Toyota’s 5th Gen Prius Recall: 210,000 Units Affected by Rear Seat Malfunction

Toyota 5th generation Prius
Sudden recall of 210,000 units begins
South Korean car owners are also in emergency due to absurd defects

Toyota, Japan’s representative automobile brand, has recently suffered from problems related to vehicle safety. It was discovered that the numbers had been manipulated during the safety inspection process before launching a new model. The Toyota brand suffered a significant blow in the safety sector due to these actions, which is still gnawing at them today.

Toyota needs to regain the trust of consumers as soon as possible. In this situation, some terrible news was recently delivered. Their flagship model, the 5th generation Prius, was recalled due to performance issues. The problem is that the vehicle in question was a relatively new vehicle released in 2022. And the recall scale alone amounts to a whopping 210,000 units. Let’s look into detailed news related to this at this time.

Recall of 210,000 Prius units begins
There is a possibility that the door may open while driving

On April 17, Kyodo News reported that Toyota plans to recall about 211,000 Prius vehicles sold domestically and for export. Performance abnormalities were discovered in the rear seat opening and closing devices of some vehicles. Accordingly, Toyota plans to respond to the recall by the laws of each country where the vehicle was sold.

Toyota revealed the exact reason for the recall of the 5th generation Prius as follows: “The waterproof performance of the switch that opens the rear seat door is insufficient, so in the worst case, there is a risk that the door may open while driving if water seeps in and short-circuits the internal parts.” Three cases of doors being opened while driving have been reported.

Toyota suspends contract
Is there any news on the recall in South Korea yet?

Toyota plans to take temporary measures by disconnecting the fuse of the switchgear and replacing the parts free of charge once the necessary preparations are made. Kyodo News reported that Toyota will suspend production and new sales contracts until parts to resolve the defect are ready.

Meanwhile, it was not immediately clear whether Priuses sold outside of Japan were also subject to the recall. For this reason, Prius owners in South Korea are paying close attention. The 5th generation Prius has been officially sold in South Korea since December 2023.