— A Toyota and Lexus seat belt recall has led to a lawsuit which alleges the recall is a waste of time.
The class action was filed about two weeks after Toyota announced a seat belt recall for about 41,000 Lexus and Toyota vehicles.
Toyota/Lexus Seat Belt Recall
Toyota announced the seat belt recall on February 6 which includes certain 2025 Toyota Camry, 2025 Lexus NX and 2024-2025 Lexus RX vehicles.
According to Toyota, out of nearly 41,000 recalled vehicles, only a very small percentage (less than 0.1%) may have the defective parts. The problem is the second-row center seat belt which may have been damaged which can decrease the strength of the seat belt.
Owners were notified about the seat belt recall in April so dealers could inspect the second-row center seatbelt webbing and replace the seat belt assemblies if necessary.
Vehicle owners who paid for seat belt repairs prior to the recall are eligible for reimbursements.
Toyota/Lexus Seat Belt Class Action Lawsuit
The seat belt lawsuit was filed by New York plaintiff Mark Maurer who owns a 2025 Lexus RX.
It cost $405 to file the class action for more than $5 million, yet the plaintiff doesn't claim his vehicle had any seat belt problems. Instead, he complains the recall will take “hours of time” and will be “an ineffective waste of time as there is no true fix for the Defect.”
In a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Toyota argues the plaintiff doesn't allege his vehicle had any problems with the second-row seat belts. The automaker complains the plaintiff never says when he purchased his vehicle or if he verified if his vehicle is even included in the recall.
He also allegedly does not allege any specific advertising or marketing materials he saw and relied upon before purchasing his vehicle. Nor does he allege that he has ever had any problems with his vehicle, that he has ever taken it in for repairs, or that he has ever paid any money to fix any issues.
According to Toyota, the lawsuit claims aren't "ripe" because the plaintiff doesn't claim his vehicle has been repaired under the free recall.
"Unless and until Plaintiff actually seeks to have his vehicle repaired, he is merely 'asking the Court to deal in hypotheticals.'" — Toyota
Toyota also told the judge the seat belt problem “only affects vehicles which may have been equipped with a second-row center seatbelt that may have been damaged due to this production issue at a specific manufacturing facility of a specific supplier during a specific production period.”
Yet the plaintiff complains all the vehicles nationwide are defective.
The plaintiff admits the recall offers a "free fix" for second-row seat belt problems, and Toyota says the plaintiff doesn't claim he ever tried to have his vehicle even looked at by a dealer.
"Plaintiff does not even allege facts showing that his vehicle is actually subject to the recall, despite citing a Toyota press release stating that potentially affected vehicles can be identified by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or license plate information." — Toyota
And while the class action lawsuit alleges the recall does nothing to repair the vehicles, Toyota notes how federal safety regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved the recall repairs and will oversee the process and results of the repairs.
According to Toyota, the seat belt recall moots the entire seat belt class action.
The Toyota and Lexus seat belt class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York: Mark Maurer v. Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
The plaintiff is represented by Poulin, Willey, Anastopoulo, LLC, and Sultzer & Lipari, PLLC.