2024 Toyota Grand Highlander complaints

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.

Subject: NHTSA Complaint - 2024 Grand Highlander Hybrid XLE Rear Windshield Shattering To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding a concerning incident with my recently purchased 2024 Grand Highlander Hybrid XLE. On [XXX], 2024, the rear windshield/liftgate glass spontaneously shattered without any apparent cause. The vehicle was merely six months old at the time of the incident. This unexpected and potentially hazardous occurrence has prompted me to investigate further, and I have come across multiple reports online from other customers who have experienced similar issues with the same rear windshield/liftgate glass on this specific vehicle model. This pattern of incidents raises significant concerns about a potential manufacturer's defect that may compromise the safety and reliability of these vehicles. Given the frequency of such occurrences and the potential safety implications involved, I am urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate this matter thoroughly. It is imperative to identify any underlying issues or defects that may be contributing to these incidents to ensure the safety of consumers and prevent any potential accidents or injuries in the future. Please consider this complaint as an urgent matter, and I implore the NHTSA to take appropriate action to address this issue promptly. Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated, and I look forward to a swift and comprehensive investigatio

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

There is a serious vibration or bouncing of the hood that is very distracting while driving once the vehicle is moving 40 mph or more. My guess is that the metal is too thin or not well bracketed causing it to flutter or vibrate from airflow over the hood. I also experienced the hood denting in from a strong wind gust that made a very loud bang or pop making me think the hood was about to blow off and had to immediately pull over to examine but nothing seemed to be wrong. It just must have dented in and out again. Seems very dangerous. It flutters every time you drive the vehicle above certain speeds and causes the sunlight to flicker in your face which is very distracting. It is evident with every road test.

The rear portion of the hood, closest to the windshield vibrates or flutters at speeds above 30 MPH. At speeds above 50 MPH the flutter becomes very noticeable and actually reflects sunlight into the driver's field of vision. I had personally been blinded by this for several seconds - a very dangerous situation on a busy interstate highway. Fortunately the vehicle's lane keeping assist kept me in the lane but I otherwise could very easily have swerved into another car or rear-ended a stopped vehicle. I have taken this vehicle to my local dealer and a technician reproduced the problem very easily. I was told by the service manager, however, that this is a normal condition for this vehicle and suggested I contact Toyota.

The entire proximal portion of the hood closest to the windshield vibrates above 50 mph. Windy conditions make this worse. The glare on the hood will vibrate distracting the driver. I have reported this to Toyota and they do not care to acknowledge it as a problem. There are forums of new honors of the Grand Highlander complaining. My dealership could reproduce the problem and said there is no fix.

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

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.

Bought in September 2023, within the first month, it started making a clunking noise when the wheel was turned to the left. The noise continued to get louder and started to make the same noise when turning right. In November, I got in my vehicle and it wouldn’t start. The dash and everything was flashing and making a cranking noise. I took it to the nearest dealership. They “charged” my battery and said it was fine. Also stated the noise was a heat shield issue and they fixed it. As soon as I pulled out of dealership, it still made the noise. The next morning went to start car, battery was dead. Had it towed to dealership for them to replace the battery. I filed complaint with Toyota, a field tech guy looked at it and said it had a bad left CV axel. No warning lamps/icons. But…Dealership's said it was safe to drive. However, If it fails, it can cause the vehicle to stop or tires to lock up. Causing an accident! It can also cause more damage to vehicle parts/ transmission. Furthering decreasing the value of the vehicle.

Faulty CV Axles installed on 2024 Grand Highlanders. Toyota is aware of the problem and have edited the production of newer models. They have not issued a bulletin or recall for the ones installed in older models. Older meaning in the last year. This is a brand new vehicle. It started making noise when turning 2 weeks ago. The noise has gotten louder and occurs with every turn. It initially only made the noise when turning on an incline. If the axle fails, you lose control of the entire vehicle. Several dealerships have had to service and replace the axles, so Toyota needs to formally recall the ones installed in earlier Grand Highlanders before someone gets hurt. The vehicle sensors do not detect this issue. It was detected from sound and service at a Toyota Dealership.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Hood vibrates, and on sunlight or cloudy days the light flickers in your vision. This is a safety concern that Toyota says is a normal characteristic of the vehicle. NOT.

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)(

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

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.