NHTSA reviews defect petition on 2024–2026 Toyota Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid: Road debris/rocks damaging the heat exchangers
On August 20, 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Defect Petition (DP26006) into 2024–2026 Toyota Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid, concerning the engine and engine cooling. A Defect Petition is a request, usually from a vehicle owner, asking NHTSA to open a defect investigation; ODI reviews it and then grants or denies it. As of NHTSA’s latest data it is still open.
- Action
- DP26006 (Defect Petition)
- Status
- Open
- Component
- Engine and Engine Cooling: Cooling System
- Listed
- 6 make/model/year entries in NHTSA’s file
Vehicles under investigation
| Make | Toyota |
|---|---|
| Models | Grand Highlander, Grand Highlander Hybrid |
| Model years | 2024–2026 |
As listed in NHTSA’s investigation file. Not every vehicle of a listed model is necessarily affected.
What ODI says
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.
Official summary by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation for DP26006, quoted in full (U.S. government work, public domain).
What owners have reported
Owners filed 355 complaints with NHTSA about the model years in this investigation, reporting 8 crashes, 1 fires, 8 injuries, 1 deaths. These are all complaints on file for those vehicles, about any problem, not only this one; complaints are unverified owner reports.
| Vehicle | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Grand Highlander | 234 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 Grand Highlander | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 Grand Highlander | 38 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 2024 Grand Highlander Hybrid | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 Grand Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 Grand Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Recalls and problems for these vehicles
Timeline
- ODI opens defect petition DP26006
- OpenNo closing date yet
What this means for owners
- An investigation is not a recall. NHTSA has not made a defect finding here, and owners are not asked to do anything yet. If a safety defect is confirmed, the manufacturer recalls the vehicles and the repair is free.
- Check your vehicle for open recalls with a free VIN recall check.
- Had this problem? File a complaint with NHTSA. Owner complaints are the evidence ODI uses to open and expand investigations.
Official record: search DP26006 or your vehicle at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which lists investigations alongside recalls. Data: NHTSA ODI investigations file, updated daily. All NHTSA investigations.