Highlander seat trim can block side airbag

NHTSA campaign 20V633000 · Reported Oct 14, 2020 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

high How serious is it? About this label

If the side airbag doesn't deploy correctly, it raises the risk of injury in a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign number	20V633000
Reported to NHTSA	Oct 14, 2020
Manufacturer	Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Part affected	AIR Bags
Vehicles covered	2 model/year combinations, model years 2020
Do-not-drive advisory	No
Park-outside advisory	No
Repair	Free at any franchised dealer

What's wrong, in plain English

Some Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles have incorrect trim covers on one or both front seats. These covers can prevent the seat-mounted side airbag from deploying properly in a crash, which increases the risk of injury to the occupant.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your vehicle is affected.
2. Contact a Toyota dealer or call customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
3. The seat trim cover inspection and replacement will be done free of charge.

Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?

Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 20V633000. More in how recalls work.

Affected vehicles (2)

2020 Toyota Highlander
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Who to contact

Toyota — official Toyota recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-331-4331

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Toyota Air Bag Recalls Involve Passenger Sensors and Deployment Problems · all 10 Toyota recalls in this area

Other Toyota Highlander recalls

Mar 5, 2026Toyota Highlander second-row seat back may not lockhigh
Dec 17, 2025Toyota Highlander Third-Row Seat Belt Anchor Defectmedium
Oct 30, 2025Toyota, Lexus and Subaru rearview camera may freezemedium
Sep 11, 2025Toyota Instrument Panel May Fail To Show Warningshigh
Jan 29, 2025Toyota And Lexus Steering Defect Disables Airbaghigh
Jul 23, 2024Toyota accessory weight label may show wrong numberslow

All 20 Highlander recalls

Official notice

Component: AIR BAGS
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander and Highlander hybrid vehicles. Incorrect seat trim covers on one or both of the front seats can prevent the seat-mounted side air bag from deploying properly.
Safety risk: Improper deployment of the seat-mounted side air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats and replace the seat trim covers as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB14 / 20TA14.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.