2025 Toyota Prius PLUG-IN Hybrid

Component: Driver Monitor Camera (DMC) — driver attention/drowsiness monitoring system. The Driver Monitor Camera repeatedly and incorrectly determines that the driver's eyes are closed when they are fully open and the driver is attentive and watching the road. This occurs during normal, attentive driving. When the system falsely registers "eyes closed," it issues escalating visual and audible alerts that grow progressively louder. The only reliable way to silence the escalating alarm is to briefly close one's eyes — meaning the system induces the exact unsafe behavior (eyes off the road) that a driver-attention system is supposed to prevent. This is a significant distraction and safety hazard. The system reactivates automatically at every engine start and cannot be permanently disabled. It must be turned off through a nested settings menu before every single drive, and even then visual alerts may persist. The dealer's service center confirmed it cannot be permanently disabled and must be switched off manually each time the vehicle is driven. The false-positive pattern appears tied to the driver's eyelid shape and facial structure, raising concern that the detection system was not adequately validated across the full range of human facial features. The frequency of false alerts, the escalating audible alarm, and the fact that silencing it requires closing one's eyes while driving together create a genuine, ongoing safety risk. Frequency: virtually every drive, multiple times per trip. No crash or injury to date, but the alert behavior creates serious driver distraction. Requested action: Investigation into the accuracy and validation of the Driver Monitor Camera's eye-detection across diverse facial and eyelid structures, and into the safety of an alert design whose escalation can only be stopped by the driver closing their eyes.

The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Prius PLUG-IN Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear passenger door would open without warning. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V049000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.