Toyota recalls 550,000 vehicles over seat defect

Toyota is recalling 550,007 vehicles because of a seat-back locking issue, federal regulators said.

The recall affects 420,771 Highlander and 129,236 Highlander Hybrid vehicles, all from model years 2021 through 2024, according to a notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The notice said "second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment."

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A seat back that has not been secured in a locked position may fail to properly restrain occupants, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash at higher speeds, the notice said.

The NHTSA said all owners of the affected vehicles will be notified to return their vehicles to a Toyota dealer. The dealer will replace the return springs in the recliner assemblies with improved ones, free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed in April.

Toyota also recalled around 141,000 Prius and Prius Prime vehicles last month after discovering that rear doors can unexpectedly open while the car is moving.

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FOX Business reached out to Toyota for comment.