NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Defect Petition DP26-006: Road debris/rocks damaging the heat exchangers
- Open
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Defect Petition DP26-006 on August 20, 2026; NHTSA's investigations file listed it as open on October 23, 2026. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Toyota Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- DP26-006 (also written DP26006)
- Investigation type
- Defect Petition A petition asking NHTSA to open a defect investigation; NHTSA grants or denies it, and granting one opens an investigation.
- Status
- Open since August 20, 2026
- Opened
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Toyota Motor Corporation
- Component
- Engine and Engine Cooling — Cooling System
- Vehicles and equipment
- Toyota Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Defect Petition DP26-006.
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 complaint, bring the total under consideration at this time to fourteen (14). ODI will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the Petition and conduct a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. This Defect Petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the petition. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11754975.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Defect Petition DP26-006. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Toyota VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for DP26-006
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.