Dec. 13 (UPI) — Toyota has announced another recall to replace airbag inflators or airbag assemblies in about 65,000 vehicles.
The affected Toyota and Lexus vehicles were part of a previous recall in which front passenger airbag inflators were replaced with Takakta-made airbags, Toyota said Wednesday. The automaker said a safety defect may arise due to propellant degradation after prolonged exposure to high temperatures and humidity.
Toyota said sharp metal fragments can potentially be thrown into the passenger cabin if an inflator ruptures.
The recall involves 2003-2005 model year Corollas, 2002-2005 Sequoias, 2003-2005 Tundras and 2002-2005 Lexus SC vehicles, all in the United States.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said about 37 million vehicles equipped with 50 million defective Takata airbags have been recalled in the past for the same problem.
Toyota said its recall aims to resolve the airbag defect issue “quickly, conveniently, and safely as possible.”
“Automakers are taking proactive, targeted steps to help owners understand the importance of having this free repair completed,” Toyota said.
A year ago, Takata added 3.3 million faulty airbag inflators to the recall, which is the largest in U.S. history. Previous recalls involving the Japanese auto supplier happened in 2009, 2010 and 2013.
