Toyota Grand Highlander, Lexus TX Recalled Over Airbag Issues
Toyota is conducting a safety recall involving certain 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander and Lexus TX midsize SUVs. Most of the units that have been built so far are affected including approximately 145,000 in the U.S. and nearly 12,000 in Canada.
The automaker said the curtain airbag on the driver’s side may not deploy as intended during certain crashes if the driver’s window is rolled down, increasing the risk of injury.
- Also: 2024 Lexus TX: Trying to Succeed Where the RX L Failed
- Also: All-New 2024 Lexus TX Debuts as a Posher Grand Highlander
Toyota is currently developing a remedy for this issue. Customers will receive a mailed notice by mid-August. It’s the first and only recall involving either of these two models.
Smart Buys
As the name implies, the Grand Highlander offers more interior room than the well-known Highlander, particularly for third-row occupants and cargo. In addition to a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine (265 horsepower) and a hybrid system built around a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine (245 horsepower), it can be specified with a more potent Hybrid MAX system featuring the aforementioned turbocharged mill (combined 362 horsepower).
The Grand Highlander is The Car Guide’s second-best buy in the segment, right behind the Hyundai Palisade/Kia Telluride. The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) also named it the 2024 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year.
Meanwhile, the Lexus TX replaces the short-lived RX L, which simply did not live up to expectations after launching in 2018. It’s a more serious answer to the likes of the Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Volvo XC90, Acura MDX and Infiniti QX60.
Gas and hybrid powertrain options are available, developing 275 and 366 horsepower, respectively. Both use a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine. A plug-in hybrid variant with 53 km of estimated EV range will follow at a later date.
