2026 Toyota Grand Highlander
The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas large SUV with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Grand Highlander Hybrid, is EPA-rated at 36 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 44 complaints, most often about the structure. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $41,660 to $59,575 across 14 trims.

| Trim | Powertrain | Drive | MSRP | HP | Torque | MPG comb | Seats | Cargo (2nd row) | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LE | Gas | FWD | $41,660 | 265 hp | 310 lb-ft | 24 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 18 in |
| XLE | Gas | FWD | $44,430 | 265 hp | 310 lb-ft | 24 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Limited | Gas | FWD | $49,160 | 265 hp | 310 lb-ft | 24 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 20 in |
| LE | Gas | AWD | $43,260 | 265 hp | 310 lb-ft | 23 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 18 in |
| XLE | Gas | AWD | $46,030 | 265 hp | 310 lb-ft | 23 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Limited | Gas | AWD | $50,760 | 265 hp | 310 lb-ft | 22 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 20 in |
| Platinum | Gas | AWD | $54,845 | 265 hp | 310 lb-ft | 22 mpg | 7 | 57.9 cu-ft | 20 in |
| XLE Hybrid | Hybrid | FWD | $46,180 | 245 hp | — | 36 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 18 in |
| LE Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $45,010 | 245 hp | — | 34 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 18 in |
| XLE Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $47,780 | 245 hp | — | 34 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Limited Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $52,510 | 245 hp | — | 33 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 20 in |
| Nightshade Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $53,490 | 245 hp | — | 34 mpg | 8 | 57.9 cu-ft | 20 in |
| Hybrid MAX Limited | Hybrid | AWD | $55,490 | 362 hp | 400 lb-ft | 27 mpg | 7 | 57.9 cu-ft | 20 in |
| Hybrid MAX Platinum | Hybrid | AWD | $59,575 | 362 hp | 400 lb-ft | 27 mpg | 7 | 57.9 cu-ft | 20 in |
MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Highlander Hybrid | Hybrid | FWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 37 | 34 | 36 | $1,850 |
| Grand Highlander Hybrid AWD | Hybrid | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 36 | 32 | 34 | $1,950 |
| Grand Highlander Hybrid AWD | Hybrid | AWD | 2.4L 4-cyl turbo | 26 | 27 | 27 | $2,500 |
| Grand Highlander LE/XLE | Gas | FWD | 2.4L 4-cyl turbo | 21 | 28 | 24 | $2,800 |
| Grand Highlander Limited | Gas | FWD | 2.4L 4-cyl turbo | 21 | 28 | 24 | $2,800 |
| Grand Highlander AWD LE/XLE | Gas | AWD | 2.4L 4-cyl turbo | 21 | 27 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Grand Highlander AWD Limited/Platinum | Gas | AWD | 2.4L 4-cyl turbo | 20 | 26 | 22 | $3,050 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49888, 49935, 49937, 49889, 49890, 49938, 49939.
The cheapest ownership win
Insurers price the 2026 Grand Highlander very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.
How to compare cover →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (4)
Source: NHTSA recall databasePower Train
26TB13 26TA13 26LB08Equipment
See attached Part573Back Over Prevention
25TB13/25LB06/WRE25These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
NHTSA defect investigations
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System — Road debris/rocks damaging the heat exchangers open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated July 20, 2026. The Petition requests an investigation of road debris / rocks damaging the heat exchangers in model year (MY) 2024-2026 Toyota Grand Highlander vehicles. The Petition contends that the Grand Highlander’s front-end grill has large, open apertures and no protective screen between the grill and the vehicle’s heat exchangers. The Petition further alleges that as a result, during normal driving, the damage to heat exchangers results in coolant leakage and sudden loss of propulsion. The Petitioner cites thirteen (13) complaints received by ODI alleging this failure, which, when added to the petitioner’s own complain
Opened Aug 20, 2026 · action DP26006 · the investigation’s page →
Whether any of this applies to one specific Grand Highlander
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2026 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Toyota publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Grand Highlander →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 5 injuries · 0 deaths reported
5.2 per 10,000 built · Toyota reported 84,174 Grand Highlander built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2025: 1 · 2026: 43
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
About two months after purchasing my new 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, I noticed the air conditioning had stopped cooling. I did not notice any impact, so I do not know exactly when the damage occurred. I drive normally on public roads and do not go off road. The vehicle had approximately 7000 miles when the problem was found.
June, July and August multiple occurrences of Electronic Parking Brake and Drive Engagement Failure intermittently occurring. The Automatic electronic park brake fails to release from Park to Drive or Park to Reverse while drivers seatbelt is fastened, all door closed, vehicle on level ground.
Periodically, when you apply the gas, there is no power. The gas pedal is dead. This obviously is a hazard when trying to maneuver through traffic. The problem is random and cannot be reproduced at will. The dealership said they could do nothing about it if they could not reproduce the issue.
The contact owns a 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a commercial lawnmower that fell from a truck. The driver's seat air bag deployed in a downward position, and the other air bags failed to deploy.
After starting the vehicle and coming to a conplete stop the vehicle will hesitate upon new acceleration. The hesitation causes a lag in the vehicle and it then will jerk or jolt while shifting. The vehicle will Rev up in a low gear and not shift correctly. This causes a safety issue especially when going into traffic.
Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a potential safety defect involving the front grille design of my 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Limited. Fortunately, my vehicle has not experienced any damage or mechanical failure related to the grille at this time.
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Toyota itself: 3 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 4 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 3.6 per 100,000 built. Every Grand Highlander model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Unknown Or Other, Wheels.
- T-SB-0003-26 Rev1 Service bulletin2026-06-25 · Unknown Or Other
- 2026 model year Toyota vehicles are equipped with driver side floor mat retainers to secure the floor mat in the correct position. In addition, some models may also utilize retainers for passenger side and rear seat floor mats. During Pre-Delivery Service (PDS), follow the appropriate Installation Procedure to attach the driver side, and if applicable, the passenger side and rear seatfloor mats to
- T-SB-0004-26 Rev1 Service bulletin2026-06-18 · Unknown Or Other
- During the manufacturing process, tires are mounted on the vehicle as matched sets to help reduce conditions such as pulling or drifting. If the wheels are replaced or refinished before vehicle delivery, it is important that the tires remain on the vehicle in the same location and in the same direction of rotation.
- T-SB-0005-26 Rev1 Service bulletin2026-06-10 · Unknown Or Other
- A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and service life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load. Because of these factors, battery inspection and maintenance are required in order to ensure proper operation and optimal battery life.
- T-SB-0002-26 Rev1 Service bulletin2026-06-10 · Unknown Or Other
- Long-term or off-site storage requires special care to maintain vehicle condition. The following guidelines should be performed to minimize vehicle component/part degradation due to extendedvehicle storage conditions. Long-term storage can affect a vehicle’s systems and components. Any problems that are found should be corrected immediately.
- T-SB-0063-25 Rev1 Service bulletin2026-05-11 · Unknown Or Other
- Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: • Careful inspection for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings. • Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset). • Interior cleanliness. • Proper function of mechanical
- T-SB-0017-25 Rev2 Service bulletin2026-02-12 · Unknown Or Other
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 12, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0005-26.
- T-SB-0005-26 Service bulletin2026-02-06 · Unknown Or Other
- A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and service life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load. Because of these factors, battery inspection and maintenance are required in order to ensure proper operation and optimal battery life.
- T-SB-0005-25 Rev2 Service bulletin2026-02-06 · Unknown Or Other
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 6, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0009-25.
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Compare the 2026 Grand Highlander with
Any vehicle, your weights →| Head-to-head | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mazda CX-90 · Large SUV · grade A | CX-90 +5.9 | |
| 2026 Honda Pilot · Large SUV · grade A | Pilot +6.3 | |
| 2026 Hyundai Palisade · Large SUV · grade B | Palisade +7.5 | |
| 2026 Ford Explorer · Large SUV · grade F | Toss-up | |
| 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee · Large SUV · grade D | Grand Highlander +40.1 |
Grand Highlander by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2026 Grand Highlander
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsHow much does the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander cost?
Manufacturer pricing runs from $41,660 for the LE FWD to $59,575 for the Hybrid MAX Platinum AWD, across 14 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.
Does the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander. The most serious on file is 26V598000, covering Steering. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander?
NHTSA gave the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (79/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander?
Across the 7 EPA-rated configurations of the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander, the best EPA combined figure is 36 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander?
Owners have filed 44 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander, most often about unspecified, structure, engine. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 5 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
Are there service bulletins for the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander?
The manufacturer has filed 50 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander, most often covering unknown or other, wheels. The most recent is dated 2026-06-25. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
Which 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander trim is the best value?
$17,915 separates the cheapest of the 14 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.
Is the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander better than the 2026 Mazda CX-90?
The Mazda CX-90 edges it, 91.6 to 85.7, on tech & comfort, safety, price. The Toyota Grand Highlander is ahead on fuel & range and space & cargo. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander against the 2026 Mazda CX-90 — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 7 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | none | EPA emission certificates | The EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page. |
| Recalls | 4 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 44 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 4 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 50 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 1 | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | none | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | 14 trims | Manufacturer press kit | Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.