Second-Row Seat Backs in 550,000 Toyota Highlanders May Not Lock — Here’s What Owners Need to Do

Toyota issued a voluntary recall covering 550,007 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid SUVs from model years 2021 through 2024 after discovering that the second-row seat backs may fail to lock properly during adjustment. The defect stems from a supplier-made design change to the recliner assembly that Toyota was not previously aware of, which can cause the recliner teeth to fail to fully engage in a locked position — meaning a seated occupant may not be properly restrained in a crash. Toyota reported the recall to NHTSA on March 5, 2026. No injuries have been reported.

Company/Brand: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Products Affected: 2021–2024 Toyota Highlander (420,771 vehicles) and 2021–2024 Toyota Highlander Hybrid (129,236 vehicles)

NHTSA Recall Number: 26V128

Manufacturer Recall Numbers: 26TB06 / 26TA06

Defective Component Manufacturer: Toyota Boshoku Indiana, Princeton, Indiana

Affected Part Numbers: 71018-0E140, 71018-0E150 (Left-hand seat back frames); 71017-0E190, 71017-0E200, 71017-0E270 (Right-hand seat back frames)

Production Dates Affected: March 31, 2021 – November 10, 2023

Reason for Recall: Second-row seat backs may not lock into position after adjustment, increasing the risk of injury in a crash

Date Announced: March 5, 2026 (NHTSA submission); March 11, 2026 (public announcement)

Geographic Scope: United States nationwide

Recommended Action: Avoid seating occupants in the second row if you feel the seat back is not fully locked; take the vehicle to a Toyota dealer for a free spring replacement once notified

Official Resources: toyota.com/recall |NHTSA Recall 26V128

How an Unauthorized Design Change Went Undetected for Over Two Years

The root cause of this recall traces back to a parts supplier making a design change it never told Toyota about.

In April 2021, Toyota Boshoku Indiana implemented a design change to the guide and ratchet within the recliner assembly. Because Toyota was not aware that the change had occurred, Toyota did not study the effects of the change on recliner assembly performance until July 2024, when it was brought to their attention.

In October 2023, during a routine inspection at a Toyota assembly plant, a second-row seat back was found that skipped the first locking position during adjustment but remained locked at subsequent positions. The Toyota assembly plant and the supplier then initiated a 500% sort inspection to identify and contain seats with the issue.

The situation worsened as the investigation continued. In October 2024, while performing sort inspections, Toyota found a seat back that failed to remain in a locked position after adjustment at all — not just at the first position. Toyota then built 20 seats for replication testing and confirmed that 5 of the 20 contained seat backs that failed to hold a locked position after adjustment — a 25% failure rate in test conditions.

Due to a failure to account for the force balance between the locking spring and the return spring during the design change, a combination of return spring orientation and outer clearance between the recliner guide and ratchet may cause the recliner teeth not to fully engage during seat back adjustment. In plain terms: when you adjust and release the seat back, it may feel like it is locked — but it may not have.

A seat back that has not been secured in a locked position may fail to properly restrain occupants, increasing the risk of injury in a crash at higher speeds. Toyota states it has received no reports of injury related to this defect. Toyota is unable to provide an estimate of the percentage of vehicles that actually contain the defect, as whether the recliner teeth fail depends on a combination of conditions specific to each individual seat assembly.

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What Highlander Owners Should Do Right Now

1. Check your VIN immediately. Visit toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your Vehicle Identification Number to confirm whether your specific vehicle is included. Not every Highlander or Highlander Hybrid built in this window is necessarily affected.
   
2. Test your second-row seat backs carefully. Adjust the seat back and firmly press against it before allowing a passenger to sit there. If the seat back moves or does not feel solidly locked, do not use that seat position.
   
3. Use the third row in the meantime if possible. The rearmost seats are not affected by the same problem, so moving occupants — particularly children — to the third row is a reasonable interim precaution until your vehicle is repaired.
   
4. Wait for your owner notification letter. Toyota will notify owners of the recall between April 20 and May 4, 2026. The letter will contain instructions for scheduling a dealer appointment.
   
5. Schedule a free repair at any Toyota dealership. Dealer technicians will inspect and replace the return springs in the second-row seat recliner assemblies at no charge. No cost to the owner. No appointment required to inquire — you can call your local dealer now.
   
6. Contact Toyota directly with questions. Owners may contact Toyota’s customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Representatives can confirm your vehicle’s recall status and help schedule a repair.

Legal & Regulatory Status

NHTSA oversees this recall under its standard Part 573 Safety Recall reporting process. The official recall number is 26V128. Toyota submitted the recall report voluntarily on March 5, 2026.

Toyota is not currently facing legal action over this specific recall. However, the scale of the defect — rooted in an undisclosed supplier design change that affected production for over two years — may attract further scrutiny. Toyota is separately facing litigation over alleged transmission defects in certain models, which is unrelated to this recall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which specific vehicles does this recall cover?

 The recall covers 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Toyota Highlander (gas-powered) and Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles manufactured between March 31, 2021, and November 10, 2023. Other Toyota or Lexus vehicles sold in the U.S. are not equipped with the recliner assemblies produced by this supplier during this time period and are not included in the recall.

How do I know if my specific Highlander is affected? 

Enter your 17-digit VIN at toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls. Not every vehicle within the production date range is confirmed to have the defect — Toyota is unable to estimate the percentage of vehicles that actually contain the defect, so checking your VIN is the most reliable step.

What if I already adjusted my second-row seats and am not sure if they are locked? 

The assembly teeth on the recliners may fail to fully engage in a locked position when the seat back is being adjusted. Press firmly against your second-row seat back to test whether it holds. If it shifts or gives way, treat that seat as unusable until repaired. Contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 for guidance.

How do I get the free repair? 

Owners will receive notification letters by early May 2026, after which they can take their Highlanders to their local dealer for repair. You do not need to wait for the letter — you can call your Toyota dealership now and ask about scheduling based on the recall number 26V128. The repair is free of charge.

Who caused this defect and why?

 The defective recliner technology was made by Toyota Boshoku Indiana, a Princeton, Indiana manufacturing company that makes automotive interior components for Toyota Highlander and Toyota Sienna vehicles. The company made an unauthorized design change to the recliner assembly in April 2021 without informing Toyota, which altered the force balance between the locking and return springs and led to the engagement failure.

Are there any symptoms I can look for before my repair appointment?

 The most noticeable sign is a seat back that feels unstable, shifts when pressed, or does not click firmly into place after you adjust it. You may also notice the seat back sitting at an unexpected angle after release. If you observe either of these signs, stop using that seat position and schedule your dealer appointment promptly.

What if my Highlander was recalled for a different seat issue previously?

 This is a separate recall from Toyota’s earlier Sienna minivan seat recall. This is not the first time Toyota has had to recall one of its larger vehicles for second-row seating issues, as 55,000 examples of the Sienna minivan were recalled for such an issue previously — but that recall and this one involve different vehicles and different defect mechanisms. Check your VIN to confirm your vehicle’s full recall history.

Last Updated: March 25, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only. Always follow official recall guidance from Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the most current instructions.