Toyota Expands Takata Airbag Safety Recalls

The FINANCIAL — Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. on May 13 announced that it is expanding its recalls involving Takata air bag inflators.

First, Toyota will conduct a recall to replace Takata-supplied driver front airbag inflators on approximately 160,000 model year 2004 and 2005 RAV4 sport utility vehicles.  The inflators could potentially be susceptible to rupture when deployed in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants, according to Toyota.

For similar reasons, Toyota will expand two existing recalls for Takata-supplied front passenger airbag inflators, namely:
 
Toyota’s nationwide recall launched in April 2013 will expand to include approximately an additional 177,000 model year 2003-2004 Tundra and model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles.
    
Toyota’s recall in areas of high absolute humidity launched in 2014 will expand to include approximately an additional 300,000 vehicles built through the 2006 or 2007 model year. This recall will now cover additional vehicles within model years 2005-2007 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, and Sequoia; model years 2005-2006 Tundra; and model years 2005-2007 Lexus SC.  Areas of high absolute humidity encompass Coastal Areas around the Gulf of Mexico for Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana; and Florida, Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii.

“Toyota’s focus remains on the safety and security of our customers, and we will continue to respond promptly to new developments so we can resolve issues for them as quickly, conveniently and safely as possible,” said Dino Triantafyllos, chief quality officer, Toyota Motor North America.

Multiple investigations into the root cause of the potential for inflator rupture are taking place, including by Orbital ATK, an independent engineering firm commissioned by an industry-wide joint testing initiative comprised of the ten automotive manufacturers conducting Takata-related recalls.

All known owners of the affected Toyota / Lexus vehicles will be notified by first class mail to return their vehicles to a Toyota / Lexus dealer.  The dealer will replace the airbag inflator with a newly manufactured one.