Toyota · Recall 26V128000
Toyota Recall 26V128000: Other safety defect
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.
Recall 26V128000 at a glance
| NHTSA campaign number | 26V128000 |
| Manufacturer | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| Component | SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:RECLINER |
| Vehicles affected | HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID |
| Model years | 2021–2024 |
| Vehicles potentially affected | 550,007 |
| Reported to NHTSA | March 5, 2026 |
What can go wrong
A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix — and whether it has actually arrived
Dealers will replace the return springs in the seat back recliner assemblies, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed April 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated August 27, 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Toyota’s customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TB06 and 26TA06.
If the remedy is not available yet, or your dealer cannot tell you when the parts will arrive, ask for that in writing. A manufacturer that cannot repair your vehicle within a reasonable time is a manufacturer with a lemon law problem.
Your rights
Could this recall support a California lemon law claim?
It depends less on the recall than on what happened afterwards.
California's Lemon Law asks whether a substantial defect — one that impairs the vehicle's use, value or safety — survived a reasonable number of repair attempts, or kept the vehicle out of service for 30 or more cumulative days. A recall is the manufacturer's admission that a defect exists. What matters next is whether the remedy actually worked, and how long you waited for it.
It is also worth looking at the whole vehicle rather than this one campaign. Owners often come to us about a single recall and discover that the real claim is the repair history sitting behind it.
A recall is not automatically a lemon. It is the manufacturer admitting a defect and offering to fix it free — that is the system working. A lemon law claim arises when the fix fails, the fix never comes, or the defect has already taken the use of your vehicle away from you.
What to do now
Check whether your Toyota needs this recall
Not every Toyota is affected by 26V128000. Enter your 17-digit VIN in NHTSA's free federal database to see whether this recall — and any others — are open on your exact vehicle.
Look up your VIN at NHTSA.govRecall 26V128000 — common questions
What is 26V128000?
26V128000 is a safety recall issued by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing and reported to NHTSA on March 5, 2026. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.
Is my Toyota included in recall 26V128000?
Not every Toyota is affected. The recall covers 2021–2024 HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID, but inclusion depends on the specific VIN. Enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm whether your exact vehicle is covered.
Does recall 26V128000 make my Toyota a lemon?
Depends. The recall itself is rarely the claim — the failed repair, the delay, or the rest of the repair history usually is.
What does it cost to have a lemon law attorney look at this?
Nothing. Case reviews are free, and under California's Song-Beverly Act the manufacturer pays your attorney's fees on a successful claim. You keep your recovery.
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Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome. Every case is different and depends on its own facts.
Is your Toyota a lemon?
A recall is one data point. If your Toyota has been back to the dealer for the same problem, or has sat waiting on parts, the recall may be the least of it. Speak to a Toyota lemon lawyer before you agree to another repair attempt — our Toyota lemon law attorneys will tell you straight whether you have a case.
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