The 2024 Grand Highlander curtain shield airbags may fail to deploy during crashes when driver or passenger windows are rolled down. Toyota issued recall campaign 24V461000 in June 2024, but repair parts remain unavailable months later. Owners have been waiting since June with no ETA from either the dealer or manufacturer. One owner's collision with a deer in June 2025 confirmed the defect: airbag sensors fired but the airbags never deployed.
Toyota's recall management has added insult to injury. One owner received a written completion notice in March 2025, only to discover in June that the repair was never actually performed—the owner had been driving an unrepaired vehicle for months, often with an infant on board. Communication and tracking failures between Toyota and dealerships are creating false sense of security while cars remain unsafe.
Owners report Toyota declined to offer vehicle replacement, loaner vehicles, or buybacks, citing the global scale of the recall. Multiple owners describe being fearful to drive their vehicles with children while waiting for a fix that may not come anytime soon. The combination of an unresolved safety defect, unavailable parts, and poor manufacturer response has left owners feeling unsupported and unsafe.
Failure modes owners describe
Curtain Shield Airbags May Not Deploy with Windows Down
Curtain shield airbags on driver and passenger sides may not deploy as intended during crashes when front windows are rolled down. Multiple owners report being notified of this defect but lacking repair remedy for extended periods.
When: Affects 2024 model year vehicles; defect affects deployment during crashes regardless of mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Airbags fail to deploy during collisions when windows are down; Sensors activate but airbags do not deploy
Codes mentioned: 24V461000, 24TA09, 24TB09
Repairs/costs cited: Recall remedy involves replacement of left and right hand curtain shield airbag (CSA) assemblies (OP CODE 24TA09R1.3.1). Parts unavailable for most owners from June 2024 through at least November 2024. One owner reports dealership performed repair in February 2025, but airbags still failed to deploy during subsequent deer collision in June 2025.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 24V461000 issued; recall announced June 19-28, 2024. No remedy initially available. Toyota stated parts unavailable and could not accommodate owner requests for vehicle replacement or loaner. One owner reports Toyota indicated possible October 2024 timeframe for fix (unconfirmed rumor). By November 2024, repair parts still not available at most dealers.
Recall Management and Communication Failures
Toyota provided incorrect completion status to owners, misrepresenting open recalls as completed. Owners drove vehicles believing airbags were safe when repairs had not been performed. Dealership records and tracking systems failed to accurately reflect recall status.
When: March 2025 (incorrect completion notification); June 2025 (actual completion discovered to be incomplete)
Symptoms owners cite: Dealership provided written confirmation of completed recall that had not been performed; Owner drove vehicle for several months with unrepaired safety defect; Recall status discrepancies between written documentation and actual service records
Codes mentioned: 24TA09
Repairs/costs cited: Actual repair performed on second dealership visit (June 2025) when owner discovered original claim was false. Repair involved replacement of airbag assemblies.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota issued written recall completion notice dated March 25, 2025, to at least one owner for curtain airbag recall despite repair not being performed. Communication and tracking system failures resulted in owner misinformation.
Prolonged Unavailability of Recall Repair Parts
Repair parts for curtain shield airbag recall (24V461000) have not been available to dealers for an extended period following recall notification in June 2024. Multiple owners report being unable to schedule repairs despite multiple contact attempts with dealer and manufacturer.
When: From June 2024 through at least November 2024; some owners reporting parts still unavailable as of submission dates
Symptoms owners cite: Parts on backorder at dealer level; Manufacturer unable to provide parts or delivery timeline; Recall open with no remedy available
Codes mentioned: 24V461000
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers ordered parts from manufacturer but could not confirm delivery dates. One dealer informed owner in November 2024 that parts had been ordered but still not received. Multiple owners report manufacturer and dealer unable to provide ETA.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota acknowledged parts not available but provided no timeline for availability. Campaign 24V461000 issued without remedy. Manufacturer stated unable to accommodate requests for vehicle replacement or swap due to global scope of recall affecting millions.
Synthesized from 26 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.