Toyota Recalls 228,367 Sienna Hybrid Minivans Because The Second Row Seat Backs Can Unlatch In A Frontal Crash

Toyota is recalling 228,367 Sienna hybrid minivans in the United States because the seat backs in the second row can unlatch during certain frontal crashes. The recall, filed with federal safety regulators as campaign 26V690, covers model years 2022 through 2026.

A white minivan drives along a busy city street.

The vans were built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana between September 16, 2021 and July 20, 2026. For a vehicle families use to haul kids, grandkids and groceries, that is a recall worth reading closely.

Federal recall filings are public, and owners can search by VIN on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall page.

Seatbelt Pretensioner Can Make The Seat Back Recliner Let Go

Here is how the problem works. When a frontal crash triggers the seatbelt pretensioner, which tightens the belt in an instant, the force makes parts inside the second row recliner, called the cam and pawls, oscillate.

Combined with seat back movement, the timing of the deployment and the forces of the crash, the cam can rotate far enough to release the recliner. The result is a seat back that can fold forward or back when it is supposed to stay locked.

Why A Seat Back That Moves Matters So Much

A seat back is meant to hold a passenger in position while the belt and airbags do their work. In a frontal crash, the people in the second row are thrown forward against their belts, and the seat behind a front occupant also has to stay put.

That is why automakers test recliners hard, and why Toyota pursued this one through months of lab and crash work before filing the recall. The company says the problem shows up only in certain frontal crashes, not in everyday driving.

Toyota Started Digging In January 2025 With Sled Tests

Toyota says it began investigating in January 2025, running sled tests on a modified seat and seatbelt assembly. Through August 2026 the company ran more tests to isolate variables and recovered second row seats from the field for study.

Then came full vehicle crash tests in September and October 2026, which reproduced the condition. That testing led to the recall.

The seat assembly supplier is Toyota Boshoku Indiana.

About 200 Vans Get New Seat Backs, Everyone Else Gets A Software Update

The fix depends on which Sienna you own. About 200 vehicles with the Mobility as a Service Package will have both second row seat backs fully replaced with a different recliner mechanism.

Every other affected Sienna gets updated software for the SRS electronic control unit, the module that manages the airbags and belt pretensioners. Dealers will install it, and the remedy is free.

Owner Letters Go Out By December 21

Toyota will notify known owners by first class mail no later than December 21, 2026. That mailing date is a deadline, not a starting gun, so there is no reason to sit and wait for an envelope.

Owners who want answers sooner can check their van’s status online today and call a dealer to get on the schedule.

What Sienna Owners Should Do Right Now

Start by confirming whether your van is included. Look up your 17-character vehicle identification number, found on the driver’s side of the dashboard near the windshield and on your registration, using the federal recall search.

If your Sienna is on the list, call a Toyota dealer and ask to schedule the repair. Federal law requires the remedy for a safety recall to be provided at no charge to the owner.

Buying a used Sienna? Run the VIN before you hand over any money, because recall work is tied to the vehicle and not the person who owned it.

Tell the whole family. Grandparents, teenagers and anyone else who rides in the second row should know the van is under recall and that a free repair is coming.

Keep every rear passenger buckled in, every trip. Seatbelts are the first line of defense in a crash, and a properly worn belt matters even more when a seat back is the subject of a recall.

If you tell a dealer you are worried, ask when the software update will be available for your van and whether a loaner is offered while you wait. Dealers handle the details, and a quick phone call often settles it.

If you drive a Sienna with a Mobility as a Service Package, expect a longer visit, since both second row seat backs are being replaced. Call ahead so the dealer can have the parts on hand.

Recalls like this one can sound alarming, but they are also the system working. A defect found in testing is repaired before it shows up in more owners’ driveways, and the repair does not cost you a dime.

Check the date on your owner letter when it arrives, keep it with your service records, and hang onto the repair receipt after the work is done. That paper trail comes in handy if you ever sell the van.

For the families who rely on the Sienna, the bottom line is simple. Check your VIN, book the free fix, and keep everyone buckled up until it is done.

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