Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid grille defect petition: what NHTSA is reviewing

© A. Krivonosov

87,000 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid SUVs from the 2024 through 2026 model years have come under scrutiny from a US regulator over an unusual complaint about the front grille’s design. There’s an important caveat, though: a full investigation and a recall haven’t started. On August 20, NHTSA opened Defect Petition DP26006 and must now decide whether to take the case further.

The petitioner claims that the grille’s large openings and lack of a protective screen let rocks and road debris reach the hybrid inverter radiator, the A/C condenser, and the main radiator. A puncture could cause a coolant or refrigerant leak, and damage to the hybrid system could mean a loss of power. ODI is reviewing 14 cases: 13 owner complaints plus the petitioner’s own submission. There are no crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths in the case file.

That’s what fundamentally sets this process apart from an already-announced recall. ODI will first review the complaints and the technical circumstances under 49 CFR Part 552, after which the petition may be granted or denied. In other words, Toyota isn’t yet required to repair 87,000 vehicles, and no official fix for the alleged defect has been announced.

This isn’t the brand’s first US safety signal in 2026. In March, a full service campaign covered 550,000 Toyota Highlander vehicles over second-row seatback locking, and in August the Toyota bZ Woodland was hit with a separate recall over a trailer-electronics defect. For the Grand Highlander, the next milestone is NHTSA’s decision on whether the case warrants a full investigation.