1,300 Toyota Prius units recalled in Singapore over rear doors that could open while car is moving

[SINGAPORE] Some 1,300 Toyota Prius cars are being recalled in Singapore over a fault in the rear electric doors, which can cause them to open while the car is in motion.Borneo Motors Singapore, the authorised distributor of Toyota here, is notifying the owners by post.Based on information posted on the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) electronic vehicle recall system, the rear doors of the popular hybrid car can unlock unexpectedly because of a short circuit caused by water entering the system.In response to The Straits Times, Borneo Motors said on Friday (Feb 27) that the rectification involves modifying the left and right rear door switch circuits, to prevent the switch from activating if a short circuit occurs. A short circuit may happen if large amounts of water enter the rear door opener switch, such as during a car wash, after its seal – a protective barrier around the switch – degrades over time.If the door is shut with force, water may seep into the switch. Should the water contain detergent, it could trigger the switch and cause the rear doors to open.Rectification work has already begun, and the repair can be completed within the same day. Owners will not be charged for the work.While waiting for their appointments, customers can continue to drive their vehicles, said Borneo Motors.Borneo Motors said the fault will be rectified on new Prius cars before delivery to customers.It began selling the current version of the Prius in early 2024. Parallel importers started offering the model here in 2023.Owners of parallel-imported cars can also contact Borneo Motors for help.While the dealer did not indicate the specific batches of cars that are affected, the recall in the United States reportedly affects more than 142,000 Prius cars made between model years 2023 and 2026.“Model year” refers to the way carmakers identify the specific version of a given car model, and may not correspond to an actual calendar year. Cars made in model year 2023, for example, would typically have been introduced some time in late 2022.This latest Toyota Prius recall is similar to an earlier one in April 2024, also for rear doors that can open unexpectedly because of a short circuit. This was reported to have affected about 211,000 vehicles globally.Borneo Motors said that after that recall, Toyota identified another set of circumstances that can cause the rear door switch to be activated, leading to the potential for the door to open while the car is being driven.LTA told ST on Feb 27 that vehicle manufacturers and motor dealers are responsible for identifying affected vehicles, notifying owners and arranging for safety-related defects to be fixed. THE STRAITS TIMES