Toyota is recalling 228,367 Sienna Hybrid minivans because the second-row seat backs can unlock in a frontal crash. The Toyota Sienna recall covers seven-passenger 2022–2026 models built from September 16, 2021, through July 20, 2026, according to Toyota’s filing with NHTSA dated October 20, 2026.
The problem for families: the fix doesn’t exist yet, and Toyota’s U.S. filing gives no interim advice. Canada’s regulator does, and until your van is repaired, we think you should follow it.
Quick answer: Toyota is recalling 228,367 Sienna Hybrid seven-seat minivans from 2022–2026 because a second-row seat back can disengage from its lock in a frontal crash. Most vans will get a free restraint-system software update. About 200 vans with the Mobility as a Service package get new seat backs. Owner letters mail December 7–21, 2026.
Which Sienna minivans are in the recall?
The campaign, NHTSA recall 26V690 (Toyota codes 26TB24 and 26TA24), covers 2022–2026 Sienna Hybrids with two individual second-row seats. In practice that means the seven-passenger versions with captain’s chairs. Toyota’s October 2025 product release puts those chairs on the XLE and above, while the LE uses a second-row bench that seats eight.
Every Sienna is a hybrid, so the seat layout is what matters. A van with a second-row bench isn’t listed, but run your VIN anyway.
The filing ties the defect to specific supplier recliners and pretensioners, and names Toyota Boshoku Indiana as the seat-back frame maker.
What actually goes wrong in a crash?
Each second-row captain’s chair has a seat-mounted belt with a pretensioner that yanks it tight in a hard frontal hit. An outboard recliner with interlocking teeth holds the seat back upright.
When that pretensioner fires, it sets up an oscillation between the cam and pawls inside the recliner. Under certain combinations of crash pulse, seat-back movement and pretensioner timing, Toyota found the oscillation can rotate the cam far enough to unlock the recliner. A seat back that swings free can’t hold the person sitting in it.
For most vans, dealers will load new software into the restraint-system computer that controls the pretensioner. Our read is that Toyota is changing how the pretensioner fires so the recliner never sees the load combination that unlocks it. About 200 2022–2025 vans with the Mobility as a Service package get two new seat backs with a different recliner instead.
Should you stop using the second-row seats?
Toyota’s U.S. filing lists no interim owner notice. Transport Canada’s recall notice, published October 20 and updated October 23, says Toyota advises owners not to carry passengers in the second row until repairs are done. Same defect, different advice.
We’d follow the Canadian guidance where you can. Move an adult to the front passenger seat and use the third row where it fits your family. If child seats sit in the captain’s chairs, check the manual for third-row anchor points before moving them. A rushed reinstall carries its own risk.
Toyota found the issue in testing, and as of October 12, 2026, it had no field reports or warranty claims from U.S. sources tied to the condition. The problem first surfaced in 2025 testing of a prototype seat meant for a future model, according to the filing’s chronology.
When will the Toyota Sienna recall be fixed?
Dealers were notified on October 20. Owner letters go out in phases from December 7 through December 21, 2026, per Toyota’s Part 573 recall report to NHTSA. With the software still in development, don’t expect the update before your letter arrives.
You can check your VIN with Toyota’s recall lookup or NHTSA’s site, though the filing doesn’t say when VINs become searchable. The repair is free.
It’s Toyota’s latest big campaign, after the Land Cruiser recall covering 105,794 hybrids that can leak fuel and the Tundra engine recall remedy that opened to 26,000 more trucks.
What does the recall mean if you’re shopping for a Sienna?
Shopping a used 2022–2026 Sienna with captain’s chairs? The recall shouldn’t kill the deal. Ask for the VIN check, and get a dealer to promise in writing that the van will be updated once the software is out. Woodland Edition and Platinum models are seven-seaters, so assume they’re covered until the VIN says otherwise.
The affected build window ends July 20, 2026. On any 2026 seven-seater still on a lot, where prices start at $40,120 for an LE, read the build month on the driver’s door-jamb label before you negotiate.
Recalls are piling up across brands, too. Ford’s speedometer recall hit 102,159 Super Duty and F-150 trucks this month.
The seats to leave empty for now
The Toyota Sienna recall hasn’t produced a known U.S. injury, according to Toyota’s filing, and the fix costs you nothing. Until a dealer updates your van, though, the second-row captain’s chairs are the seats Toyota itself tells Canadian owners to leave empty.
Toyota Sienna recall questions owners are asking
Is it safe to drive a Toyota Sienna under this recall?
Yes. The recall doesn’t affect how the van drives, and Toyota hasn’t issued a do-not-drive warning. The risk sits in the second-row captain’s chairs during a frontal crash. Transport Canada says Toyota advises Canadian owners not to seat passengers there until the repair is done, and we’d apply that advice in the U.S. too.
How do I check if my Toyota Sienna is recalled?
Enter your 17-digit VIN at Toyota’s recall lookup page or on NHTSA’s recall site, or call Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. The NHTSA recall number is 26V690, and Toyota’s internal codes are 26TB24 and 26TA24. Affected owners will also get a letter by mail between December 7 and December 21, 2026.
When will the Sienna seat-back recall fix be available?
Toyota told NHTSA it is still developing updated restraint-system software, so there’s no firm repair date yet. Owner letters go out December 7–21, 2026, and dealers should schedule the work once the software is released. About 200 vans with the Mobility as a Service package will receive replacement second-row seat backs instead.