The problem with mega suppliers such as Takata is large recalls if there is a manufacturing defect.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. will re-notify owners of vehicles involved in an April 2013 safety recall for the front passenger airbag inflators installed in several models. The latest safety defect follows the announcement by Toyota Motors in Japan that it is recalling 650,000 more cars due to defective airbags made by Takata. Previously more than two million vehicles were recalled by Toyota because the Takata airbag when deployed can send metal fragments – literally shrapnel – into the interior striking and, possibly seriously injuring the seat occupants or the other passengers.
The new airbag recall follows one announced on June 11th when model year 2002-2004 Toyota Sequoia and Lexus SC and 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Tundra, and Pontiac Vibe were recalled because the airbag inflator was too powerful. That addressed both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed if a vehicle had been in a crash thereby calling for the replacement of the passenger-side frontal air bag.
So far, almost four million BMW, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota vehicles are affected by the safety defect caused by a too powerful inflator. The serial numbers Takata provided to Toyota last year were not complete. Honda and Nissan are now reviewing their previously announced airbag recalls for the same defect. (See Takata Airbag Recall on 3.3 Million BMW, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota Cars)
Toyota in the U.S. is in the process modifying the safety recall. The 2013 recall involved inspection of the front passenger air bag, and if equipped with an affected inflator, the inflator would be replaced with a newly manufactured one, at no charge to the owner as is required by U.S. safety regulations.
Toyota has determined that the involved were incomplete, and did not include all of the potentially involved inflators. Toyota is changing the remedy from “inspect and replace the inflator if it is involved” to “replace the inflator with a new one.”
About 766,300 vehicles in the U.S. were covered by the 2013 airbag recall, including vehicles that were previously inspected and received a replacement inflator. This recall involves Model Year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, and Tundra; Model Year 2002-2004 Sequoia; and certain Model Year 2002-2004 Lexus SC 430 coupes.
