening to a brand new car with 2,000 miles on it. There are MULTIPLE reports of this same thing happening to MULTIPLE Grand Highlander owners-on a “Grand Highlander Owners” Facebook page. Some have had to have both cv axles replaced.

1/7/2024

When turn left or right i hear a rotating poping noise only goes away when you go straight. I have hread others complaining about the issue. To my understanding and knowledge the axles are bad. This can cause premature failure in other suspension parts and tire wear.

1/31/2024

side mirror vibrated badly with out music turn on. with music, shaking likes dancing

11/21/2023

I was driving around town and a loud bang, almost as loud as a gunshot. My moonroof had shattered into thousands of pieces.

11/24/2023

Since December 18, 2024 I have had this happen 5 times. I come to a complete stop and have my foot on the brake. The car will then hop four-five times (like the sensation of shifting in manual with a cluch and you don’t shift correctly and the car will hop). I am not sure why this is happening. I took it to the dealer and they haven’t experienced the issue. This doesn’t happen at every full stop either.

1/6/2025

Minimum 3 times the vehicle has experienced unintended braking while in reverse. Toyota dealerships have been unable to repair or resolve. 1 incident the vehicle has experienced unintended braking while in drive. Dealership refuses to attempt repair.

3/10/2025

Every time we turn in the vehicle it knocks/clicks. A lot of research shows the CV Axle is causing this problem.

1/12/2024

Check axel joint problems. Every time the car turns either way there is a loud clicking sound. This could be a big problem because it is a steering system. It has been confirmed by the dealership and part are on order. They said it is not a safety issue but I feel the steering and axle is a big component and if it fails it could result in damage of property or life. This has not been inspected by the police or insurance only the dealership confirmed it. There are also many others with this type of vehicle having this problem. There were no warning lamps or anything to show something was wrong only the loud clicking noise.

1/21/2025

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated that the infotainment system screen display turned black intermittently, preventing the contact from accessing the safety features as needed. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the third-row driver's side seat was stuck after being folded and failed to unfold as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that an unknown part had detached. The dealer repaired the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V461000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

10/9/2024

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, the contact moved the third-row seat, and the seat made and abnormal sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer made unknown repairs. On a separate occasion the contact became aware the bottom of the window was fractured. The contact then taped the door on the bottom of the window. The system function error message was displayed. On a separate occasion, the contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the rearview camera sporadically failed to respond. The system function error message was displayed. The contact then turned off the vehicle shifted the vehicle into reverse and the vehicle started working properly. On a separate occasion, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle failed to respond. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,554.

4/1/2025

Dash board appeared safety issue warning and ask to contact dealer. I have been to dealer 3 times since bought the vehicle last year. The first time it appeared was after I bought the vehicle for a week. I brought the vehicle back to the dealer and ask for a refund or exchange another one, and was denied. I happened 2 more times and I brought in again. They said that they adjusted the sensors for a less sensitive level. I contacted toyota to exchange or return the vehicle last year. They got my information down and never replied to me until now.

11/3/2024

The vehicle airbag is not fixed yet it is almost on year now. Either had to fix or issue new car. even the price come down now lost money due to bad name. when driving suddenly the safety fails and shows error the blind spot. And there is another recall also electrical one they ask us to come fix. How come a car be safe if airbags do not deploy you have to force them fix it please one year is too much it is safety concern.

11/5/2024

The hood vibrates at 50mph on the back 1/4 th closest to the windshield. It’s very distracting while driving. I also had an incident where adaptive cruise control in light rain did not appropriately anticipate traffic up head and I had to slam the brakes myself.

1/8/2024

The car is not involved in an accident, but TYOTA and the dealership cannot provide an ETA for when the issue will be fixed. It would be great if the vehicle could be returned or traded for another vehicle if there is no fix available. However, without losing my money as the dealership wants to take it less than 10K even it has been less than 3K miles.

9/7/2024

Fuel tank is 17.2 gallons. Refueling on empty only can put in max at 12 gallons when fueling tank is full or stopped. Have never been able to put more than 13 gallons in this tank. Has taken the car to dealer for checking, they came back and said the tank was a 17 gallon tank.

6/11/2024

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact was unable to fill the fuel tank completely. The contact stated that the fuel tank had a 17-gallon capacity; however, the contact was only able to get more than 10 gallons into the tank. Additionally, the contact stated that the Auto START/STOP feature was not functioning as needed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 16,455.

3/20/2025

I bought this car brand new three weeks ago from a Toyota dealership.and there are all kinds of distortions in the glass on the windshield of the vehicle. There are all kinds of wavy distortions on the glass on the windshield. With the windshield glass, not being clear, it makes me concerned about the safety features not working properly. These distortions makes it difficult to drive the vehicle because it’s not clear and is distracting. The glass is acoustic heated glass made by Pilkington.

12/17/2024

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated that there was a small crack on the windshield on the driver's side at the top where the windshield meets the frame. The contact stated that the crack had started to expand. The contact recently noticed another crack in the center of the windshield, starting at the bottom. The contact stated that both cracks were approximately 5 inches long and expanding. The contact had not struck a rock or road debris for the windshield to crack. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer to be diagnosed and was advised by the dealer that the cracks were the result of small stones being kicked up by other vehicles. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact had been experiencing failures of the infotainment screen going black, and the side-view mirror Blind Spot warning lights not functioning as designed. The vehicle had been taken to the same dealer several times, and the dealer resolved the issue. The contact stated that the infotainment screen failure had reoccurred. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

9/4/2025

Minimum 3 times the vehicle has experienced unintended braking while in reverse. Toyota dealerships have been unable to repair or resolve. 1 incident the vehicle has experienced unintended braking while in drive. Dealership refuses to attempt repair.

3/10/2025

While slowing to a stop on a slight incline (an interstate off-ramp), when almost stopped, the car started bucking as if the brake pedal was being slammed on, then released, slammed on again, then released, and repeated for maybe 2 seconds. I quickly hit the "P" (Park) button to take it out of gear and it stopped. No warning lights or anything came on and it drove perfectly fine afterwards. It felt just like the emergency braking and the car thinks you're going to hit something. It was very strong and jarring. Happened a 2nd time on April 4 in the same circumstances - driving downhill on a highway off-ramp and stopping at red light at the end of the ramp.

4/4/2025

The vehicle main screen on the dash will not go past the “get started” screen without accepting Toyotas privacy agreement on their app. I cannot use the screen as it defaults to this screen each time the car starts and does not allow a menu to the feature I paid for. This is both a safety and privacy issue as I should be able to use the vehicle while not agreeing to the privacy policy and I should be able to access the screen without distraction from driving. I explained to the salesmen I did not agree with the privacy policy and have been able to navigate the vehicle without issue in my 2014 and 2021 Highlander. I contacted Toyota and there is not work around. The manufacturer will not provide a solution other than removing all my safety features, which did allow me to get past the Home Screen. I asked to return the vehicle because I cannot use it and was refused. I would like to be able to protect my privacy and be able to use the screen I paid for without offering access to cameras and other location and audio recording devises on the vehicle.

8/26/2023

The center console display stopped working the next day I picked up my car. This display also displays the feed from the rear-view camera, which is flaky because of this issue. The center console display enters a reboot cycle; it reboots every minute, distracting me while driving. I picked up this new vehicle on Dec 15, 2023. This issue started occurring on Dec 16, 2023.

12/17/2023

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated that while his wife was in reverse at 10 MPH, she collided with another vehicle. Though equipped, the back-over prevention system failed to activate, which could have potentially prevented and/or lessened the collision. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was not filed, and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure and informed the contact that the incident recorder does not log data for incidents under 25 MPH. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 500.

3/15/2024

Toyota has issued a STOP SALE and RECALL on the airbags in this vehicle. There is no anticipated time for resolution but rumors indicate it might be October. During this time the airbags would not deploy if you are driving with the front windows down as it affects both driver and passenger side. We bought this car with the expectation of quality and my confidence is not high given Toyota has also issued recalls on engines in the Tundra. I have contacted Toyota Customer Care, a case was created and I was directed to the dealership for any additional action or updates. The dealership has indicated that the warranty administration has not authorized loaners as there would be no reason for me to drive with my windows down. While that might be true this time of year due to extreme heat I may take the car with me to cooler climates and have the windows down. The Lane Keep Assist seems to be aggressive at times trying to get me to "stay" in my lane when I have been driving and maintaining a center position in the lane but feel it pull the steering wheel when it seems unnecessary. I am unclear if this is a defect in the software or cameras or if it could be the result of a sensor with some debris or obstruction over it (i.e. dirty windshield or bug splatter)

8/15/2024

The hood of the vehicle flexes a lot at highway speeds, and it causes a lot of distraction if the sun is reflected on it. My concern is how much distraction it causes

10/26/2024

The hood of the vehicle flexes a lot at highway speeds, and it causes a lot of distraction if the sun is reflected on it. My concern is how much distraction it causes

10/26/2024

Dash board appeared safety issue warning and ask to contact dealer. I have been to dealer 3 times since bought the vehicle last year. The first time it appeared was after I bought the vehicle for a week. I brought the vehicle back to the dealer and ask for a refund or exchange another one, and was denied. I happened 2 more times and I brought in again. They said that they adjusted the sensors for a less sensitive level. I contacted toyota to exchange or return the vehicle last year. They got my information down and never replied to me until now.

11/3/2024

Dash board appeared safety issue warning and ask to contact dealer. I have been to dealer 3 times since bought the vehicle last year. The first time it appeared was after I bought the vehicle for a week. I brought the vehicle back to the dealer and ask for a refund or exchange another one, and was denied. I happened 2 more times and I brought in again. They said that they adjusted the sensors for a less sensitive level. I contacted toyota to exchange or return the vehicle last year. They got my information down and never replied to me until now.

11/3/2024

Minimum 3 times the vehicle has experienced unintended braking while in reverse. Toyota dealerships have been unable to repair or resolve. 1 incident the vehicle has experienced unintended braking while in drive. Dealership refuses to attempt repair.

3/10/2025

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, the contact moved the third-row seat, and the seat made and abnormal sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer made unknown repairs. On a separate occasion the contact became aware the bottom of the window was fractured. The contact then taped the door on the bottom of the window. The system function error message was displayed. On a separate occasion, the contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the rearview camera sporadically failed to respond. The system function error message was displayed. The contact then turned off the vehicle shifted the vehicle into reverse and the vehicle started working properly. On a separate occasion, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle failed to respond. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,554.

4/1/2025

On the 3rd row left side seat belt has jammed, will not release . You can not pull the seatbelt it has looked , even pulling on it 3 times it does not release.

10/4/2025

My Toyota Grand Highlander develops severe interior window fogging and condensation, affecting the windshield, front side windows, and occasionally rear windows. This occurs during normal driving, especially in cool or humid conditions. The fogging appears rapidly, and the HVAC/defrost system often fails to clear the windows effectively, even when set to full defrost with outside air intake. Interior moisture buildup is excessive compared to other vehicles I’ve owned, and the issue repeats regularly. This creates a significant visibility hazard, forcing me to adjust climate controls constantly while driving or pull over to clear the glass manually.

12/11/2025