(Toronto) Toyota Canada has reissued an urgent warning for about 7,300 cars as part of a decade-old campaign to remind customers that their vehicles may be equipped with a faulty Takata airbag.
A Toyota Canada spokesperson clarified by email Tuesday that the recall is not new and is rather a repeat of an existing recall for Takata airbags that risk exploding and projecting metal fragments.
The warning affects 2003 and 2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix models as well as the 2004 and 2005 RAV4.
“If the inflator ruptures, metal fragments could pass through the airbag material, striking vehicle occupants and possibly resulting in serious injury or death,” reads the recall published on the site from Toyota Canada.
The company hopes the notice will reach people who did not respond to their first recall in 2013, then expanded in 2015, said Toyota Canada spokesperson Phillip Crowe.
Owners can check Toyota’s recall website to see if they are affected and contact a Toyota dealership to have their car repaired for free.
Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate the cushions in the event of an accident. However, the propellant may deteriorate over time or after prolonged exposure to ambient humidity and high temperature fluctuations, according to the recall notice.
It can explode under too much force, causing the metal box to burst and pieces to be thrown around.
At least 26 people have been killed in the United States by Takata airbags since May 2009, and at least 30 people have died worldwide, including in Malaysia and Australia. Additionally, around 400 people were injured. The exploding airbags bankrupted Japan’s Takata.
Crowe said the company is not aware of any airbag inflator ruptures or injuries to Canadian drivers related to the recall.
Takata airbag malfunctions led to the largest series of vehicle recalls in history, with an estimated 100 million vehicles affected worldwide.
With the Associated Press.