NHTSA Complaint #11692289 — 2024 TOYOTA GRAND HIGHLANDER

When accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle intermittently fails to respond when pressing the gas pedal. It feels similar to when a bicycle chain slips—you press the pedal, but the vehicle doesn’t move forward—then suddenly it catches, causing a noticeable lurch. The duration of this lag varies, and it has been increasing over time. Most recently, the hesitation lasted long enough that I was nearly involved in a collision. I pulled out from a stop sign to make a right-hand turn, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as expected. The car behind me nearly rear-ended me due to my sudden lack of movement in the lane. No warning lights, error messages, or other indicators appear before or during the event. I have been reporting this issue to my dealership for over a year during regular service appointments. The dealership has been unable to reproduce the problem and has attempted a software update, which did not resolve it. The malfunction has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. The issue has occurred multiple times, including but not limited to the following dates: -March 12, 2025 -March 24, 2025 -July 21, 2025 -September 18, 2025 -October 1, 2025 These dates reflect times when I documented the issue via text messages to my husband; it has also occurred on many additional occasions not recorded above. Online owner forums and NHTSA complaints indicate that other Toyota Grand Highlander owners are experiencing the same issue, suggesting it may be a widespread defect affecting vehicle safety.