On April 17th, reports surfaced that Toyota Motor Corporation has submitted an application to the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism to recall over 135,000 Prius vehicles manufactured from November 2022 to this month.
According to officials, there's a deficiency in the waterproofing performance of the exterior rear door switches of these vehicles.
In scenarios involving significant exposure to water, internal components may short circuit, with the most severe consequence being the sudden opening of doors while driving.
It's been reported that there have been three incidents of doors opening while driving at low speeds, but no accidents have occurred.
A spokesperson for Toyota has stated that the company has suspended orders for the Prius model.
Additionally, Toyota recently halted one production line at its Tsutsumi plant in Japan for quality checks on the Prius.
The Prius, known as one of the early representatives of hybrid vehicles worldwide, was synonymous with hybrid technology at the time of its introduction.
The Toyota Prius was launched in December 1997, marking the first-ever vehicle to feature dual-engine power, earning it the title of "pioneer" in the hybrid industry.
