Toyota, Lexus recall over 40,000 new cars for seat belt issue

Toyota and Lexus are recalling 40,922 sedans and crossovers due to potentially damaged seat belts that could fail to properly restrain occupants during a crash, the NHTSA disclosed Monday.

Use of incorrect tooling during a hit-knife cutting process at a specific manufacturing facility may have damaged the second-row center seat belts in the affected vehicles, according to the NHTSA. This damage could prevent the belt from performing adequately, increasing the risk of injury to its user.

The recall covers the following models from Toyota and its Lexus luxury brand:

Toyota told the NHTSA that the issue was discovered when a “melt mark” was found on a second-row center seat belt during a routine inspection of parts at a seat supplier’s production facility. The automaker did not confirm whether it was aware of any injuries or deaths related to this issue.

The remedy is inspection and, if necessary, replacement of the second-row center seat-belt assembly. That work will be performed by Toyota and Lexus dealers free of charge. The brands will also reimburse customers who have already paid for any related work out of their own pockets.

Toyota plans to notify owners by mail starting Mar. 24. Owners can also call the automaker’s customer service department at 1-800-331-4331 or visit Toyota’s recall site. Toyota has two reference numbers for this recall: 25TA03 and 25LA03.

This recall follows one for recent Toyota Tacoma midsize pickup trucks. Toyota is recalling 106,061 of those trucks because their rear brake hoses could become damaged and leak during off-road driving.