Toyota Australia has today announced that it will initiate a recall on 687 Prius and 350 Prius V vehicles due to an issue with the seat belt reminder system.
In the driver's seat belt reminder system of the involved vehicles, there is a possibility that abnormal wear at the contact points may occur after repeated use of the seat belt due to an improper assembly of the electrical contact points in the reminder switch. As a result, residue may be deposited.
If this condition occurs, the seat belt reminder cannot be turned off even when the seat belt is correctly fastened, due to a short circuit between the contact points.
For all involved vehicles, Toyota dealers will remove and replace the driver's seat belt buckle free of charge.
It is expected that it will take approximately 1 hour to replace the driver's seat belt buckle. However, depending upon the Dealer's work schedule, it may be necessary for the owner to make the vehicle available for a longer period of time.
Toyota Australia will provide all owners of involved vehicles details of this Recall Campaign by SMS, email and/or mail to their last known address.
Owners with additional questions or concerns are asked to please contact their local Toyota Dealer in the first instance or the Toyota Recall Support Helpline on 1800 987 366 (Mon-Fri 8.00-6.00pm AEDT). Please quote your 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Q&A
Q1. What models are involved?
A1. 687 Prius and 350 Prius V vehicles are involved. Details of the vehicles are provided below.
| Model Name | Model Code | WMI | VDS | CD | VIN Range | Production Period | Qty | ||
| From | To | From | To | ||||||
| Prius | ZVW50R | JTD | KB3FU | # | 03500164 | 03590913 | 27/11/2015 | 18/01/2018 | 687 |
| Prius V | ZVW40R | JTD | ZS3EU | # | 0J003502 | 0J039620 | 20/04/2015 | 01/02/2019 | 350 |
Note: Although the involved vehicles are within the above VIN ranges, not all vehicles in these VIN ranges were sold in the Australian market.
(#) indicates additional check digit (alpha or numeric).
Q2. What is the condition?
A2. In the driver's seat belt reminder system, there is a possibility that abnormal wear at the contact points may occur after repeated use of the seat belt due to an improper assembly of the electrical contact points in the reminder switch. As a result, residue may be deposited. If this condition occurs, the seat belt reminder cannot be turned off, even when the seat belt is correctly fastened, due to a short circuit between the contacts.
SQ1. What is the reminder switch?
The switch detects whether the seat belt is correctly fastened.
SQ2. Are there any symptoms/warnings before the condition appears in a vehicle?
No.
Q3. What does the remedy involve?
A3. For all involved vehicles, Toyota dealers will remove and replace the driver's seat belt buckle and replace it with an improved belt buckle free of charge.
Q4. How long will the remedy take?
A4. It is expected that it will take approximately 1 hour to replace the driver's seat belt buckle. However, it may be necessary for owners to make their vehicles available for a longer period of time depending upon the Dealer's work schedule.
Q5. Does this condition affect other Toyota models?
A5. Only models mentioned in the VIN range in the table at question 1 are involved in the Australian market.
Q6. My vehicle is in the affected production range. What should I do?
A6. Please contact your closest/preferred Toyota dealer to verify if your vehicle is affected. Alternatively, please contact the Toyota Recall Support Helpline on 1800 987 366 (Mon-Fri 8.00-6.00pm AEDT). Please quote your VIN.
Q7. Where can I find my VIN?
