Staying Fit
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File
Toyota issued a “do not drive” warning for approximately 50,000 vehicles manufactured between 2003 and 2005 equipped with Takata airbags because they may shoot metal fragments and cause serious injury or death to the driver or passengers.
“Due to the age of the vehicles, if the airbag deploys, a part inside is more likely to explode and shoot sharp metal fragments,” the company said in a statement.
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Owners should not drive these vehicles until a safety recall repair has been made:
- 2003–2004 Corolla
- 2003–2004 Corolla Matrix
- 2004–2005 RAV4
Toyota estimates that approximately 50,000 vehicles are affected by this notice.
Owners should contact their local dealer instead of driving their vehicle to be repaired. Several options may be offered for free, including repair at the vehicle location, towing to the dealership, or vehicle pickup and delivery.
Toyota said that it is notifying known owners of these vehicles each month through its communication channels.
To find out if your car is involved in a safety recall visit toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your vehicle identification number (VIN) or license plate information.
Additional questions can be made to the Toyota Brand Engagement Center at 800-331-4331.
December Toyota airbag recall
In December 2023, Toyota issued a recall for about 1 million vehicles over concerns their airbags may short-circuit. The recall affected six Toyota vehicle types and five types of Lexus cars manufactured between 2020 and 2022.
The vehicles’ sensor system may have been improperly manufactured, leading to a short circuit in the front passenger seat, Toyota said. As a result, the airbags may not deploy correctly in certain crashes, increasing the risk of injury.
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