Toyota bZ Woodland 2026 recall: brake lights, stability control and free fix

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407 model-year 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland units are covered by NHTSA campaign 26V512, but the “1%” figure listed in the database does not mean roughly four vehicles actually have the defect. Toyota explains plainly that the real share is unknown, and the number was entered as one only because the regulator’s portal requires a whole number. The recall covers electric crossovers built between February 5 and April 3, 2026, and equipped with a specific trailer converter.

The issue is not in the traction battery or the electric motors. The converter controls the trailer’s lighting, and a soldering defect on its circuit board can cause a short circuit. When that happens, the brake lights can stay on continuously, and Vehicle Stability Control shuts off at the same time. NHTSA points to an increased crash risk: other road users have a harder time telling when the vehicle is actually slowing down, and under certain conditions the driver loses the stability system’s assistance.

The scale of the campaign is small. Toyota stresses that the problem is limited to the bZ Woodland with a converter from a specific supplier and production window; no other Toyota or Lexus models use this component. The bZ Woodland itself is rated to tow a trailer of up to roughly 1.59 tonnes, so the affected part is directly tied to one of the model’s practical features. In the U.S., the electric crossover currently starts at $45,300.

The defect’s history began before the campaign was announced. Between April and May, Toyota found vehicles with brake lights stuck on at a vehicle prep center and, together with the supplier, traced it to the soldering issue. In late May, the automaker received two reports from vehicles already in customer hands. Follow-up checks showed the same fault could disable stability control, after which Toyota decided to issue the recall on July 31.

The Part 573 report does not list a “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside” instruction. Instead, owners will be directed to dealers, where the tow converter will be replaced free of charge. Owner notification letters are scheduled to go out between September 21 and October 5, 2026. Owners can check a specific Toyota vehicle by 17-digit VIN or U.S. license plate number in the official recall database.

For Toyota’s electric lineup, this is a separate service story from an earlier one. On June 25, 20,991 Toyota bZ, Lexus RZ, and Subaru Solterra vehicles were covered by a different U.S. campaign over a software error in the high-voltage battery control unit that could lead to a loss of drive power. The current campaign is significantly smaller and concerns only the bZ Woodland and its trailer converter.

Toyota’s internal recall numbers are 26TB15 / 26TA15. For owners, the VIN matters more than the production date here: even within the stated production window, the recall applies not to every vehicle, but only to those built with the specific component.