Toyota Recalls New Prius Over Rear Doors That Could Open While Driving

Water can cause the electronic latches to short circuit, causing the doors to open unexpectedly.

By: Anthony Alaniz

Apr 18, 2024 at 10:33am ET

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Toyota is issuing a recall for the new Prius because its rear doors could unexpectedly fly open due to a short circuit. It affects approximately 55,000 2023 and 2024 Prius and Prius Prime models in the US.

According to the automaker, water can short the electronic rear door latches, and the doors could fly open if they aren’t locked. They could open while the car is moving or when it’s involved in a crash.

Owners should watch for correspondence from Toyota about the recall, which should reach them by early June. Toyota will fix the issue by replacing the left and right rear door opener switches with new items sporting an improved design.

Gallery: 2024 Toyota Prius

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Until the fix is available, the automaker is asking customers in the US and Canada to activate the feature that automatically locks the doors when the driver shifts the transmission into Park. The company says this will help prevent the doors from opening if a short circuit occurs. Toyota is recalling about 211,000 vehicles worldwide, including in Asia and Japan.

Toyota radically revamped the Prius for the 2023 model year, turning the frumpy fuel sipper into a sleek and stylish sedan that’s also a hybrid. While the Prius is synonymous with Toyota, it’s far from the brand’s best-selling vehicle, but the redesign seems to have helped boost sales. They’re up 138.6 percent through the first three months of 2024.