Toyota isn’t sure exactly how many Prius models could have an issue where doors could suddenly open due to water damage to the rear locks.
When it first went on sale a couple years ago, we and many other outlets praised Toyota’s efforts for the new Prius and Prius Plug-in Hybrid. The team commented that this is the first “cool-looking” Prius around, and that largely came down to the car’s exterior design. Fast forward a little bit, and now that same design — or, strictly speaking, the electronically controlled rear doors — are the basis of a new recall campaign. The problem? The Prius’ rear doors can open unexpectedly.
The electric rear door switches, in some cases, can have their seals compromised by thermal cycling and water. If a large amount of water splashes onto the switch (like when the car is going through a car wash), the seal may not prevent intrusion and a short circuit. Toyota notes slamming the rear doors closed can make the problem worse by getting water into the switches, and any detergent in the water could exacerbate a short circuit that can unexpectedly activate the door release.
According to what Toyota told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this problem could affect a portion of the 141,286 Prius and Prius Plug-in Hybrid units included in the recall population. The official recall report notes a “1%” defect rate, but in this case, that one-percent stands for “unknown”. Automakers have to enter an integer value when filing the report, so “1” typically means the company isn’t sure how many vehicles are actually affected.
This recall impacts 102,515 examples of the standard hybrid Toyota Prius, between the 2023 and 2026 model years. 23,243 examples of the Toyota Prius Prime PHEV from 2023-2024 are also included, as are 15,528 examples of the 2025-2026 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (the same vehicle as the “Prime”, just with a different name). This is an issue unique to the Prius, since other Toyota and Lexus models don’t use this same style of rear door lock system.
Naturally, this is an issue owners will want to tackle as soon as possible, since the rear doors unexpectedly swinging open presents a serious safety concern.
When can I get my car in to be fixed?
Toyota says it will notify owners of the subject vehicles, telling them to bring their cars into the dealer. From there, the dealers will modify the left and right rear door circuits, so the switch will not activate incorrectly, even if the switch itself does short-circuit. Most of the affected vehicles should still be under warranty, but the automaker will also instruct owners who paid to remedy the problem to seek reimbursement.
It will still be a little while before Toyota is ready to notify owners, however. While dealers were made aware of the issue on January 28, Toyota says it won’t send a notification out to owners until at least March 15. From there, owners should get a notice in the mail within a two-week time span between March 15 and March 29.
