Toyota and General Motors are advising the owners of approximately 61,000 older Corolla, Matrix, RAV4, and Pontiac Vibe models to cease driving them due to the potential danger of their Takata air bag inflators exploding and releasing shrapnel.
The urgent warning, issued on Monday, pertains to certain Corolla compact cars and Matrix hatchbacks from the 2003 and 2004 model years, as well as the RAV4 small SUV from 2004 and 2005. It also includes around 11,000 Pontiac Vibes from 2003 and 2004, which are essentially identical to the Matrix and were manufactured at the same California factory. The majority of these vehicles are located in the U.S.
“If the air bag deploys, a component inside is more susceptible to exploding and projecting sharp metal fragments, which could result in severe injury or death to the driver or passengers,” stated Toyota in a press release.
The recalled RAV4s are equipped with Takata driver’s air bags, while the Corolla and Matrix models have them on the passenger side. Additionally, the Corolla and Matrix are subject to a separate recall due to the possibility of their air bags deploying without a crash, according to the company.
Both companies have advised owners to contact a local dealer instead of driving their vehicles in for repairs. Dealers will offer options such as mobile repair services, towing the vehicle to a dealer, or vehicle pickup and delivery.
Owners can visit nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter their 17-digit vehicle identification number to check if their cars are affected.
Takata utilized volatile ammonium nitrate to generate a small explosion for inflating air bags during a collision. However, over time, the chemical propellant can deteriorate when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. This can lead to an excessive force explosion, causing the metal canister to rupture and scatter shrapnel.
Since May 2009, at least 26 individuals have been killed in the U.S. as a result of Takata inflators, and the death toll worldwide stands at least 30, including individuals in Malaysia and Australia. Additionally, approximately 400 people have been injured. These air bag malfunctions pushed Takata of Japan into bankruptcy.
The potential for a hazardous malfunction has resulted in the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with around 100 million inflators recalled globally.
