Toyota Recalls 30,978 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrids: Motor Control Software Defect Can Cause Loss of Drive Power at Higher Speeds
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing submitted a safety recall report (campaign 26V659) to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on October 7, recalling 30,978 model-year 2026 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid vehicles: the software in their motor generator electronic control unit (MG-ECU) may not complete the motor initialization process correctly in some cases, leaving the motor control mode used for higher speeds unavailable. When the vehicle reaches a speed requiring that mode, warning lights will illuminate and the plug-in hybrid system will either transition to a fail-safe driving mode or shut down, causing a loss of motive power at higher speed and increasing the risk of a crash. The affected vehicles were produced from July 22, 2025 through August 19, 2026, and all 30,978 carry an MG-ECU with the software in question.
According to the report, the initialization failure centers on the rear motor generator: bench testing of the initialization sequence showed that under certain startup conditions it could fail, so when the higher-speed control mode is requested, the vehicle transitions to a fail-safe mode with front-wheel drive only and limited speed, or shuts down. The involved component is the hybrid motor control inverter assembly (part number G92A0-42460), supplied by Denso Corporation of Japan. Other Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold in the United States are not equipped with an MG-ECU, or have one with different software, and are not part of this recall.
Toyota's investigation began with a field report from the Japanese market between June and August 2026, in which warning lights illuminated while the vehicle was being driven and the vehicle could only be operated in front-wheel drive at limited speed. Dealer inspection and vehicle data identified a communication malfunction when the rear motor generator transitioned from the lower-speed to the higher-speed control mode. From August to September, Toyota ran additional vehicle testing on the front motor generators, which use the same control program, confirming the system could enter fail-safe mode or shut down. On October 1, Toyota decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall. As of September 30, Toyota had identified 38 field technical reports and 58 warranty claims from U.S. sources that relate or may relate to the condition; the report lists no crashes or injuries tied to the issue.
For the remedy, dealers will update the MG-ECU software free of charge. Dealers were notified on October 7, 2026, and owner notifications are scheduled from November 22 through December 6, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331; Toyota's number for this recall is 26TA22. Owners can also check their vehicle identification number (VIN) on NHTSA's recall lookup page, or call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
(Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：2026款丰田 RAV4 PHEV GR Sport 原型车（资料图）。TTTNIS 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: A 2026 Toyota RAV4 PHEV GR Sport prototype (file photo). Photo by TTTNIS, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
