Toyota Recalls 141,286 Vehicles Over Doors That May Open While Driving
We at MotorBiscuit are big fans of the redesigned Toyota Prius. But it has one glaring glitch that’s a serious safety concern: Rear doors that may pop open while the vehicle is driving. Here are the models and years affected.
- 2023-2026 Toyota Prius
- 2023-2026 Toyota Prius PHEV
The sleek new Toyota Prius has no exterior rear door handles. Instead, it has electronic controls that signal the doors to open. But shifting away from mechanical door handles is risky, as Tesla discovered the hard way. And Toyota’s having its own struggles.
According to the NHTSA, “Water may enter the rear door switch and cause a short circuit, allowing an unlocked rear door to open unexpectedly.” Here’s the kicker: Toyota already issued a recall and brought all its fifth-gen Prius cars in for repair. But that fix didn’t take. And Prius hybrids built since that recall continue to malfunction. So yet again, Toyota is recalling every Prius. That’s 141,286 cars in the US alone.
If you do drive a fifth-gen recall, Toyota recommends making sure your rear doors are locked before driving. It will be in touch with owners of affected vehicles—again—by March 15th. You can call your local dealership with your VIN ready to ask about the recall, or plug your VIN in at NHTSA.gov’s recall tracker.
