3 Car Companies Issue Recalls Impacting Nearly a Million Vehicles

Car owners, listen up: This week, two car companies—Toyota and BMW—have issued recalls for some of their vehicles, while Stellantis, the parent company of Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep, has put out a “do not drive” order for a number of its older models. In total, 941,000 vehicles have been affected. Read on to find out what caused these recalls and how to check if your car is involved.  

Toyota Prius and Prius Prime Recall

Fox Business reports that Toyota has recalled around 141,000 of their Prius and Prius Prime models because the vehicles’ rear doors can open while the car is in motion. If water gets into the door switch of a car’s electronic locking system, it can lead to a short circuit that, in certain conditions, can cause the door to open if it’s not locked.

Toyota Priuses from 2023–2026, Prius Primes from 2024–2024, and 2025–2026 Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles in the U.S. are part of the recall. According to the company, it’s not aware of any crashes related to the issue. 

Toyota will notify owners of the affected vehicles in March; those who don’t want to wait until then can check if their car is part of the recall by entering their vehicle identification number (VIN) or license plate at Toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls. 

At no cost to the owner, Toyota dealerships will tweak the rear door switch circuits on both sides so the switch won’t activate even if it’s shorted. 

BMW Recall

On the heels of a dozen recalls in 2025, per The Daily Mail, BMW has now issued a recall for hundreds of thousands of vehicles—according to some reports, 575,000 cars—around the world because of fire risk.

According to the company, the starters in the cars are defective; added wear and tear to the starter’s magnetic switch makes it harder to start the car and, at worst, could lead to a fire.

The affected vehicles include 2 Series Coupe, 3, 4, 5, and 7 Series sedans, the 6 Series Gran Turismo, X4, X5, X6, and Z4 models built between July 2020 and July 2022.

BMW told the German outlet kfz-betrieb that vehicle owners should “not leave the vehicle unattended with the engine running after starting the engine—especially after a remote start.” Owners can check to see if their vehicle is part of the recall by entering their VIN here.

Stellantis’s “Do Not Drive” Notice

Meanwhile, Stellantis has issued a “do not drive” notice for some of its Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep vehicles built between 2003 and 2016 due to an airbag issue; 225,000 vehicles are affected.

“Over time, the chemical propellant inside certain Takata inflators can degrade, particularly in hot and humid conditions, increasing the risk of rupture during airbag deployment and the potential for metal fragments to enter the vehicle cabin,” Frank Matyok, a spokesperson for Stellantis, told USA Today.

Twenty-eight deaths have occurred due to the issue in the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which warned that “minor crashes can result in exploding Takata airbags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries.”

According to USA Today, the models that are part of the “do not drive” notice include:

• 2003 to 2016 Dodge Ram pickup trucks and Dodge Sprinter vans
• 2004 to 2009 Dodge Durango SUVs
• 2005 to 2012 Dodge Dakota pickup trucks
• 2005 to 2008 Dodge Magnum station wagons
• 2006 to 2015 Dodge Charger sedans
• 2008 to 2014 Dodge Challenger coupes
• 2007 to 2009 Chrysler Aspen SUVs
• 2007 to 2008 Chrysler Crossfire coupes
• 2005 to 2015 Chrysler 300 sedans
• 2007 to 2016 Jeep Wrangler SUVs

The recall was first issued 10 years ago, and in the time since, Stellantis has repaired about 95 percent of the vehicles that were recalled—more than 6.6 million cars. “This action is intended to accelerate the repair of the remaining affected vehicles to safeguard owners, their families and the general public from the risk of serious injury or death,” the company said in a statement. “This stop-drive directive is focused on completing repairs on this remaining population.” 

Stellantis has begun notifying drivers to bring their cars in for the repairs, which the company will cover. To check for themselves, owners can call 833-585-0144 or enter their VINs at nhtsa.gov/recalls.