Toyota Recalls 228,367 Sienna Hybrid Minivans Over Second-Row Seatback Defect (NHTSA Campaign 26V690), What Owners Need to Know

OWNER SAFETY WARNING: Toyota Sienna Hybrid owners should not wait for the recall letter. Toyota’s recall says the second-row seatbacks can unlock in certain frontal crashes, which may leave passengers without the support the seat is designed to give. In Canada, Toyota advises not using the second-row seats to carry passengers until the repair is done (Transport Canada Recall 2026505). U.S. owners should call Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or a Toyota dealer now and ask whether the second row should stay unused until the fix is installed. Until then, avoid seating children in the second row if another safe seating position is available. Check your VIN at toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls today.

Toyota is recalling 228,367 Toyota Sienna Hybrid minivans in the United States because the second-row seatbacks may disengage from their locked position in certain frontal crashes. The recall covers 2022 to 2026 Sienna Hybrid vehicles built from September 16, 2021 to July 20, 2026.

Toyota decided to recall on October 14, 2026 and filed its Part 573 Safety Recall Report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on October 20, 2026. The NHTSA campaign number is 26V690, and Toyota’s recall numbers are 26TB24 / 26TA24.

One detail is easy to miss in the headlines. Toyota’s own filing says it cannot estimate how many vehicles actually contain the defect. The 228,367 figure is the potentially involved population, not a count of defective seats.

Toyota Sienna Hybrid Recall 26V690: Quick Facts

Item	Detail
Manufacturer	Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Vehicle	Toyota Sienna Hybrid, model years 2022 to 2026
Potentially involved vehicles	228,367
Production period	September 16, 2021 to July 20, 2026
NHTSA campaign number	26V690
Toyota recall numbers	26TB24 / 26TA24
Component	Second-row seatback recliner mechanism (frames made by Toyota Boshoku Indiana)
Safety risk	Seatback may not stay locked in certain frontal crashes, increasing injury risk
Free remedy	SRS ECU software update for most vehicles
Special remedy	About 200 model-year 2022 to 2025 MaaS-package vehicles get new second-row seatbacks
Owner letters	December 7 to December 21, 2026 (phased)
Toyota customer service	1-800-331-4331
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline	1-888-327-4236
Class action or settlement	None identified for this recall as of October 31, 2026

The controlling document is Toyota’s four-page NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V690.

What Is the Toyota Sienna Hybrid Second-Row Seatback Defect?

Each affected second-row seat has an integrated seat belt with a pretensioner. In certain high-speed frontal crashes, the pretensioner retracts the belt quickly to remove slack and help hold the occupant. Each seat also has an outboard recliner mechanism that uses interlocking teeth to lock the seatback in position.

According to the filing, the load from the pretensioner firing creates an oscillation between two parts of the recliner, the cam and the pawls. Under a specific combination of frontal crash pulse, seatback displacement and pretensioner timing, that oscillation can be large enough to rotate the cam and release the recliner from its locked position.

Toyota says a seatback that is not locked may fail to properly restrain occupants, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. The filing does not say every seat will fail or that anyone has been hurt.

Which Toyota Sienna Hybrid Vehicles Are Included in Recall 26V690?

The recall covers 2022 to 2026 Sienna Hybrid vehicles within the September 16, 2021 to July 20, 2026 production window. News coverage describes the affected vans as seven-passenger configurations, but the filing itself defines the population by components rather than seat count.

The filing says the issue applies only to Sienna Hybrids with certain recliner assemblies from a particular supplier, built in a particular period, paired with a particular seat-belt pretensioner. It also notes that not every vehicle built in the production window was sold in the U.S. Model year and build date alone do not tell you whether your van is included, so check your VIN.

How many Sienna Hybrids actually have the defect?

Unknown. The filing’s estimated-percentage field shows “1%,” but Toyota explains that the NHTSA portal requires a whole number and that it entered 1 to mean “unknown.” It does not mean Toyota found that 1% of vehicles are defective.

How Did Toyota Find the Sienna Seatback Problem?

Toyota’s chronology shows the issue surfaced in testing, not in customer crashes.

• January to November 2025: During prototype sled testing of a modified seat belt and modified production second-row seat, meant to evaluate a future seat design, the outboard recliner disengaged in certain tests. Toyota began investigating.
• December 2025 to August 2026: More sled testing found that internal friction, pretensioner deployment timing, seatback relative displacement and vehicle floor acceleration all affected recliner performance. Toyota also began recovering second-row seats from vehicles in service.
• September to October 2026: Vehicle crash testing confirmed that a certain combination of crash pulse, seatback displacement and pretensioner timing can release the recliner.
• October 14, 2026: Toyota decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall.
• October 20, 2026: Toyota filed its Part 573 report with NHTSA.

As of October 12, 2026, Toyota’s best engineering judgment was that it had received no Field Technical Reports and no warranty claims from U.S. sources relating or potentially relating to this condition. That is Toyota’s statement about its own records. It does not independently establish that no incident has ever occurred, and the filing gives no confirmed injury count.

How Will Toyota Fix the Recalled Sienna Hybrids?

Both remedies are free.

• Most vehicles: Toyota is developing updated software for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) electronic control unit, which controls the pretensioner. Owners will be told to bring the van to a Toyota dealer.
• About 200 vehicles: Model-year 2022 to 2025 Sienna Hybrids with the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) package will have both second-row seatbacks replaced with new seatbacks that use a different recliner mechanism.

Toyota plans phased owner notification from December 7 to December 21, 2026. A missing letter does not mean your van is excluded, and you do not have to wait for one to check.

Is It Safe to Use the Second-Row Seats on a Recalled Toyota Sienna Hybrid?

This is the question that matters most to families, and the answer depends on where you live.

Canada. Transport Canada’s Recall 2026505 says Toyota advises not using the second-row seats to transport passengers until the recall repairs are completed.

United States. The text of Toyota’s U.S. Part 573 report that we reviewed does not state a stop-use instruction for the second row. That is not the same as confirming the seats are safe to use. Call Toyota or a dealer and ask for Toyota’s current instruction for your VIN.

Because the failure depends on crash conditions, a seat can look and feel normal while driving. Anyone who wants to be cautious can follow the Canadian approach and keep passengers, especially children, out of the second row until the repair is done.

Is There a Toyota Sienna Hybrid Class Action Over Recall 26V690?

As of October 31, 2026, we have not identified a lawsuit, certified class action, settlement or claim form tied to this seatback recall. Separate Toyota disputes can look similar in headlines, so here is how they differ.

• 2025 Sienna seat rail lawsuit. A proposed class action, Hamblin, et al. v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., et al., No. 2:26-cv-03458 (C.D. Cal.), concerns second-row seat rail weld defects in certain 2025 Sienna Hybrids and a different recall. Our coverage reports a federal judge largely allowed the warranty claims to proceed on October 15, 2026, which is not a finding of liability or class certification. Read: Toyota Sienna Class Action Lawsuit, Judge Lets 2025 Seat Rail Defect Warranty Claims Move Forward.
• Highlander seatback recall. A March 2026 recall of Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles involved second-row seatbacks that might not lock after adjustment. It is a different campaign. Read: Second-Row Seat Backs in 550,000 Toyota Highlanders May Not Lock — Here’s What Owners Need to Do.
• Camry Hybrid display recall. Unrelated to seats. Read: Toyota Camry Hybrid Display Recall, Is Your Car Affected? NHTSA Campaign No. 26V511 (Mfr. Nos. 26TB16 / 26TA16).

Which Federal Laws Govern the Toyota Sienna Hybrid Recall?

• 49 U.S.C. § 30118: requires a manufacturer that decides in good faith a vehicle has a safety-related defect to notify NHTSA, owners and dealers.
• 49 U.S.C. § 30120: generally requires the manufacturer to remedy the defect at no charge when the vehicle is presented for repair. It does not by itself give owners a buyback or cash payment.
• 49 CFR Part 573 and Part 577: set the defect-reporting rules (Toyota’s October 20 filing) and the owner-notification rules (the December letters).
• State product liability and negligence law: if someone is actually injured, claims such as design defect, manufacturing defect or failure to warn may apply, and the person must connect the defect to the injury. A recall is relevant evidence but does not prove liability.
• Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2310: may matter if Toyota fails to honor a warranty obligation. It is not an automatic payment program for recalled vehicles.

Can Toyota Sienna Hybrid Owners Get Compensation?

The recall remedy is a free repair. Appearing in the recall does not automatically entitle an owner to cash, a refund or rental reimbursement, and no claim form, administrator, payment amount or deadline has been verified for this recall. People who were injured in a crash, or who have documented losses, should speak with an attorney experienced in vehicle defects in their state.

What Should Toyota Sienna Hybrid Owners Do Now?

1. Check your VIN at toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls. Do not rely on model year alone.
2. Call Toyota (1-800-331-4331) or your dealer, mention NHTSA campaign 26V690 and Toyota recall numbers 26TB24 / 26TA24, and ask about second-row use.
3. Keep passengers, especially children, out of the second row if you can until the repair is done.
4. Watch for the letter between December 7 and December 21, 2026, but do not wait for it.
5. Keep every record: recall notices, repair orders and receipts.
6. After a crash or injury, preserve the vehicle and seat components, medical records and photos before repair or disposal, and get professional guidance.
7. Report problems to NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 or nhtsa.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Toyota Sienna Hybrid Recall 26V690

Which Toyota Sienna Hybrid models are recalled?

Certain 2022 to 2026 Sienna Hybrids built September 16, 2021 to July 20, 2026. Only vehicles with the affected recliner and pretensioner combination are involved, so check your VIN.

How many Toyota Sienna Hybrids are affected?

Toyota lists 228,367 potentially involved vehicles. Toyota says it cannot estimate how many actually have the defect.

What is the Toyota Sienna Hybrid seatback defect?

In certain frontal crashes, pretensioner deployment can cause the second-row recliner to disengage from its locked position, so the seatback may not stay secured.

Can the seatbacks unlock during normal driving?

The filing describes a failure under specific crash conditions, not ordinary driving. That is why a seat may seem normal until a crash.

Will Toyota replace the second-row seats?

Only for about 200 model-year 2022 to 2025 MaaS-package vehicles. Most vehicles get a free SRS ECU software update at a dealer.

When will Toyota send Sienna Hybrid recall letters?

Between December 7 and December 21, 2026, in phases.

Has Toyota reported injuries from this defect?

No. As of October 12, 2026, Toyota reported no U.S. Field Technical Reports or warranty claims relating to the condition, and the filing does not give an injury count.

Is there a Toyota Sienna Hybrid seatback class action?

None identified for recall 26V690 as of October 31, 2026. A separate proposed class action covers 2025 Sienna seat rail welds.

Is Toyota offering a cash settlement?

No settlement, claim form or compensation fund for this recall has been verified.

What Happens Next?

Toyota will begin mailing owner letters from December 7, and the software update and replacement seatbacks will be handled through dealers. Owners should not wait for those dates to check their VIN and ask about the second row. The recall also shows that Toyota found this problem through its own sled and crash testing, not through a pattern of U.S. warranty claims.

This article is general consumer and legal information, not legal advice, and AllAboutLawyer.com is not a law firm. Recall details can change.

Sources and Legal References

1. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing: NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V690 (October 20, 2026)
2. Transport Canada: Recall 2026505, Toyota (updated October 23, 2026)
3. NHTSA: Vehicle Recall Lookup
4. Toyota: Recall Lookup
5. 49 U.S.C. § 30118 and 49 U.S.C. § 30120
6. 49 CFR Part 573 and 49 CFR Part 577
7. 15 U.S.C. § 2310 (Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act)

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V690 and the Transport Canada Recall 2026505 notice, as of October 31, 2026. Last Updated: October 31, 2026.