2025 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid

Component: Driver Monitor Camera (DMC) — driver attention/drowsiness monitoring system. The Driver Monitor Camera repeatedly and incorrectly determines that the driver's eyes are closed when they are fully open and the driver is attentive and watching the road. This occurs during normal, attentive driving. When the system falsely registers "eyes closed," it issues escalating visual and audible alerts that grow progressively louder. The only reliable way to silence the escalating alarm is to briefly close one's eyes — meaning the system induces the exact unsafe behavior (eyes off the road) that a driver-attention system is supposed to prevent. This is a significant distraction and safety hazard. The system reactivates automatically at every engine start and cannot be permanently disabled. It must be turned off through a nested settings menu before every single drive, and even then visual alerts may persist. The dealer's service center confirmed it cannot be permanently disabled and must be switched off manually each time the vehicle is driven. The false-positive pattern appears tied to the driver's eyelid shape and facial structure, raising concern that the detection system was not adequately validated across the full range of human facial features. The frequency of false alerts, the escalating audible alarm, and the fact that silencing it requires closing one's eyes while driving together create a genuine, ongoing safety risk. Frequency: virtually every drive, multiple times per trip. No crash or injury to date, but the alert behavior creates serious driver distraction. Requested action: Investigation into the accuracy and validation of the Driver Monitor Camera's eye-detection across diverse facial and eyelid structures, and into the safety of an alert design whose escalation can only be stopped by the driver closing their eyes.

NHTSA ID

11746784

Incident

Jun 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Prius PLUG-IN Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear passenger door would open without warning. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V049000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

NHTSA ID

11736048

Incident

Jun 15, 2025

Mileage

3,000 mi

Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interior of the vehicle for odor remediation. Refer to the applicable model and model year Repair Manual and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines.

The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.

To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system and are only to be used when requested by FTS and/or FPE.

To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system and are only to be used when requested by FTS and/or FPE.

The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered keys will be erased and can never be reused. Another feature, Add/Remove Key, is also available. Once a key is removed, it can never be reused.

Flash reprogramming allows the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) software to be updated without replacing the ECU. Flash calibration updates for specific vehicle models/ECUs are released as field-fix procedures described in individual Service Bulletins. This bulletin details the Global Techstream+ (GTS+) ECU flash reprogramming procedures and outlines use of the Technical Information System (TIS) and the Calibration Update Wizard+ (CUW+). To ensure the correct ECU software is installed, ECUs will require a Security Signature before the ECU will initialize the flash reprogramming sequence. This bulletin also details the process for acquiring a Security Signature from TIS during the GTS+ ECU flash reprogramming process.