Takata Update: Toyota Adds 1.4 Million Vehicles to Recall

The recall lists just keep coming from automakers trying to fix Takata air bags now linked to 7 deaths. Tuesday, June 16th, Toyota added nearly 1.4 million cars, trucks and SUVs to its list.

New vehicle models added include:

• 2003 to 2007 Corolla and Matrix


• 2005, 2006 Tundra pickup


• 2005 to 2007 Sequoia SUV


• 2003 to 2007 Lexus SC430 convertible

Toyota reports 24 incidents of incorrect deployments of Takata airbags in Toyota vehicles worldwide, and at least eight reports of injuries said to be linked to air bag ruptures. In a statement, the automaker says it�s committed to customer safety. �We will continue to respond promptly to new developments so we can resolve issues for them as quickly and safely as possible,� said Dino Triantafyllos, chief quality officer.

The recall expansion brings the number of Toyota and Lexus vehicles being recalled due to the inflators to 2.9 million. Toyota determines recall inclusion by vehicle identification number and says it will notify affected owners by first-class mail.

Meanwhile, replacement inflators remain �limited,� Toyota says, and the automaker is prioritizing replacement in areas of high absolute humidity, given Takata�s lab tests suggest humidity plays a major role in the inflator malfunctions. However, Toyota still advises owners with unrepaired passenger-side airbag recalls to keep the seat free of occupants until the repair is made, regardless of where they live.

Toyota is the 10th and last major automaker to update its recall list following the NHTSA�s May 19th announcement that Takata had admitted a defect and doubled its recall of vehicles in the United States to 34 million. Eight of the other nine major automakers involved in U.S. Takata airbag recalls have announced expansions since then. The ninth, Nissan, told NHTSA that it�s not impacted by the additional recalls.

On June 15th, Honda added another 1.39 million vehicles to replace the same component, the front passenger air bag inflators. Earlier thi month, Honda also confirmed a 7th death linked to the air bags. It involves a crash that killed a 22-year-old Louisiana woman in a 2005 Honda Civic back in April. The woman had received a recall notice two days after the crash and two days before she died.

Meanwhile, GM is also expanding its recall of the Pontiac Vibe, a corporate twin to the Matrix, to include a national recall for 2003-2007 model years. Previously, there was only a regional recall on the 2003-2004 Vibe.

Photo Credit: Toyota