Toyota Recalls 228,367 Sienna Hybrid Minivans
Toyota is recalling Sienna Hybrid minivans over a second-row seat belt defect that can cause seat backs to unlock during certain crash forces.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Auto Parts
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Toyota is recalling 228,367 seven-passenger Sienna Hybrid minivans from model years 2022 through 2026 after a second-row seat-back locking mechanism was found to release under a specific combination of frontal-impact forces, seat movement and pretensioner timing. Toyota approved the voluntary recall on October 14.
Why it matters
The defect was found through Toyota's internal prototype sled tests rather than consumer complaints, and the company had received no U.S. field reports or warranty claims about the issue when it initiated the recall. For U.S. owners, the fix is largely a no-cost software update that addresses how the seat-belt system responds when pretensioners deploy.
Toyota conducted several dozen sled and full-scale crash tests, and a rear seat-back recliner released during prototype sled tests between January and November 2025. Approximately 200 Mobility as a Service versions from model years 2022 to 2025 will receive two replacement second-row seat backs with a redesigned recliner mechanism.
The players
Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota is the Japanese automaker that manufactures the Sienna Hybrid and initiated the voluntary recall after its internal testing identified the seat-back defect.
The details
The recall covers seven-passenger Sienna Hybrids where internal recliner components, the locking cam and pawls, can oscillate under pretensioner force and release the seat back. For most recalled vehicles, dealers can install software at no charge that recalibrates the Supplemental Restraint System's electronic control unit when seat-belt pretensioners deploy.
Timeline
January 2025 to November 2025: Prototype sled tests reveal the seat-back release problem.
October 14: Toyota approves the voluntary safety recall.
December 7: Toyota begins mailing owner notifications.
Auto Parts Context
The Sienna recall is a seat-belt and seat-back equipment issue discovered through Toyota's prototype crash testing rather than field reports. Its repair path, a software recalibration plus redesigned second-row seat backs for a small Mobility as a Service fleet, reflects how automakers now address restraint-system defects in the parts supply chain.
Sienna Hybrid owners in the affected model years will receive a mailed notice beginning December 7, and most can have the software update installed by a dealer at no charge. Owners of affected Mobility as a Service vehicles will receive two replacement second-row seat backs.
The takeaway
Owners of 2022 through 2026 Sienna Hybrids should watch for Toyota's December 7 notification letter and schedule the no-cost dealer software update when it arrives. Checking a vehicle's recall status with the manufacturer is a simple way to confirm whether the fix applies.
What happens next
Toyota will begin mailing recall notifications to owners on December 7.
Further reading
Explore more Auto Parts coverage for context on restraint-system and seat-belt component recalls.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Cool Down.
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