Seven “incidents” involving the Toyota Prius have been reported where a side curtain airbag has partially inflated without a deployment signal from the electronic airbag controller, Autoliv admits. The Lexus HS 250h is also recalled for the same safety defect.
In each of those Prius incidents, the vehicles were parked and unoccupied, thus far. There have been no reported injuries. Autoliv, of course, is a major replacement supplier for Takata airbag inflators; and used a standard equipment at five large automakers.
The latest safety defect is disturbing for car owners who already have doubts about the safety and durability of inflators – highly explosive devices – and in the case of Takata and now Autoliv – unstable.
Autoliv in a statement says the root cause analysis of this safety defect is continuing.
“No incidents have been reported in any vehicles produced by the four other OEMs who used the same inflator, pointing to vehicle specific characteristics contributing to the issue in addition to a manufacturing issue,” says Autoliv.
The inflator manufacturing process suspected of contributing to the issue was changed in January 2012 and the vehicles now recalled by Toyota represent approximately half of all such inflators manufactured until January 2012.
It is too early to determine the final cost to Autoliv, but it is currently expecting it to be at the lower end of a range of $10-40 million, net of expected insurance recoveries, as published in Autoliv’s vague 10Q statement on April 29.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
