In a safety advisory issued yesterday, Toyota Motor urged the owners of around 50,000 older vehicles in the United States to undergo immediate recall repairs, warning that a faulty airbag inflator could explode, posing a severe risk to motorists.
The “Do Not Drive” advisory specifically covers certain models from the 2003-2004 model year Corolla, 2003-2004 Corolla Matrix, and 2004-2005 RAV4s, all equipped with Takata airbag inflators.
According to Reuters, the Japanese automaker emphasised the gravity of the situation, stating that failure to address the recall promptly could result in life-threatening consequences.
Takata airbag inflators have been at the center of a global safety crisis, with more than 30 deaths reported worldwide, including 26 in the United States, and hundreds of injuries since 2009.
The defective inflators have been known to explode, releasing metal shrapnel inside vehicles, leading to widespread recalls in what has become the largest auto safety callback in history.
Toyota disclosed that the RAV4 recall pertained to the driver’s airbag, while the recalls for the Corolla and Corolla Matrix models involved the front passenger airbag exclusively.
Furthermore, certain vehicles within these models are subject to a secondary recall, potentially causing the airbag to deploy even without a crash.
The call for immediate action followed a decade-long effort by various automakers to address the Takata airbag issue, resulting in the recall of over 67 million inflators in the United States alone, involving more than 20 automakers. Globally, the recall encompassed more than 100 million inflators.
Notably, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not provided an immediate comment on Toyota’s advisory. Previous incidents involving older Takata airbag inflators prompted automakers to issue “Do Not Drive” warnings, with fatalities reported in some cases. However, Toyota has not confirmed whether its latest advisory was triggered by a serious injury or a fatal incident involving one of the affected vehicles.
In July, Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, issued a similar warning affecting 29,000 owners of 2003 Dodge Ram pickups after a fatal incident involving a Takata airbag inflator. Stellantis had previously urged owners of 276,000 older US vehicles to stop driving immediately after three crash deaths related to faulty Takata airbag inflators were reported in November 2022.
Earlier this year, Honda Motor issued a “Do Not Drive” warning for 8,200 Acura and Honda vehicles following the death of a driver in Kentucky due to a faulty Takata airbag inflator. Honda has reported 17 deaths and over 200 injuries in the United States linked to Takata inflator ruptures.
As Toyota takes proactive measures to address this critical safety concern, the broader automotive industry continues to grapple with the aftermath of the Takata airbag scandal, emphasizing the ongoing importance of ensuring vehicle safety and public awareness.
