On multiple occasions (four) my 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max has failed to accelerate when I push the gas pedal. Once in traffic, which was extremely scary and a huge hazard. I have contacted the dealership about this issue and have not heard back from them. It has been almost 2 weeks. No warming lamps turned on and this issue lasted about 15 seconds each time. I press the gas, the car does not respond other than an audible RPM raising sound.
2025 Toyota Grand Highlander engine complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 16 of 16, newest first, as owners wrote them.
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. After towing the car to nearest dealer I understood that a stone went through the front grill of the car and it got the radiator converter leaking all the coolant and that created the loss of acceleration. This is a safety issue in the design of the car grill as it has unusually large holes leaving a critical part vulnerable and failure leads to loss of acceleration and a safety hazard. For similar other hybrid models in Lexus or Toyota Sienna the same grill is protected with smaller vents in the grill.
Poor acceleration from 0 to 40. Vehicle will start shuttering at a dead stop. The engine has shut off once with this issue. It happened around 4800 miles.
The vehicle suddenly gave several warnings of “check engine visit your dealer”, “Hybrid system malfunction”, “AWD system malfunction 2WD activated” and “System malfunction visit your dealer.” The vehicle was bought new 4 weeks prior. Took it to the dealership and the technician said there was coolant all over the engine compartment and there was a leak somewhere. After inspection he told us that a small rock hit the radiator and caused damage. Told to replace the radiator and flush the system and it was not covered under warranty. After research was done, it was found there was a forum with hundreds of not thousands of people with the same issue. This has been an issue with the new OEM front grill not protecting the radiator and leaving it susceptible to be damaged easily. Toyota Corporate was called and said they were aware of the issue for some time. Even the Technician told us this is a common issue with this vehicle. Also if you place something inside the grill to protect the radiator, it will void the warranty.
The vehicle was in PARK and the IGN was in the ON/RUN position and the air conditioning was on. There was no one in the driver's seat but there was an occupant sitting buckled in the front passenger seat. The passenger heard a sound (possibly the ICE turning on) and he felt the vehicle move forward about five inches. He became worried about his safety and pressed the IGN button in order to turn the vehicle off. It could have pushed itself into other cars in the parking lot or pedestrians. A report was made to the local police department on the same day. This occurred in a retail parking lot. Video footage cannot be obtained as a police officer or insurance company must request it. I have not seen a check engine light nor any message prompts and it has not been inspected by a dealership.
I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious safety hazard and design flaw with the 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid. While driving on a two-lane highway, our vehicle suddenly lost power and warning lights appeared on the dashboard. We were forced to exit the highway immediately (we were less than 0.5 miles to an exit). Shortly after pulling onto the off-ramp, the vehicle entered limp mode, significantly limiting its ability to function - all assist systems deactivated amd the car has a significant decrease in power. We were able to drive approximately half a mile to a nearby gas station, where we called for a tow. This situation left us vulnerable on a busy roadway, placing both us and other drivers at risk. The Toyota dealership diagnosed the issue as damage to the hybrid inverter radiator, allegedly caused by a rock or piece of debris entering through the front grille. We were told this was not covered under warranty, and to make matters worse, the necessary part is currently on backorder for three weeks to three monthsâleaving the vehicle undriveable. A significant concern is the design of the front grille, which has large, open gaps that allow ordinary road debris to enter the engine compartment. This leaves critical components like the hybrid inverter radiator exposed and vulnerable, even under standard driving conditions. After researching, I discovered numerous similar reports from other Toyota hybrid ownersâincluding those with Grand Highlanders, Highlander Hybrids, RAV4 Hybrids, and Prius modelsâwho have experienced the exact same issue. In nearly every case, drivers were told it was due to external damage and denied warranty coverage. This presents a clear and growing safety issue: 1. Sudden power loss on a highway or arterial road increases the risk of collision. 2. A critical hybrid system component is inadequately
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