Toyota Prius Recall Issued Over Risk Rear Doors May Open While Vehicles Moving or Following Accident

Owners are being instructed to enable the automatic door-locking feature to prevent the Toyota Prius doors from unexpectedly opening until repair parts become available.

More than 200,000 newer model Toyota Prius hybrids and Prius Prime plug-in hybrids sold around the world are being recalled by the manufacturer, due to a risk that the rear doors may open while the vehicles are in motion or during an accident, which may pose a serious risk that occupants are ejected or suffer severe injury.

The Toyota Prius recall was announced on April 17, 2024, warning that water infiltration into the electronic rear door latches can cause short circuits. If the doors remain unlocked, there is a risk they could open during movement or in the event of a collision, which poses a particularly high risk for young children or pets that may be in the back seats.

The recall impacts model year 2023 and 2024 Prius and Prius HEV (Prius Prime) vehicles sold throughout Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. According to the recall, 55,000 of the impacted vehicles were distributed for sale to licensed dealers throughout the United States.

Toyota announced that dealers will being instructed to replace both the right and left rear door opener switches with upgraded versions at no cost to customers. However, until parts become available for the vehicles to be repaired, Toyota is asking customers to utilize the automatic door-locking feature, which activates when shifting out of “park.” This precaution helps prevent the doors from opening unexpectedly in the event of a short circuit.

The automaker indicates it will notify customers affected by this recall by mail in early June 2024, at which Toyota will provide instructions on how to schedule free repair at a local dealer .

To see if your vehicle is involved in a safety recall visit Toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or license plate information. For any additional questions, Toyota customer support is also available by calling the Toyota Brand Engagement Center (1-800-331-4331) for Toyota vehicles.