On Monday, Toyota issued an urgent recall for 50,000 older vehicles sold in the United States due to the risk of airbag inflators potentially exploding, resulting in fatalities. The Japanese automaker specifically advised against driving certain 2003-04 Corolla, 2003-04 Corolla Matrix, and 2004-05 Rav 4 models, which are equipped with Takata airbags.
The company stressed that these models are subject to an urgent airbag safety recall. The risk lies in the age of the vehicles, where a part inside the airbag is likely to explode and launch sharp metal fragments upon deployment. This malfunction can lead to severe injuries or death to both the driver and passengers. Owners of these models have been requested to cease driving their vehicles until the airbags have been replaced free of charge under the recall service.
Since 2009, airbag inflators by Takata have been linked to over 30 deaths worldwide - including 26 within the United States - and hundreds of injuries. Both cars and trucks across different carmakers have been affected by this issue. Over the course of a decade, more than 67 million Takata airbag inflators within the United States were recalled by over 20 automakers. Globally, these figures rise to over 100 million inflators, establishing this as the largest automotive safety recall in history.
