The recirculate function goes on and off automatically depending on both the outside temperature and the interior temperature setting. I haven't noticed this 'feature' since the outside tmperatures dropped last fall, but I know it will be back in the spring now that things are beginning to warm up.
This really bugs me too because I get a little claustrophobic when the recirculate is turned on. I gotta have fresh air! It goes back to a traumatic high school car pool experience where the driver would never have any air flow and the windows would get all fogged up...oh man, I feel nauseous just thinking about it.
Anyways, I discovered a new feature quite by chance, maybe it is well known? When the climate control is set on automatic and you manually change the airflow, the system goes on manual. If you hit automatic again at a later time, the system returns to auto mode but turns on the a/c button whether or not it was on before you forced the system into manual mode. I keep that little button off unless I realy want the a/c compressor running so going back to automatic is a two step process - first press auto button, then press a/c buton to turn the a/c off. Are you still with me? Here is the interesting part: if you are in automatic mode and you hit the front defrost button (to quickly clear a foggy windshield), the system will go to manual as usual. If you hit the defrost button a second time, the system will go back to the previous setting. It even remembers if the previous mode was automatic with the a/c button turned off. Other options do not appear to work this way, only defrost.
I was pretty excited when I figured this out. I guess it's the little things in life that matter...
What the heck is Toyota thinking?