2024 TOYOTA GRAND HIGHLANDER Unknown Or Other Problems

UNKNOWN, vehicle dash warnings advising front sensors were not working causing error messages. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for a recall and they advised the Right front Ultra Sonic Sensor also needed to be replaced. They alleged this was potentially caused by an unknown impact such as small rocks or bugs. The faulty sensor causes error messages on the dash and needed to be replaced. They would not cover this under warranty which is a repair cost of $823.81. The only other band aid was to turn of the other sensors to get rid of the dash notifications, not allowing the other sensors to work as designed to monitor items or people in front that may not be seen by the driver. This turns off some of the vehicle's safety features. Toyota was directly notified of this incident but refused to cover the issue under warranty and expects consumers to pay for a new sensor and programing for a part that is faulty or not durable enough to perform under normal driving conditions. I am making this notification to NHTSA so there is a record of the issue with the durability of the Toyota Ultra Sonic Sensor or failing under normal driving conditions in case there are other complaints about the same issue.

On 11/24/25 I gave permission to my friend to drive my 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander SUV from my house to Newark international airport, while my friend was driving my 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander SUV on a New Jersey Turnpike , the vehicle suddenly dropped the speed and within moments caught fire. I live in Pennsylvania, but the incident occurred on New Jersey Turnpike . The fire started while the car was in motion, creating a serious safety hazard. The vehicle was properly maintained, and no prior warning lights or issues were noted before the incident. I have done vehicle inspections/ service this month, and they told everything is perfect. This poses a severe risk to driver and passenger safety, and I am reporting it for investigation. Whole car got burned out within 5-10 mins only

Vehicle Safety Complaint — 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander My 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander has experienced multiple serious defects, including two official recalls: • 25TA08 — instrument cluster failure • 24TA09 — airbag defect This week, the instrument display failed completely, making it impossible to view speed or system warnings. I’ve been unable to work since then, causing financial hardship for my family. Earlier, I also had to replace the entire drive shaft at my own expense (~$2,500), which is highly unusual for a new vehicle. These repeated issues raise serious concerns about safety and reliability. I’ve submitted a formal complaint to Toyota Brand Engagement Center, and it has been acknowledged and assigned to a Case Manager. The dealer is still searching for a suitable loaner vehicle that meets my work requirements. Given the severity and recurrence of these defects, I request that NHTSA investigate this pattern and consider whether the vehicle qualifies for buyback or replacement under applicable consumer protection standards. • VIN: [XXX] • Mileage: 96150 miles INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

“Apple CarPlay Escape” is not available through software update for this vehicle although other cars of the same model year and 2025 models have this option to quickly navigate between Apple CarPlay screen and Toyota settings screen. As a result, More swipes/touches are needed on the screen to navigate which is unsafe and distracting while driving

Description of Issue: We have experienced multiple episodes of violent shaking in our 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander while stopped at red lights or in intersections. Both my wife and I have had this happen independently, around two to three times each. Most incidents occurred while our young children were in the vehicle. The most recent incident occurred today, when my wife experienced it twice in a row while stopped at an intersection. Our children were not in the vehicle during today’s event. Component or system involved: UNKNOWN at this time. We suspect a major mechanical or drivetrain-related failure. The entire vehicle shakes violently and feels unstable. We are willing to make the vehicle available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: The severity of the shaking is extreme and it feels as though the car may explode or fall apart. We have had to put the car in park, shut it off immediately, and in some cases, exit the vehicle in the middle of intersections or while stopped at a red light. This places everyone in the vehicle at serious risk, especially our children, and could result in a crash or secondary accident due to the abrupt stop and unexpected behavior in active traffic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center? The issue has not yet been reproduced by the dealership. We brought the vehicle to Toyota of Escondido after a previous incident. They inspected it but stated they could not find anything wrong. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by others? The vehicle was only inspected by the dealership (Toyota of Escondido). It has not been reviewed by any other parties such as law enforcement or insurance representatives. Warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the issue: There were no warning lights, error messages, or abnormal behavior prior to the onset of the violent shaking. The issue occurred suddenly each time, without warning.

Sometimes,about 50/50 now, when I stop at a light or a stop sign then try to go, my car refuses to go. Pressing the gas won’t make it go. I just sit there idling or worse, in the middle of oncoming traffic. The lights still work, everything else seems to work. This does this with or without the ac in. It almost jerks you around, but won’t go. This has happened multiple times now.

Ever since I got my car, sometimes it smells like gas on the right side of the vehicle. By driver side and right passenger side in the back. I assumed it was because I topped my gas off, but even when I stopped doing that, it still has a strong gas smell when the car is running and after turning it off. Not ever day, but ever so often.

I was informed by my Toyota dealership and received a written letter from Toyota dated March 25, 2025, that the curtain airbag recall on my 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had been completed. However, during a scheduled maintenance visit in June 2025, I was told the airbag recall had never actually been performed and was still open. The recall was only completed at that time. I unknowingly drove the vehicle — often with my infant child — for several months, believing the airbag system was safe, based on incorrect information from Toyota. This represents a serious safety concern and a breakdown in Toyota’s recall management. The issue has now been fixed, but I am reporting this because I was misled into driving an unsafe vehicle, putting my family at risk. Toyota’s failure to properly close and track recall repairs should be investigated.

The vehicle’s design leaves the condenser completely exposed, with no protective barrier in place. As a result, even a small rock can easily pass through the front grille and cause significant damage. That’s exactly what I’m currently experiencing, and unfortunately, Toyota has refused to cover the repair costs. What’s more concerning is that I’m far from the only one — many other owners are dealing with the exact same issue. It’s clear that Toyota needs to take responsibility and implement a proper solution to protect the condenser moving forward.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? UNKNOWN How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Vehicle stalling and not accelerating after coming to a complete stop. Vehicle decelerating and hesitating when entering the freeway. Starting 40 mph driving up to 65mph. Vehicle hesitates and decelerates to 30mph and we have to pull over to avoid a collision Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No Unable to reproduce problem No code is showing on the dealers side. Shop foreman believes it’s a fuel pump issue. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? First appeared approximately 8,500 miles. And is consistently doing it when at a stop and when entering freeway.

Shortly after starting my vehicle and driving out of my neighborhood, there are a series of stop signs. The roadway is at a slight incline. When attempting to press the gas pedal after stopping at the first stop sign, my vehicle hesitates or does not accelerate. This lasts anywhere from 1-5 seconds. This occasionally also occurs again at the second stop sign a few hundred yards later as well. The best I can describe this is as an unresponsive gas pedal or limp mode. I cannot stress how incredibly dangerous this issue is. Someone is going to get seriously injured or killed if this isn’t acknowledged by Toyota or NHTSA. All it takes is for this to occur when someone is making a right hand turn into a roadway. I am fully aware that this is not an isolated incident with my vehicle and other vehicle owners of Toyota Hybrid Max Platinums report this same issue.

I was traveling on HWY 70 in Colorado outside Frisco at 65 mph temp about 35 degrees on 4/4/2025 when I heard a loud explosion. I pulled over and identified that the panoramic sunroof glass had exploded outward. There was no way a projectile could have hit the glass as a cargo carrier was on the roof rack completely covering the glass. The glass had an upward projection as well. I have included photos. The dealer refuses to take responsibility for the poor construction of the sunroof glass.

Intermittently, my vehicle will hesitate to accelerate or will move only marginally (disproportionately to the depressing of the gas pedal) from a complete stop. When it occurs, it often does so for a number of seconds. This has been incredibly dangerous given I live off a busy street and I cannot trust that when I press the gas pedal to accelerate to turn onto the street, that my vehicle will be caught in oncoming traffic and hit.

Front two axles clicking when turning.

After shutting engine off, there is a gasoline smell coming from the vehicle. This repeatedly happens. I took the vehicle to the dealer who did a variety of tests but could not diagnose or fix the cause. The result is I cannot safely park the vehicle in my garage. I have requested that the complaint be sent to Toyota on January 15. No response or acknowledgment as yet.

CV joint/ axle malfunction. Vehicle is at 15,000 miles and both front cv joints and axles needed to be replaced. Only highway driving done. Many people are reporting that this happens and is fixed then continues to happen repeatedly after. This needs to be a recall! Owners should not be responsible for faulty equipment like this. There is a popping grinding noise when turning the wheel and accelerating.

I call the dealer the say they already have remedy but they requested the parts to the manufacturer and they don't know when they will received the order I call the manufacturer they don't know either, Now my car is in the dealer because it was out of oil and is a brand new car, I need help the Toyota and the dealer are not respecting my safety I'm scar to have an accident and my airbags won't works

After one year of ownership the center display screen started going to a blue screen advertising to enroll in Driving Experience, which is a Huge distraction, I’m unable to access my driving instruction. Only way to not get this (it appears) now to to enroll in a costly monthly payment service, basically blackmail! I’ve gone to dealership and there is no way to black this continue distraction

Driving at low speeds through my neighborhood, when going on any bumpy road there is a terrible low bass noise. similar to a sub woofer very low bass. it is very annoying and distracting.

I saw that a recall was posted on my Toyota app. June 28, 2024, I called for recall repair, regular service and second key. I was advised that the recall did not have a remedy, but I needed to bring it in for regular service. Service was scheduled for July 13, 2024. At that appointment, I followed up on the recall. They advised that the recall is open but Toyota did not have a remedy, so just keep monitoring it. I called on November 5th , to check on the recall and a service campaign alert that was issued on my Toyota Application. They said for that I needed to bring it in during the week, we scheduled the recall repair for 11/12/2024. When I picked up my vehicle, I was advised that they had to order the part for the recall. They performed regular maintenance, etc. however, the recall is still open and has not been repaired.

I was heading home with my 6 year old son when all of a sudden there was a loud boom. Initially I thought there was an explosion or gun shot but then realized the panoramic moonroof had shattered and I continued hearing shattering. I pulled over the car to make sure I could creat some sort of safety for my son. I took some pictures. There was nothing that touched the glass. It just shattered. This was terrifying.

Sometimes when I switch gears- for example, go from Park to reverse- the vehicle won't move. I can press on the gas and nothing happens. If I wait a second, I can press the gas again and it will go. Or, I can put it back into park and then reverse again, and the car will move. It's unsettling when it happens because there is no rhyme or reason, I switch to reverse or drive and I press the gas and I can't move. It feels dangerous. I asked the dealer and he didn't have an answer. Sometimes it happens every week or a couple days in a row or I can go a couple weeks and it doesn't happen.Ive had the vehicle for over a year- and it started from the beginning and continues to this day.

Air bags recall with no resolution. Recall announcement was release in June 19 big safety concern for our family, especially with the cost of the vehicle. We dont trust and won’t feel safe with a airbag replacement

After coming to a stop the vehicle will not accelerate as it should. A severe loss of power as it will only advance very slowly for 10 to 15 seconds. This is always in an intersection, so it is dangerous. Seems to happen mostlyin hot weather when the A/C is on.

There are two documented events, Jun 28 and Jul 02, but several others have been observed While moving forward -Exiting a private drive, from a stopped position -Turning right to merge into a traffic lane -The vehicle failed to accelerate rolling forward into traffic at idle speed only -There was no response from the vehicle when the accelerator peddle was depressed or re-depressed -Vehicle had to be “coasted” to the right shoulder out of the way of oncoming traffic After traffic passed -While still on the road shoulder and the vehicle still running -It was a minute or two before the vehicle started to respond to throttle -When it did started to respond, it was laggy for about 30 seconds -Response remained laggy until the speed passed 20 mph and it started to respond as normal There were no vehicles or obstructions within range that should have triggered a vehicle control response There were no instrumentation or gauge cluster warnings indicating obstructions

There is a huge hole in the undercarriage starting at the back of the vehicle and runs all the way to the front of the vehicle. Hole is large enough a child can climb in without anyone knowing and could possibly die if car is in motion.

At speeds under 30 mph cabin air pressure builds in the cabin and creates a bass sound or “cabin boom”. The pressure hurts occupant ears as well and has made them sick after riding in the vehicle. This is a well known issue with the Grand Highlander. Toyota has not offered any acknowledgment or a fix.

Rear glass seemed to shatter very easily. Almost no pressure caused this to happen. Caused an 8 week period with no glass. Repair has occurred. Others reporting same issue.

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.

The vehicle is consistently making a low rumbling noise at 15-20 miles per hour.

When driving under 40 mph mainly the vehicle has extreme ear pressure. Sometimes you can hear a rumbling noise along with the ear pressure. The ear pressure is so intense that I can no longer drive or ride in the vehicle. It is an extreme danger because I get headache, nausea and dizziness along with the ear pain, which could lead to an automobile crash. There was not a problem with my ears prior to driving this vehicle, I have had no issues in the past in any other vehicle with ear pressure or pain and it only happens in this vehicle.

I purchased a limited grand Highlander in October. With less than 500 miles I had a knocking noise when turning right and left. I took it into the dealership they were unable to find anything. However, after 5000 miles they found my axle was broken and replaced one. They had my car 29 days as part was in back order and I refused to drive it due to safety concerns. My AC fan in the back was also broken and has been repaired. I still hear knocking when turning however and the fan is still broken. filed the lemon law. I also saw a complaints about the vibrating part of the car which my hood also does. I feel like they should have a recall as there are many forums with broken axles.

Not everyone has this issue but my car has this low pitch noise whenever I drive pass 40mph speed it makes a noise like I left my rear wind cracked open but all the windows are closed. Some people decided as “cabin boom” and it gets louder when I speed up to 70-80mph. I can record the noise too, but I can’t upload in here, it only allow me to upload pictures but not video… please help

Cabin boom noise reported from the first day of ownership whenever driving the vehicle under 50mph. Noise is a low bass frequency below 30hz that reverberates throughout entire vehicle, causing severe ear pain, headaches, nausea, and disorientation. The only way to tolerate driving this vehicle is to wear airplane pressure earplugs, which poses a safety concern for not being able to hear surroundings while driving. The cabin boom seems to be coming from the suspension. Dealership foreman and corporate field tech looked at vehicle and denied any problem, stating this was “normal for this new vehicle” and refused to investigate or try any diagnostics. The cabin boom sound is recorded on video, and is such a low frequency you must use noise canceling headphones to hear it on video (confirmed by professional audio engineer). This sound/pressure can be heard and felt by other people in the car, unless they already have low frequency hearing loss. This problem creates physical illness and is a huge safety concern for this brand new model Grand Highlander. Dozens of people are reporting the same problem on Toyota forums as well for their new Grand Highlanders.

the problem is the constant pressure felt in the cabin especially most at the driver side. the pressure is felt by my ears persistently when all windows, sunroof are closed. it's the worst when driving slowly (between 10 to 30 mph), any uneven road bumps magnify to constant "cabin boom". After a long (45 minutes) commute to work on local roads, my ears are hurt, humming persist for few hours. The dealer checked and suggested to open the vent to allow fresh air in cabin (turn off recirculating air button), but it didn't help. I felt this pressure problem the next day I bought it (on March 2, 2024) when drove to work. this could have been when I test drove it, but it was a short drive, I didn't notice. I test drove the other gas Grand Highlander, AWD, Limited trim on the dealer slot. it had the same problem. Dealer said they don't have fix for this while it's hurting my ears every cummute to work. the car mileage now is only around 500 miles.

Issue started as soon as we first received the vehicle. Speeds 0-35 on almost any road causes a low frequency rumble until around 40mph. The sensation is very painful to hear and at times its nauseating.

I have a brand new Grand Highlander Limited with a Panoramic roof, and since the day I took it home, I have noticed a deep bass sound and ear pressure/cabin pressure when driving below 40mph on residential roads. It is very low-frequency and causes headaches, ear pain, and ringing after driving the car. I have taken it to 2 separate dealerships for diagnostic, and they agree they hear the sound and feel the cabin pressure but state it is the vehicle's design. However, most owners aren't experiencing the same issue, so it's not a feature but more of a flaw in some of them.

Cabin pressure. Ears are popping very odd sensation. As if we were on an airplane. Regarding the cabin boom issue, in an attempt to describe it, to me it sounds/feels like when I'm in my other car and put one window down and get a strong pressure reverberation that is resolved when I crack a second window. Apparently this is called "wind buffeting" and Helmholtz Resonance. This is exactly how it feels in the GH, except there are no windows open. I've only had mine a couple days and l've noticed a strong pulsing pressure resonance going 45mph on a smooth road, plus low tones/ pressure when going over bumps at slower speeds. It wasn't there on the test drive because we drove a different model. opening the windows didnt help. Dealer ship has no clue.

While this is a beautiful car there are major safety concerns that needs to be addressed. When I drive my ears feel full like I’m on airplane or driving on high elevation. And on top of that I feel EXTREMELY disoriented. That is not safe. I’m driving my kids around. This is a family vehicle and I should not feel like that. I thought it was cabin pressure but it’s not. The windows being down does not help. I’m bringing it back to Toyota on Friday but pretty sure they will laugh and say that I’m crazy. There’s nothing worse than driving a car that’s brand new and feeling like you are unwell the entire time. What a shame. You really missed it here Toyota. Please fix this there’s a lot of people who are also dealing with this!!! DO SOMETHING. It doesn’t matter how fast you go. The fullness is there.please fix this.

Reverberation noise, also commonly referred to by other owners as “boom or acoustic boom.” The entire cabin vibrates as if a shock wave is being sent through it. Mostly occurred when hitting small to large bumps under 45 mph and also happens often while breaking (even on flat and smooth pavement). On highway over 50mph there is a constant pressure within the cabin that significantly effects the ears and makes me nauseous and gives me a dazed-like feeling. Every person that has been in my vehicle has asked me what was wrong with it. A Toyota service tech told me they didn’t find anything wrong with it, but I still can’t drive it for more than 20 minutes without feeling sick. Please help.

New Grand Highlander started making popping noises when turning at approximately 1000 miles. Dealer has replaced axles twice saying they were defective and the issue remains. We were told there was an issue with the axles during manufacturing and they are now on backorder. Our car has been in the shop over 30 days and we are told it is not safe to drive until new axles are installed.

I purchased the car in the middle of September 2023. Within a week of owning I noticed that there was a clicking sound under the steering wheel when I started to turn to the RIGHT from a stop. Several weeks later the clicking sound began when I made a turn to the LEFT from a stop as well. It happened all the time and gradually became louder. When I took the car in for the 5000 mile service and reported the sound, I was told that Toyota was going to change both front axles. The service manager could not tell me what the problem with the car was but that he was told by Toyota that the car was "safe to drive." I refused to drive the car until the axles were replaced and Toyota promptly provided me with a rental car. When the axles were replaced the car drove very differently. The steering was tighter and the car no longer felt like a "bathtub" on the highway. Previously, the car would float and have poor road feel, I worried about its response to an emergency maneuver and consequently drove the car very conservatively. I was disappointed that my new car did not feel like the Grand Highlander I drove as a test before purchase. Now with the replaced axles the car's response is similar to the test vehicle and I am much more confident in its emergency handling. I fear that there is a serious problem with some of the Grand Highlander's front end. I wanted to alert the NTSA on a potential hazardous situation, especially since Toyota is recommending that the affected cars be continued to be driven despite the identified problem with a major component.

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.

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.

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

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.