More airbag woes are the focus of this week’s safety recall update. Industry leading Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is bitten this time as over 130,000-units are affected.
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The easiest way to find out if your car, truck, van, or SUV is under a current safety recall is to log onto the NHTSA website and do a search of your vehicle identification number (VIN). Your VIN is easy to read if you stand outside the vehicle and look through the lower left (driver’s) corner of the front windshield. The 17-character VIN is stamped or etched on a small metal tag that is permanently affixed to the body.
NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V127000
Toyota Recall Campaign Number: See Note Below
Vehicles Affected: Certain 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured from August 3, 2007 through July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured from May 25, 2007 through December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured from June 1, 2007 through December 18, 2007, and 2008 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured from May 25, 2007 through December 21, 2007. Approximately 132,086 vehicles are expected for inclusion in this recall campaign.
Cause:
This recall addresses a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a motor vehicle crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.
Concern:
In the event of a motor vehicle crash necessitating deployment of the passenger’s frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Correction:
Toyota and Lexus vehicle owners will be notified by Toyota beginning March 15, 2016. A date has not yet been provided for Pontiac Vibe owners to be notified by GM. The respective dealers will either replace the front passenger air bag inflator or the entire front passenger air bag assembly depending on the model. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737.
NOTE: This recall expands recall 15V-285.