Drivers in Canada are once again raising concerns about Toyota Prius models after reports that rear doors can still open unexpectedly while the car is in motion, even after previous repairs. As a result, Toyota has issued a new recall affecting nearly 20,000 vehicles, expanding on an earlier campaign that failed to fully resolve the issue.
The recall covers 19,399 vehicles, including Prius and Prius Prime models from the 2023 through 2026 model years.
The problem originates in the rear doors, where water intrusion can reach the exterior door handles and cause a short circuit in the electric door opener switches. When this occurs, the system can mistakenly activate the latch, allowing a rear door to open while the vehicle is being driven, which poses an obvious safety risk to occupants.
Transport Canada has assigned the recall number 2026-034, while Toyota is tracking it internally as SRC RL6. This latest action builds on a previous recall issued in 2024 that addressed the same defect.
However, the persistence of the problem means that vehicles already repaired under the earlier campaign must return to dealerships for additional corrective work. The situation mirrors a similar recall Toyota carried out in the United States in 2024 involving comparable door latch behavior.
As with the earlier recall, the underlying issue is that a short circuit can trigger the door latch without any input from the driver or passengers. Toyota has noted that enabling the vehicle’s automatic door-locking function through the infotainment system may reduce the risk in the short term, but this is not considered a permanent solution.
Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to visit a dealership, where technicians will modify the rear door switch circuits to properly address the defect.
The Prius recall comes shortly after another separate issue prompted Toyota to recall 12,179 Tundra pickups from the 2024 and 2025 model years. Those trucks are equipped with panoramic rearview mirrors featuring digital displays, and a software glitch can cause the image to freeze or fail to appear when the transmission is shifted into reverse.
In that case, a software update is required to fix the problem. Together, the two recalls highlight how increasingly complex vehicle technology can introduce new safety challenges, even as manufacturers work to address earlier ones.
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