Toyota has a voluntary recall underway in the U.S. for tens of thousands of Prius and Prius HEVs from the model years 2023-2024.

The automaker announced it had launched the recall Wednesday, linking it to a problem with the rear doors and their electronic latches that about 55,000 cars may have in America.

"Water can enter and short circuit the electronic rear door latches in the involved vehicles," Toyota said. "If the doors are not locked, they could open while the vehicle is moving or in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to occupants."

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The automaker recommended people in the U.S. and Canada with one of the recalled vehicles turn on a feature "that automatically locks the doors when shifting from Park" for now.

Mailed notification of the recall will go out to affected car owners by early June.

Toyota said owners will ultimately be able to take their affected vehicle to a Toyota dealer and get rear door opener switches swapped for "improved" switches. That, the company said, will not cost owners a penny.

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The same issue may also affect 2023-2024 Prius and Prius HEVs in certain places outside the U.S., prompting Toyota to recall 156,000 others in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia, according to a press release.

The company unveiled its 2023 Prius and Prius Prime in 2022 and followed those up a year later with the 2024 model year vehicles. It has been making Priuses for over 20 years.

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In early January, Toyota Motors North America said it had sold about 38,000 Prius vehicles in the U.S. in 2023. That marked a 3% increase from the prior year.