Toyota Recall: Over 550,000 Highlanders Affected

Toyota has been forced to recall more than 550,000 vehicles in the US. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), certain models have seatback mechanisms that may not lock properly in place.

The recall affects certain Toyota Highlander and Highlander hybrid models, running from model year 2021 up through 2024. Per NHTSA, the total number of affected vehicles is 550,007. Toyota really does sell a ton of Highlanders. These are the models affected:

• 2021-2024 Toyota Highlander
• 2021-2024 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Vehicles in the recall have a seatback that might not lock after you adjust it. This raises the risk of potential injury in an accident—or, really, it could also cause an accident. But the fix sounds like a pretty easy one.

Toyota owners can bring their Highlanders to their local dealer. The service department will replace the return springs in the seatback mechanism at a cost of zero dollars. Well, minus your time and fuel, of course.

But better to spend a few moments of your day making sure your seat stays where you want it to be.

Motor1’s Take: In this era of seemingly endless recall notices, this one feels pretty benign. Yes, it would be bad to have a Highlander with a poorly functioning seat. But you’re also likely to notice that the seat isn’t latching properly and avoid a potential injury as a result. Plus, the fix sounds like a fairly quick job.