Toyota Recalls 1.6 Million Cars Fitted With Takata Parts

Toyota has announced that it’s issuing a recall for 1.6 million cars covering roughly 20 models in Japan in order to check if the cars produced between 2004 and 2008, including the popular Vitz, have faulty Takata airbag parts. Recalled cars will be inspected for any airbag defects. The latest recall follows the one Toyota made earlier this year in June.

Takata supplies airbag systems to major car manufacturers across the globe, this company was recently fined $70 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration because it did not disclose defects in its airbags. This prompted manufacturers like Honda, Toyota and Nissan to drop Takata as a supplier.

During the initial recall Toyota prioritized cars which had been pointed out by dealers to have leaks in the airbag inflators, however tests conducted since then have revealed that a component without leak ruptured in a Nissan car and subsequently injured a passenger.

Toyota, which is the largest car maker in the world as far as sales go, has already said that it will no longer use Takata airbag products, particularly the inflators that contain ammonium nitrate. Regulators in the United States believe this can cause the airbags to explode with force and possibly even spray the inside of the vehicle with shrapnel.

In the country alone more than 12 car makers have recalled 19 million vehicles to check for faulty airbag systems supplied by Takata, Mazda and Ford have also joined the list of companies who have confirmed they won’t be using this supplier in the future.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Transportation
Tags: toyota