Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer, Toyota, has recalled about 55,000 of its vehicles amidst concerns that its rear doors could open unexpectedly.
According to Daily Mail, the recall affects its 2023-2024 Prius and Prius HEV hybrid electric vehicles in the United States.
The report said some 156,000 vehicles in Japan, Canada, Europe and Asia have also been recalled.
There are concerns water may enter and short-circuit rear door latches which risks them opening when moving or in a crash.
Unexpected door openings increase the risk of injury to occupants, Toyota said in a recall notice, but the automaker did not disclose whether any accidents had already been reported.
Toyota said motorists whose models are affected will be notified by mail by early June 2024.
They can also check if their vehicle is part of the recall by visiting Toyota’s website.
Toyota dealers will replace the right and left rear door opener switches with improved ones, free-of-charge.
In the meantime, owners are being urged to activate a feature that automatically locks the doors when shifting from ‘park’ to prevent the door opening if a short circuit occurs.
It comes after Toyota recalled more than 381,000 of its 2022-2023 Tacoma trucks over an axle issue that could affect vehicle stability and brake performance – increasing the risk of a crash.
The manufacturer also recalled more than 280,600 of its 2022-2024 model Tundra, Tundra Hybrid, Lexus LX600 and 2023-2024 Sequoia Hybrid vehicles.
The recall was sparked by a brake issue which might cause the vehicle to move when it is in neutral and the brakes are not applied.
These days, Tesla was also forced to recall nearly 4,000 of its Cybertrucks over a potentially fatal flaw.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Friday that Elon Musk’s company will replace or repair the accelerator pedal assembly at no charge and owners will be notified through letters mailed to them in June.
The recall comes after a new Tesla owner shared the design flaw in a video, showing how the pedal cover can easily slip forward and become lodged in the interior, effectively locking the car in full acceleration.
