The defect
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles may have improper software installed in the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) for the operation of the front passenger seat belt force limiter, and as a result, the force limiter may use the restraint setting designed for small occupants, such as those that weigh approximately 110 pounds, for all occupants regardless of their size. As such, some of these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk
In the event of a crash, a larger front passenger seat occupant may not be properly restrained and be at an increased risk of injury.
The remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update in the air bag electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Toyota Highlander | 2014 |
| Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 2014 |
Components: SEAT BELTS | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Highlander | 2014 | 136 | 4 |
| Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 2014 | 2 | 1 |
Other electrical system recalls in 2014
83 of the 770 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2014 concerned the electrical system; Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing filed 245 campaigns in all.
| 14V827000 30 Dec 2014 | General Motors LLC |
| 14V813000 23 Dec 2014 | Elgin Sweeper Company Inc. |
| 14V795000 16 Dec 2014 | Chrysler Group LLC |
| 14V749000 24 Nov 2014 | Chrysler Group LLC |
| 14V722000 10 Nov 2014 | PACCAR Incorporated |
| 14V714000 7 Nov 2014 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 14V699000 4 Nov 2014 | Keystone RV Company |
| 14V690000 3 Nov 2014 | Airstream, Inc. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2014