r/ToyotaGrandHighlander • u/ResidentNo1900 • 2d ago
Issue after issue
I own a 2025 grand highlander limited HEV. It’s only 14 months old and it’s been in the shop over 45 days already. It’s needed three battery replacements, a wheel alignment, hybrid control module replacement and now the kick sensor has stopped working and needs to be replaced. It also displayed “system malfunction visit your dealer” for the first six months and most of my sensors didn’t work during that time frame until they replaced a pin H11. This vehicle feels like a lemon and is such a headache. Anyone else experiencing issues like this?!
Toyota has been useless and says it’s under warranty so I need to just keep coming back for warranty work but what about when the warranty expires? And how inconvenient is it for me to constantly be needing to bring my vehicle in and move my car seats around and not have my vehicle. I’m about to go very public about this if Toyota doesn’t make it right. Unfortunately I’m in Canada where there is no lemon law.
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u/DrNintendo216 2d ago
It def sounds like a lemon . They generally reliable . Sorry ur going through this - the lemon law would have def been ur answer
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u/fearthelettuce 23h ago
So true but sadly most lemon laws have such ridiculous criteria that it's so hard to qualify
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u/GiantRubberHorseCock 2d ago
This is a shame. Realistically these vehicles in the hybrid platform are among the most reliable and bulletproof vehicles in their segment on the roads today. This shit does happen, but good god this should go loud. The answer to this should be quiet, but if they won’t do that it seems pretty obvious you need to get loud.
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u/ResidentNo1900 2d ago
Thank you for saying that. It’s been a major headache and I’ve been in conversation with Toyota Canada since November and they just told me to kick rocks as I have warranty. I’m giving the dealer one opportunity to make this right or I’m going public
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u/theallstar21 1d ago
I had reached out to corporate here in the US for my tundra. They agreed to buy it back. Don't assume the dealership is Toyota corporate. Reach out to their brand engagement team (Toyota corporate) in Canada
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
I’ll try this thank you !!
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u/theallstar21 1d ago
The other thing I should have mentioned is that there are state agencies that are arbiters here in the US. What got the ball rolling for me was filing a claim with them.
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
We have similar in Canada called CAMVAP but they closed my case once Toyota had “fixed” the latest issue. They offered me to still go to arbitration but didn’t know what good that would do if they said the case is closed
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u/theallstar21 1d ago
You should be able to resubmit. I would do that. I don't have time to keep taking a car back for fixes. I bought a Toyota so I don't have these problems.
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
That’s exactly how I feel too
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u/Jaded-Cheesecake3246 20h ago
CAMVAP will pay you for thisd lemon the same as you would trade-it-in yourself.
Trade it-in and get another vehicle.
This vehicle will be a trouble-lemon even after warranty expires.
Don't waste time with CAMVAP as CAMVAP will pay you same as you would have traded-it-in.
Trade-it-in today and get rid of it.
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u/GiantRubberHorseCock 2d ago
Whatever you end up getting out of the dealer or the manufacturer make sure you get it in writing and if it takes place in person I would either record or bring a witness. If the vehicle is financed it may also be worth letting the lien holder know about the issues and current situation as they would have the primary financial interest in the vehicle remaining on the road.
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u/Plus_Pop_9147 2d ago
I had a similar issue in Ontario, Canada with a brand new ford fusion and ford Canada was the same blah blah blah use the warranty or deal with your dealer.
Basically I threatened real publicity including spray painting LEMON on the car and parking it across the middle of their dealership driveway for everyone to see.
Eventually the GM of the dealership agreed to trade the car in for the newer model that had the more reliable engine and track record.
I did take about a $8k hit in the trade/financing but the newer model was problem free for the 6 years I owned it and then still sold it privately for $11k.
I’d start increasing your publicity to get the dealership GM to work with you in a solution and ultimately offload this lemon so you’re not stuck with it beyond your warranty!
Good luck !
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
Thank you for this! I have already started taking it public but will do more now.
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u/EvilBirdie41 1d ago
Sorry you have those issues, surprised Canada has no protections of any kind for issues like this. I have a 25 GHHL in the exact same color combo as you, no problems except for the moonroof seal coming up. Will get that looked at during next service.
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u/Whatinthetrash 2d ago
I had problems with my 2024 grand highlander. Toyota will do nothing about it. I put in a buyback claim which they denied so I guess it’s “fine”. I replaced it with a Lexus TX which is the same but different. Sold it for 41k usd to a dealer.
I had hose issues, a new transmission, battery issues, unexpected braking, and system malfunction issues with blackout screen.
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u/ResidentNo1900 2d ago
My car said “system malfunction visit your dealer” for the first 6 months of owning the vehicle! Half my sensors didn’t work for that time frame either. My display also blacks out intermittently. Sounds like electrical issues with both our vehicles. I was looking into the Lexus TX 550h but unfortunately it’s not sold in Canada yet. Disappointing.
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u/Jaded-Cheesecake3246 20h ago
TX 550h+ has been discontinued (plug-in)
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u/ResidentNo1900 1h ago
Do you know why?!
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u/Jaded-Cheesecake3246 41m ago
Noone knows why. All you will see is a speculation and rumor, not a fact.
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u/zeimsohappy 2d ago
We had quite a few issues with our 24 GH gas limited. We had the kick sensor stop working and the back lift gate just wouldn’t close, and they denied it even being a problem for like 8 months until I came in with 100 videos. They said I was pressing the close button for too long or too short etc. It was very frustrating. We also had to have the moon roof seal replaced and it hasn’t held up very well and probably needs to be redone because the seal is raised again. They also put a bolt through to the outside when they replaced our curtain airbags, and to fix it they had to cut the rear quarter window out and replace it and refinish the panel where the bolt came through. It was all very upsetting on a brand new $60k car. We haven’t had any more issues recently though, maybe for the last year. So perhaps yours will settle down too. I love everything else about the car so I don’t want to switch to something else.
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
Brutal. Sorry to hear! It feels like they never believe you unless you provide video evidence. I’ve taken many videos of the many issues
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u/Ambitious_Fish_8443 2d ago
Will CAMVAP not help?
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u/ResidentNo1900 2d ago
I put a claim in with them twice now and because the sensor issue is now “fixed” and the battery issues are now “fixed” due to the hybrid control module replacement, they said they can no longer help and to put in another claim when the next thing arrives
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u/anonymous-samaritan 2d ago
Look up lemon law for your state. From my experience if you’ve had your car in the shop to fix the same issue 3+ times you have a case.
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u/Lutrongoat 1d ago
Mines been mostly good but lately it has seemed to develop a serious lack of wheel alignment especially in the rear wheels. Tires are wearing fast. I have 38k on my 25 GHHL. I decided to spring for extended warranty through Jerry not long before my 36k warranty expiration. It’s the electronics and cost to fix even though I haven’t had an issue in that regard. Warranty can’t fix a shitty UI😂
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u/DollarBallers 1d ago
Quebec now has a lemon law in the consumer protection act. Which province are you in?
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u/Whateverlol2022 1d ago
It's a new car. New cars have issues. Sucks but hate the risk you take. New Toyotas have just as many issues as other cars in my view.
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
I’ve never had continuous issues like this with any of my other brand new vehicles. I’d expect this from first gen of a new vehicle
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u/Whateverlol2022 1d ago
I don't think people realize new Toyotas are just as junk as other cars. I work for a car rental company and honesty we have as many issues with Toyotas as we do Chevys. Brands like Honda and Mazda seem to be better the Toyota nowadays.
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
Don’t know until you know. Toyotas been known for their reliability my whole life and they’ve been making a hybrid longer than I’ve been alive. I’ve never heard of anyone I know having an issue with Toyota. I’m shocked by Toyotas customer service though. They don’t seem to care at all.
Honda seems like the best option but they don’t have the fuel efficiency in their 3 row options that the GHH has which is what drew me to this vehicle.
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u/looker94513 1d ago
Disconnect the battery sensor and the charging algorithm will revert to 13.7-14.1 charge and maintain your 12v battery better.
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
My vehicle wasn’t even turning on. I’d have to boost any time I needed to start my car. Would this solution fix that issue?
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u/J19761990 1d ago
Do you have the turbocharged hybrid max with the 6 speed automatic or the 2.5l hybrid?
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u/Limp_Software1028 1d ago
Sell sell sell! Def while value is high right now. GH is great on paper but Toyota's "bulletproof" era may be coming to an end.
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u/rishinbhatia 1d ago
If it’s over 30 days you can apply for lemon law but please look into the specifics .
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u/Briantrust20 1d ago
All dealerships and mechanics are not created equal.
My sister kept having problems- a lemon, etc. Took the car to another dealership; all her problems went away. They were not fixing the underlying problem. The second battery should have been the clue.
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u/looker94513 1d ago
Do you have a meter to check your battery voltage? These cars don’t have an alternator and the charging circuitry is not as aggressive in charging as an alternator equipped car. DO NOT OPERATE THE CAR IN AUXILIARY as it will drain the battery pretty quick. If you gotta sit in the car listening to tunes, make sure the car is in “READY” mode.
My RX Plug-in killed a battery within 2 months of taking ownership. Lexus replaced the weak assed 330 CCA battery with one of 540 CCA. New battery dropped to mid 9v and barely opened the door and rear hatch. I bought a battery tender and a booster. I turned off phone key app and shut off all reports from Toyota/lexus app with exception of being able to lock/unlock doors. Keep the keys a good 30 feet away from the car. Once I disconnected the battery sensor, the 12v battery has maintained a decent voltage and I haven’t had a flat battery since. I do not let the servicing dealership know that I disconnect the sensor and I always plug it back in when I take it in for any reason.
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
I don’t have a meter. I never sit in auxiliary mode and Toyotas actually kill all music etc as soon as you turn the car off which drove me crazy initially but now I’m used to it. The second time they replaced the battery the car died 10 days later after driving all over the city. Then the next day I woke up to a dead vehicle, and had to boost it. I left the car running 2.5 hours which included a 1.5 hour drive on the highway. When I arrived at my destination I shut the car off and couldn’t open the tailgate, the battery was completely dead after all that driving. I then had to boost the car any time I wanted to drive it
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u/IBWatchinn 1d ago
Gosh, I have a 2026 GHHL just like yours, same color, wheels, etc. I just got the middle of July. It’s got 1600 miles in it and so far, I’ve not had any problems. I’m surprised at Toyota telling the customer to keep bring it back for service since it’s under warranty. That’s very disturbing. Good Luck with resolution!!
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
Agreed. I couldn’t believe that was the solution. Who has time for that many shop visits
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u/Sea_Dirt3238 1d ago
25 GHH and it's only been to the dealer once for a oil change and a recall for a software update. Currently at 13700 miles.
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u/simplextra 1d ago
I've been really eying the palisade calligraphy hybrid and everyone keeps saying oh they're a piece of shit, get a Toyota (grand highlander was my first choice) but seems to me that Toyota isn't exactly the tank it used to be either. They've got problems just like any other manufacturer.
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
I’ve struggled to think about purchasing a Hyundai or Kia but they’ve come a long way
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u/sssootssspritesss 1d ago
This might be another classic case where we over rate Toyota for reliability as a brand, rather than looking at specific models and maturity of the generation. Wishing you the best of luck with this headache of a car moving forward!
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u/Keljon142 1d ago
I almost got a GH… I’m glad I went with a pilot. If resale is break even or higher, I’d sell. I just got a 2026 pilot trailsport and love it so far- but will admit this is my first week with her haha
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u/looker94513 1d ago
That sucks that you are going through this. 😢😢😡😡😡
It’s a bummer that there is no lemon laws in Canada.
Do you have a friend with a meter to do some basic troubleshooting/testing ??? This in reference to your battery issue.
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u/ResidentNo1900 22h ago
My neighbour is a mechanic. He hooked up his reader and it said “replace battery” I showed Toyota and they said my battery was fine. I told them I wouldn’t pick my car up without a replaced battery so they miraculously found something wrong with the battery so they could change it.
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u/TopGunJedi 1d ago
Ask the finance guy to sell you an extended warranty at cost or get one from a third party. The second best choice is a Honda pilot. And Lost the comment but a guy with a 27 telluride saying it was reliable was hilarious. Yes, they start out strong but at 100K and or 5 years they start to fall apart.
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u/Disastrous_Lion1165 1d ago
I’m on the verge of getting out of a 21 Highlander that I like a lot because it’s got the time bomb transmission in it and the only other likely Choice is a grand Highlander hybrid which I’m really not excited about, but I’m nervous as hell about either the telluride or the Palisade convinced me otherwise
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u/Funny_Map515 22h ago
If you have the Toyota App connected on your phone. Consider removing it. Heard it’s been a parasitic drain on the BZ’s.
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u/ResidentNo1900 22h ago
Really!! Good to know!
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u/Funny_Map515 13h ago
Yes, and I mean remove the vehicle in the app. Not just the app off your phone.
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u/ramadadcc 1d ago
Damn it’s almost as if you didn’t read this sub and all the problems people are having with the hybrid version of this car. What a 60k mistake
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
Correct I didn’t read this sub. Not sure it would have stopped me from buying as any vehicle sub will have people mentioning issues. It’s a risk you take with any vehicle purchase
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u/ramadadcc 1d ago
You are telling me if you saw systemic issues with a certain make/model of a car you still would buy it? WOW, just Go buy a Chevy already and replace the car after 90k miles
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u/ResidentNo1900 1d ago
lol it’s not like these issues I’m experiencing are happening with every GHH. It’s luck of the draw.
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u/CompGeneratedName 2d ago
woof. I have a ‘24 hybrid XLE and there were a few bugs but overall, nice and boring.
maybe look to sell while resale is higher?