Toyota and Lexus issue sales stop order for Grand Highlander and TX

Toyota has issued a safety recall that applies to approximately 145,000 units of the Grand Highlander and Lexus TX. The SUVs included in the campaign were built with a driver’s side curtain airbag that might not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not released details about the campaign, the Japanese company notes that the recall applies to Grand Highlander and TX models built in the 2024 model year. models were launched for 2024, so most examples built so far are included in the campaign. Toyota doesn’t mention the standard Highlander, which went on sale in 2019.

Toyota explained that the driver’s side curtain airbag “may not deploy as intended in certain collisions” if the driver’s window is open. This increases the risk of injury to the driver and also makes the recalled Grand Highlander and TX models non-compliant with federal safety regulations. Details on why the airbag might not deploy, such as which part is responsible for the problem, have not yet been released.

Engineers are currently developing a solution to the problem, and owners of the affected SUVs will be notified by mail by mid-August 2024. In the meantime, Toyota and Lexus have both issued a stop sales order for the Grand Highlander 2024 and the 2024. Texas, according to an industry trade journal Automotive News (subscription required). Production of both models has been stopped until the brand resolves the problem.

NHTSA released a customer complaint regarding an airbag that did not deploy. In May 2024, a Georgia motorist claimed that “the side airbags did not deploy” after a Grand Highlander was struck by another vehicle. There are no airbag complaints related to the TX.