Toyota Corp Motors Recalls 2.9 Million Vehicles over Faulty Airbags

Toyota Motor Corp has today announced it is recalling a total of 2.9 million vehicles in Japan, China, Oceania and other regions including its Corolla Axio Sedan and RAV4 SUV crossover due to potentially faulty airbag inflators.

A series of companies like Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru cars, Mitsubishi Motors Corp and truck maker Hino Motors also recalled a total of about 240,000 vehicles in the domestic market over inflators made by Takata Corp which can explode after prolonged exposure to hot conditions.

Exploding Takata inflators have caused at least 16 deaths, with most deaths occurring in the United States, prompting the auto industry’s biggest ever global recall.

Global transport authorities consider Takata inflators containing the chemical compound ammonium nitrate to be unsafe if used without a drying agent, and have ordered all of the about 100 million on the market to be withdrawn.

The latest recalls were part of a wider recall of Takata inflators ordered by global transport authorities last year, said a Japanese automakers.

Toyota said that recalls were issued for about 1.16 million vehicles sold in Oceania, the Middle East and the automaker’s smaller markets, nearly one-third of total, while about 750,000 vehicles had been recalled in Japan.

Vehicles sold in North America, Toyota’s biggest market, were exempt from the latest recall, it added.

Takata is currently seeking a financial sponsor to help pay for the costs related to the recalls.

During last month, Takata Inflators pleaded guilty to a US felony charge as part of a $1 billion settlement over its faulty inflators.
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Written by Amina Martha.