Toyota issued a recall for approximately 645,000 vehicles around to world due to an electrical problem that may prevent the vehicle’s airbag from inflating during a crash.
The action covers certain Toyota Prius and Lexus RX and NX SUVs. Also covered are some Toyota Alphard, Vellfire, Sienta, Noah, Voxy, Esquire, Probox, Succeed, Corolla, Highlander, Levin and Hilux models. All were produced between May 2015 to March 2016.
An open electrical circuit could occur over time, the automaker warned, that would set off an airbag warning light and could stop the side and front air bags from deploying.
Dealers will inspect serial numbers on sensors and replace them if necessary at no cost to owners. Toyota will notify owners by letter in starting in late March.
(Aston Martin recalls entire run of DB11 coupes due to airbag issue. Click Here for the story.)
Airbags have become a major headache for the auto industry in recent years, with an array of recalls involving bags that inadvertently can deploy, as well as bags that fail to go off in the event of a crash.
The biggest problem, however, has been with airbags produced by Japanese supplier Takata Corp. At least 21 people have been killed due to a manufacturing defect that can cause the bags to explode with excess force in the event of a crash.
(For the latest on the Takata problem, Click Here.)
That has led to the recall of more than 50 million vehicles worldwide. Due to a shortage of replacement parts, a large number of those vehicles have yet to be repaired. The latest service action is actually one in a series of recalls the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration intends to stage over several years, the government initially focusing on older vehicles considered more vulnerable to the problem.
Multiply the wiring by 100 for critical wiring in an autonomous vehicle before you put on your rose colored glasses and tell me we’ll soon be in driverless cars. The dealers can’t repair current wire harness issues so what are they going to do then?