2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year cluster around three patterns: a hesitation or dead-pedal moment when accelerating from a stop, radiator/AC condenser punctures from road debris passing through the open front grille, and a panoramic sunroof panel that shatters without an apparent impact. Fuel-gauge and distance-to-empty readings that disagree with the tank capacity, hood flutter at highway speed, and rough low-speed shifting are also reported. Many complaints were filed within the first 20,000 miles, consistent with the low median mileage of this sample.

1. 1
   Engine

   Radiator or AC condenser punctured by road debris

   • 15 complaints (19%)
   • median 14,300 mi at 1.9 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Complaints describe a rock or small debris passing through the open front grille and piercing the radiator or the air conditioning condenser, producing a coolant leak, a check-engine or hybrid-system warning, and in some cases a loss of power. Owners often learn of it at a service visit or after an overheating message; some report the AC simply stopped cooling. According to the complaints, dealers replaced the damaged part and, in several cases, the repair was not covered as a warranty item because it was treated as outside damage. Mostly reported in the first 5,000 to 18,000 miles, frequently at highway speed; several complaints mention hot weather and highway travel.

   What to check: Look through the front grille at the condition of the radiator and condenser fins, ask whether either has been replaced, and consider whether a protective screen has been fitted.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving on in the left most lane on a highway at 70 miles speed with multiple trucks speeding from behind. My car suddenly lost acceleration and saw multiple warning messages on my car display. I barely managed to save my car from being hit by the trucks speeding from behind, applying emergency lights and steering my vehicle from the left lane to the right side of the highway. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11735710, filed 2026-05

   “My wife was driving and a small rock passed through the front grill puncturing the radiator and causing her check engine light to come on. Within 5 minutes the coolant leaked out and the car was undrivable. We took it to Bredemann Toyota in Park Ridge who replaced it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11758770, filed 2026-08
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hesitation or no response when accelerating from a stop

   • 9 complaints (11%)
   • typically at 1.3 yrs old
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe pressing the accelerator after a stop and getting little or no response for several seconds before the vehicle finally moves, sometimes with a surge or lurch. Several say it is worse in hot weather or with the air conditioning on full, and some note it happens when the hybrid battery gauge is low. Complaints also describe rough or harsh shifting and shuddering at low speed. At dealers, owners report being told the condition could not be duplicated and that no codes were stored. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles upward, most often in warm weather and at low speeds after a stop.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: During a test drive, include several stops followed by normal acceleration, ideally with the AC on, and ask whether any ECU or transmission software updates have been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have over 30k miles on my car. Over the period that I’ve owned it there have been a few, roughly 6, occasions where I’m trying to change lanes from a stop into quick traffic and my car lags 1-3 seconds in response to me pressing the gas petal. It happens infrequently and is not the normal response. Other times the car responds as one would expect.”

   NHTSA complaint #11759572, filed 2026-08

   “At a complete stop my car started shaking violently back and forth. It felt like we were in an earthquake. It has happened before but not as violently and not as long. No warning lights or anything. It has had problems with lurching and stuttering since we bought it. The dealership said they fixed it once (the stuttering) but it’s still happening. They cannot duplicate it and it’s not throwing any codes.”

   NHTSA complaint #11715336, filed 2026-02
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Panoramic sunroof glass shatters

   • 12 complaints (15%)
   • typically at 1.5 yrs old
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners report a loud bang followed by the panoramic roof panel breaking, with the glass bowing outward and shards falling onto the sunshade or into the cabin. Several say there was no overpass, vehicle or debris nearby, and one describes it happening while the vehicle was parked in a garage. Complaints note that keeping the sunshade closed contained most of the glass. Some owners say the dealer or manufacturer declined a warranty repair, treating it as impact damage, while others mention a lifting or leaking roof seal. Reported from under 9,000 miles upward, at highway and city speeds as well as while parked, in both warm and cool conditions.

   What to check: Inspect the roof glass for chips, edge damage or seal lifting, ask whether the panel or seal has been replaced, and check for water stains or drips at the headliner.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On 11/02/2025 with the cruise at 55mph all glass closed. Heater on with no vehicles around, the sunroof exploded. It pushed up from the inside. With less than 9k miles on the vehicle. It took my dealer 8 days to look at it then Toyota denied the warranty. Then Quoted me over $2,100 to replace. This vehicle isn't safe to drive as told to me from the dealer.”

   NHTSA complaint #11698699, filed 2025-11

   “The Panoramic Roof Glass shattered on its own while driving on the freeway, there were no overpasses, no trees, no semi-trucks, no other vehicle in front of me while i was driving. The shattered glass pieces fell on my children in the back seats luckily there were no injuries as we closed the screen immediately.”

   NHTSA complaint #11661706, filed 2025-05
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel gauge and distance-to-empty read low

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report that refueling from a low reading or from zero miles remaining takes only about 12 to 14 gallons in a tank listed at roughly 17 gallons, and that the gauge then shows full with a distance-to-empty figure that does not match the fuel added. Some say the indicated range is well short of what the rated economy would suggest. Complaints describe dealers documenting the behavior but calling it normal, and a few describe a strong fuel smell or visible vapor around the filler area in hot weather. Reported from the first months of ownership onward, with the fuel-odor complaints tied to hot-weather or hot-soak conditions.

   What to check: Note how much fuel the tank accepts at a low reading and compare the distance-to-empty figure with actual range; also check for a fuel smell around the filler neck after the vehicle sits in the sun.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car only accepts 11-13 gallons of gas when refueling an empty tank despite the advertised 17.2 gallon capacity. I believe this is a fuel gauge or DTE system problem. I’ve seen many many similiar complaints on the forums. Fuel gauge issue could leave drivers stranded on the road.”

   NHTSA complaint #11682281, filed 2025-08

   “I am experiencing a strong gasoline odor & what appear to be gas vapors coming from the gas cap/filler area of my vehicle. A daily problem. Fumes are consistently present & enter the cabin, when the air conditioning is not on recirculation mode or when doors are opened. I can see and smell it when stopped & idling & I can visually see it when driving. Toyota has already performed multiple inspections & safety checks but has been unable to identify the source. A vehicle health check found no diagnostic trouble codes. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11762957, filed 2026-09

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection and a highway test drive that includes stop-and-go acceleration are worth the time on this model year, and it is worth asking for the service history on the radiator, condenser and hood. Many of the reported items were addressed case by case at the dealer, so documented repairs matter more than the mileage alone.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.