Toyota Motors has recalled more than 135,000 Prius hybrid vehicles in Japan due to a problem with the rear door handles.
135,000 Prius Hybrid
The recall comes after a transport ministry filing revealed that the affected vehicles were built between November 2022 and April 2024. Fortunately, no accidents have been reported as a result of the fault so far.
The company has announced that it will halt production and stop accepting orders from dealerships until the problem is solved.
The transport ministry identified the problem, which was caused by insufficient waterproofing in the rear door’s electronic components.
If these components are exposed to moisture, they may short-circuit, causing unexpected door openings while the vehicle is in operation.
Potential Safety Risks
Although no accidents have been reported thus far, Toyota has determined that it is critical to address this flaw as soon as possible in order to reduce any potential safety risks.
Japanese Automakers
Japanese automakers have announced a temporary halt in production and suspended order placements from dealerships until the problem has been resolved.
While the recall specifically targets Prius vehicles in Japan, it is unclear whether similar actions will be taken for Prius models sold outside of the country.
Toyota has announced that an assembly line previously suspended for quality checks on Prius vehicles will resume production of Corolla compact vehicles.
Tokai Rika Co, one of Toyota’s suppliers, revealed that the problem stemmed from door switches for Prius vehicles. The company expects to spend approximately 11 billion yen (Rs. 19,707,477,100) on the product recall.
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