Toyota has been forced to issue a recall of more than 110,000 brand-new models that have shipped with faulty airbags. The recall was sparked after manufacturing firm Furukawa American Inc. informed the Japanese automaker that contamination during the assembly of six Toyota models meant their airbags may not deploy during a crash.
The recall, first reported by Autoevolution, affects 2023 model year Toyota Tacoma, Corolla, Corolla Cross and Highlander models, as well as the Lexus NX and RX. In each case, the driver’s airbag may not deploy correctly during a collision.
According to Autoevolution, the defect was first uncovered in May, when Furukawa American alerted Toyota to the manufacturing issue. The problem appears to have been caused by contaminants that weakened the welds holding electrical cables in place within the steering column. As such, the connection to the driver’s side airbag can fail, which could mean it wouldn’t inflate during a crash.
The recall affects certain models that were assembled this year, between February 21 and June 1. This means that these are brand new models being recalled. In total, Toyota warned that as many as 110,047 units could be affected by the recall. Autoevolution reports:
“Dealers have already been told to inspect and – if necessary – replace the spiral cable assembly with one produced outside of the suspect period. Owners will be informed of this recall (number 23V-480) by first-class mail sometime between August 27 and September 10.”
If required, owners will have the repairs done free of charge, with Toyota set to notify the drivers of affected vehicles in the coming weeks. Thankfully, the automaker has so far reported no injuries as a result of the defect.
If you are worried that your car might be affected by a recall, there are a few easy ways to check if it’s the case. First up, the NHTSA has a super handy app that you can use to see if your vehicle is impacted by a recall, or you can head to the regulator’s website and plug your VIN into its recall search tool.