Toyota Recalls 2.9 Million Cars for Faulty Airbag Sensor
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Toyota is recalling millions of vehicles for airbags that might not deploy in certain kinds of crashes.
The recalled vehicles include approximately 2.9 million 2011 through 2019 Corolla sedans, 2011 through 2013 Matrix hatchbacks, 2012 through 2018 Avalon sedans, and 2013 through 2018 Avalon Hybrid sedans.
The problem involves airbag control units, which may fail to interpret or receive the correct signals from crash sensors and fail to deploy airbags and tighten seatbelts in a crash. Toyota says this problem is more likely to happen during certain types of crashes, including underride crashes, in which the front of a vehicle wedges beneath the rear of another vehicle.
A Toyota spokesperson would not confirm or deny whether there have been any crashes or fatalities due to this issue. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation has identified two “substantial frontal crash events,” including one fatality, involving Toyota Corolla sedans that may be related to the recall condition.
This announcement follows a NHTSA investigation into the airbag control unit, which was manufactured by a company then called TRW and now known as ZF-TRW. These parts have also been used in vehicles from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota.
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Hyundai, and Kia have all issued previous recalls for vehicles that use this same control unit.
The Details
Vehicles Recalled
• 2011 to 2019 Toyota Corolla sedans
• 2011 to 2013 Toyota Matrix hatchbacks
• 2012 to 2018 Toyota Avalon sedans
• 2013 to 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid sedans
The problem: Electronic interference that can occur during certain types of crashes can cause the vehicle’s airbag control unit to malfunction, the automaker said. If that happens, the airbags might not deploy and the seatbelts might not tighten.
The fix: Toyota dealers will inspect the control unit and, if necessary, install what is called a “noise filter” between the unit and the wiring that connects it to the vehicle’s electrical systems, which will keep the control unit from being affected by electrical interference.
How to contact the manufacturer: Toyota will notify owners of affected vehicles by mid-March 2020. Owners may call Toyota customer service at 888-270-9371.
NHTSA campaign number: 20V024. Toyota’s own numbers for this recall are 20TB03 and 20TA03.
Check to see whether your vehicle has an open recall: NHTSA’s website will tell you whether your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed.
If you plug your car’s 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) into NHTSA’s website and a recall doesn’t appear, it means your vehicle doesn’t currently have any open recalls. Because automakers issue recalls often, and for many older vehicles, we recommend checking back regularly to see whether your vehicle has had a recall issued.
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