Toyota issues recall orders for 1 million cars to check potential air bag fault

Toyota Motor Co. has announced that it has issued a recall order that covers around one million of its car units in the US to check a suspected fault with the air bags in these vehicles. The recall order covers models from both Toyota as well as Lexus, and between manufacturing years 2020 and 2022.

The recall order issued by Toyota includes several popular models in the US car market like RAV4, Camry, Avalon, Highlander, Sienna and Corolla. Additionally, there are also several hybrid models that are part of the recall order.

The suspected issue with these vehicles is related to sensors in the front passenger seats which, as per Toyota, may have manufacturing defects. In the case of a fault, it is possible that the sensor is unable to determine the weight of the person seated and therefore, not deploy when required.

The OCS or Occupant Classification System sensors will be inspected on all the recalled vehicles and if any fault is detected, Toyota says that these would be replaced without any charge to the vehicle owner. The company further added that it will begin reaching out to customers of vehicles that are part of the recall order from February of 2024 onwards. Alternatively, owners of such vehicles are also being asked to reach out to the official customer care centres of both Toyota and Lexus in the US to check if their cars need to be brought in for inspection.

Car brands competing in the US vehicle market are usually prompt with issuing recall orders because of the rather tough processes in place from the country's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). While in times gone by, some brands have been reluctant to issue recall orders because of fears of the company image taking a hit, the fear of hefty penalties has now meant that brands are far more proactive than ever before.