On Wednesday (December 20), Toyota announced a safety recall of over 1 million vehicles of 2020-2022 Toyota and Lexus models in the United States. The Japanese automotive behemoth has recalled its vehicles over a defect that could cause airbags not to deploy, jeopardising the safety of the occupants of the car.
Toyota stated in a notice issued on its website that a probable fault in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensors in the front passenger seat of affected vehicles might cause a short circuit. As a result, the airbag system may fail to detect the presence and weight of the passenger and fail to deploy as designed.
The press release said that Toyota and Lexus dealers will evaluate the OCS sensors and, if necessary, replace them at no cost to owners. Toyota will notify customers if their vehicles are subject to the recall by the middle of February 2024.
The recall affects various models of Toyota and Lexus vehicles manufactured between 2020 and 2022. Toyota Avalons, Camrys, Highlanders, RAV4s, Siennas, and Corollas, as well as some hybrids, are included in the recall. The Lexus cars included in the recall are the ES250 sedan and the RX350 SUV among others.
It is worth recalling that in August this year, it was reported that Toyota recalled around 1,68,000 recently manufactured vehicles in the United States due to a possible fire risk. Toyota Tundra and Tundra Hybrid vehicles from the model years 2022 and 2023 were recalled.
The company recalled 1.9 million RAV4 sport utility vehicles in the United States in November because the batteries can shift during rapid turns and potentially cause a fire.
Toyota also recalled about 751,000 Toyota Highlander SUVs in the United States on October 26 to address a problem with the tabs that secure the cars’ front lower bumper coverings. According to the company, even a slight collision could cause the bumper cover assembly to fall off, posing a danger to drivers.
