Toyota Is Recalling Over 750,000 Highlanders Due To Loose Front Bumpers
2023 Toyota Highlander Turbo LimitedImage: Toyota
If you have a newer Toyota Highlander, watch out: the Japanese company has issued a massive recall for one of its most popular models because its front bumper could come loose.
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In a release from October 26, Toyota said the issue affects 751,000 Highlander and Highlander Hybrids made from 2020-’23. The issue involves the resin used to attach the front bumper to the rest of the car. A minor impact could cause it to come off and fall into the road, as Toyota explained.
The subject vehicles are equipped with a resin front lower bumper cover assembly, connected with mounting tabs. If there is minor impact to the lower front bumper cover assembly that causes the mounting tabs to detach from the vehicle during normal operation, one or more parts of this assembly could detach, which could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash or injury for other road users.
The fix is simple and involves an inspection. Toyota said dealers will replace the resin or bumper whether there is damage or not.
For all involved vehicles, Toyota dealers will inspect the upper to lower front bumper cover mounting tabs and slots for damage. If no damage is found, dealers will install retention hardware with an improved design. If damage is found, dealers will replace the upper and/or lower front bumper cover and install retention hardware with an improved design free of charge.
Toyota says affected owners should expect to be notified in December. If you’re an owner and don’t want to wait until then, you can head on over to either Toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your vehicle information to get a status.
This latest recall comes just a few weeks after Toyota recalled 153,000 vehicles for a steering column issue that could possibly affect the air bags; a few weeks before that, Toyota issued a recall for 21,780 Tundra models over the wrong load carrying capacity label. Two months before that, another recall affected 300 Camrys over lug nuts that weren’t tight enough and could cause the wheel to fall off. While Toyota hasn’t had as many recalls recently as other automakers, four recalls in four months shows Toyota isn’t immune to quality issues.
