Lemberg Law is currently examining multiple reports that 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander vehicles have hoods that vibrate. Some owners are calling it “the hood shake.” While vibrations that cause safety issues are the primary concern of customers, there are also reports that the shaking causes highly distracting reflections on sunny days.
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Are There Issues with the Hood Shaking in the 2024 Grand Highlander?
There are major issues with 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander hood shaking and vibrating. These are confirmed by complaints lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and discussions on the Grand Highlander Forum.
Several members of the Grand Highlander Forum agree that the hood is vibrating because it is made of very thin metal or aluminum. But, a stock answer from some dealerships appears to be that vibrations are a normal characteristic of the vehicle. Others have told owners that there is a manufacturing fault. Another story is that malfunctioning hoods were damaged during the shipping process.
There don’t appear to be any reported explanations about the hood reflecting “like a blinking bright light” or “like a strobe light,” which owners also complain is “very dangerous.”
A forum member states that Toyota couldn’t find anything wrong with the hood, “stating it is a normal characteristic of the vehicle.” He went on to say that the automaker wasn’t going to do anything. Furthermore, “The safety concern with the vibration causing flickering in your line of sight does not appear to matter.”
What are Owners Experiencing with Hood Vibration?
Complaints to the NHTSA raise both the vibration and light flickering issues.
For example, an owner from South Carolina states that the “Hood vibrates, and in sunlight or (on) cloudy days the light flickers in your vision. This is a safety concern that Toyota says is a normal characteristic of the vehicle.”
An owner from Virginia reports being hugely concerned by the hood vibrations that happen “at any speed.” The complaint states that “it seems like the hood is going to fly away from the vehicle.” Two dealers contacted Toyota on this owner’s behalf only to be told that “there is no safety concern at this time.”
The complaint goes on to say: “My personal opinion is that due to the lightweight nature of the hood, it is susceptible to flex and is showing that movement more obviously because of the black paint’s reflection properties. In my experience, if more of these cases arise, the manufacturer will open an investigation into a possible resolution but at this time we have been instructed to take no action.” It also maintains that “the answer does not make sense since it is uncomfortable to see how the hood moves while you drive. I think it is important that customers know this defect before investing money in this vehicle.”
Sample Complaint
A forum member whose dealership opened a case with Toyota stated in mid-September 2023 that the automaker’s engineers had decided to replace the hood. “Toyota is using this to improve the manufacturing going forward so this won’t be a concern for future cars being built.” The dealership got a new hood, but it “did not pass inspection (likely because they have not had a chance to implement any changes in manufacturing process yet).”
The same day, he posted stating that “Toyota is unboxing every single GH hood they have for spare parts, so far none of them are correct. They are expecting to issue a fix for this to have the right compound or more compound that secures the support braces in the hood.”
Two weeks later he was told that they had removed the hood insulator and the service department had inspected the hood structure. They found that the mastic sealer inside the hood was separating. Soon after, Toyota determined it was a shipping issue and that driving the vehicle wouldn’t have the same effect.
After 10 more days, a new hood was hand delivered — and it had the same problem. “Toyota engineers said to my service manager that any new hoods put on the cars at this time will have the same problem. The service manager at my dealership told me the foam-like material in the hood they thought was to provide some stability around the supports does not do that at all, and the manufacturer of the hoods said it is purely for sound barrier.”
But there was no finality. “They aren’t taking in any more hoods from customers as they have enough to do their research. They aren’t sure if there will be a redesigned hood or if they will deploy a field fix.”
What Should You Do if Your 2024 Grand Highlander Has Issues with the Hood Vibrating?
If your 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander has an issue that is causing the hood to vibrate or shake, you may qualify to join our new class action investigation. All you have to do is call our Helpline or fill out a contact form so we can evaluate your issues.
It’s not going to cost you anything because the law says Toyota must pay the legal bills for lemon law cases.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
