NHTSA Recall 08V181000: Seat belts: rear/other
TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. reported this safety recall to NHTSA on , covering an estimated 90,189 vehicles. It affects 2 models including the Toyota Highlander.
| NHTSA campaign | 08V181000 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer campaign | 80D |
| Component | SEAT BELTS › REAR/OTHER |
| Report received | April 18, 2008 |
| Owner notification | December 10, 2008 |
| Initiated by | NHTSA Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance |
Defect
Toyota is recalling 90,189 my 2008 highlander and highlander hybrid passenger vehicles equipped with a third row seat. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the non-driver designated seating positions (dsp) on these vehicles is equipped with seat belt assemblies that have a feature that converts the retractor from an emergency locking retractor (elr) to an automatic locking retractor (alr). The belts convert to the alr mode after the webbing has been fully withdrawn from the retractor. The system is designed so that as the belt is released into the retractor, the system remains in the alr mode so that a child restraint system (crs) can be tightly secured.
Safety risk
However, for the two third row dsp's on these vehicles, the alr mode deactivates before the webbing is fully retracted, so that it will not lock when certain rear-facing crs's that have a short seat belt routing path are installed in the vehicle. This can allow the seat belt webbing to spool out during normal driving maneuvers, which could affect the stability of a child restraint installed at those seating positions. As such, this could discourage the use of a child restraint and in the event of a crash, the child may not be adequately protected possibly resulting in injury.
Remedy
Dealers will install a newly designed seat belt component free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or about december 18, 2008. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Notes
Toyota recall no. 80d.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
Vehicles covered by recall 08V181000
Being listed here means the campaign covers the model year, not that every car was built with the defect or is still unrepaired. Enter your VIN above to check your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free at authorised dealers. Source: NHTSA, October 2026.