Showing the 2026 Grand Highlander Hybrid FWD: as EPA lists it. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
36 mpgcombined; city 37, highway 34; the Hybrid FWD
Five years of fuel
$9,020U.S. average; Ohio $8,060 at local prices; the Hybrid FWD; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2026 Grand Highlander, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 40 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Grand Highlander. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Unknown or other
12
0
0
0
Structure
9
0
0
0
Engine
7
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
5
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
3
0
0
0
Electrical system
2
0
0
0
Power train
2
0
0
0
Service brakes
2
0
0
3
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
3
Air bags
1
1
0
2
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Seat belts
1
0
0
3
4 more parts
Seats
1
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
1
0
0
0
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2026 Grand Highlander over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2026 Lexus TX350, RX350 Hybrid, RX350, RX500 Hybrid, TX500 Hybrid, Toyota Grand Highlander, and Grand Highlander Hybrid vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the front steering knuckles may crack and break, which can result in a loss of vehicle steering control.
Risk: A loss of vehicle steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front steering knuckles, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TA19 and 26LA09.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2026 Lexus TX Plug-In Hybrid, TX Hybrid, TX, Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, and Grand Highlander vehicles. The rear axle carriers may have been manufactured with insufficient material strength and could break.
Risk: A broken rear axle carrier can cause a sudden loss of vehicle stability and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear axle carrier sub-assembly code, and replace the sub-assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TB13, 26TA13, 26LB08, and 26LA08.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Toyota Tundra, Tacoma Hybrid, Tacoma, RAV4 Hybrid, Land Cruiser Hybrid, Lexus GX550, 2024-2026 Tundra Hybrid, 2025 Sequoia Hybrid, Crown Signia, Grand Highlander, Lexus TX500 Hybrid, Lexus NX350 Hybrid, 2025-2026 Grand Highlander Hybrid, and Lexus TX350 vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification label may display inaccurate added weight values. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, which can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the load carrying capacity modification label, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 26, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26LB04, 26LA04, 26TB07, and 26TA07.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 25 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 Grand Highlander, the latest on Jun 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: unknown or other (24), wheels (1).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP26006 Road debris/rocks damaging the heat exchangers
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2026 Grand Highlander.
EPA class: standard sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–7 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Grand Highlander Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
37 / 34 / 36
Grand Highlander Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
36 / 32 / 34
Grand Highlander Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
26 / 27 / 27
Grand Highlander LE/XLE Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 28 / 24
Grand Highlander LE/XLE All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 27 / 23
Grand Highlander Limited Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 28 / 24
Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 26 / 22
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data