The latest recall of the Toyota Prius is not about quirky software or a finicky sensor, but something far more basic: keeping the doors shut at speed. After earlier fixes failed to fully solve a rear door problem, Toyota is again calling owners back to the dealership so their cars do not risk popping a door open while driving. For a brand that built its reputation on quiet, predictable reliability, having to revisit the same safety issue is a jarring look.
This time the campaign sweeps in a wide swath of the fifth-generation Toyota Prius, including both hybrid and plug-in versions, and stretches across multiple model years. The core issue is simple to describe and unnerving to imagine from the driver’s seat, especially with kids or pets in the back. A fault in the rear door hardware can let an unlocked door swing open unexpectedly, turning a routine commute into a serious safety scare.
What is going wrong with the Prius doors?
At the heart of the problem is the way the rear doors on the latest Toyota Prius are wired and sealed. According to federal safety documents, According to the NHTSA, Water can seep into the rear door switch, cause a short circuit, and trigger the release mechanism even when no one is touching the handle. If the door is already unlocked, that short can let it unlatch while the car is moving, which is why regulators treat the defect as a clear crash and injury risk.
The scale of the response reflects that concern. Toyota is recalling roughly 141,286 vehicles in the United States, a figure echoed in coverage that notes The Toyota Prius hybrid and its plug-in hybrid counterpart are both affected. Another breakdown of the campaign describes Toyota Recalls 141,000+ Prius For Involuntarily Opening Rear Doors, with Toyota Recalls certain years of the Prius family, totaling 141,000 cars in that analysis.
Owners are not imagining déjà vu. Earlier in the life of this generation, Toyota issued a similar fix after identifying a peculiar rear door issue on 2024 Priuses, a problem that was detailed when Toyota issued a recall on Wednesday for Priuses with rear doors that could open while driving. The latest campaign essentially admits that the first repair did not fully harden the system against moisture and short circuits, which is why the model is now being invited back to dealerships again for updated work on the same basic hardware.
How big is this recall and who is affected?
The numbers stack up quickly once all regions and model years are counted. In the United States, Toyota is recalling more than 142,000 Priuses, a figure spelled out in a recall overview that notes 142,000 Priuses are tied to faulty door switches. Another breakdown pegs the total at 141,286 vehicles, again covering both the standard hybrid and plug-in versions of the Toyota Prius, and stresses that the defect is tied to the rear doors specifically. A separate consumer alert frames the situation as a Toyota Recall within a broader batch of safety campaigns affecting multiple brands, underscoring that regulators see the risk of a door opening in motion as a serious safety-related defect that can increase the risk of injury, fire, or vehicle malfunction, as noted in the Toyota Recall roundup.
The reach is not limited to the United States. In Canada, 19,399 vehicles are covered by the same campaign, a figure spelled out in a summary that notes Prius models from 2023 to 2026 are affected and that 19,399 vehicles are included In Canada. Another overview of the same campaign points out that this is a second recall for the same issue on the current Prius, reinforcing that the fix is not a minor tweak but a renewed attempt to fully solve a lingering safety flaw, as detailed in coverage of Prius models from 2023 to 2026.
From Toyota’s side, the company has formally acknowledged the scope in a corporate statement. In PLANO, Texas, Jan, Toyota announced a safety recall involving certain model year 2023 to 2026 Prius vehicles, describing how Approxi owners will be notified and can check their VIN or license plate information to confirm if their car is affected, as laid out in the PLANO, Texas announcement. That statement aligns with independent reporting that the fifth-generation Toyota Prius, widely praised as the most stylish and efficient version yet, is now back in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, as noted in coverage that bluntly frames how Toyota Prius owners are being called back again for the same issue.
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