Detroit: Toyota is recalling 6 million cars because of a major defect impacting seat belts and airbags of the cars. The recall only covers a certain version of the Toyota Corolla 2011-2019 models. Avalon 2012-2018, Matrix 2011-2013, and Avalon Hybrid 2013-2018.
The automaker giant put forward a statement on Tuesday quoting: “The issue has to do with an electronic control unit, designed to get signals from crash sensors, to deploy airbags, and tighten seat belts. However, there might not be enough protection against certain electrical noise that can occur in certain crashes.”
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) had been researching the issue with several automakers, including Toyota, since April of 2019. Upon digging deeper, the agency was informed about two fetal accidents involving Toyota Corollas. The airbags of the cars did not inflate at all during the crash.
Toyota is now in line with KIA Motors, Daimler AG, and Fiat Chrysler when it comes to issuing the recall of vehicles. Four deaths were reported for the people using Hyundai-KIA vehicles and three were reported for Fiat Chrysler. No death was reported however when it comes to the Mercedes issue.
The automakers have decided to take action against the issue. In many cases, the Toyota dealers will install a noise filter among the wiring harness and airbag control computer. But most dealers will inspect the computer for determination of the need for a filter. All the vehicle owners will be notified by the end of March.
According to Toyota, the owners can check whether their vehicles are impacted or not by the recall via accessing their website. They can also visit the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. All the users are required is to jot down their Vehicle Identification Number and License plate number.
