Toyota, Lexus recall another 1.3 million cars over Takata airbags
Popular models such as the Corolla, 4Runner and Sienna are all included.
The 2010-2016 4Runner is one of several vehicles included in the new recall.
Toyota is the latest automaker to expand a recall of cars fitted with potentially defective Takata airbags. Toyota said the recall encompasses 1.3 million vehicles in the US alone, and Automotive News reports that the recall counts a total of 1.7 million cars globally.
As has been the case with many of the highly publicized Takata recalls, the propellant in the front-passenger airbag of certain Toyota and Lexus models can degrade over time. If it does, the airbag could rupture and spray metal shards when it deploys, potentially injuring or killing passengers.
From Toyota, this new recall covers the 2010-2016 4Runner , 2010-2013 Corolla , 2010-2013 Matrix, 2011-2014 Sienna and the 2010-2015 Scion xB . As for Lexus, this recall affects the 2010-2012 ES350, 2010-2017 GX460 and the 2010-2015 IS. Toyota says it will alert owners of affected vehicles by first-class mail this month.
In a report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that around 16.7 million Takata airbags still needed to be replaced, as of October 2018, and that another 10 million were expected to be recalled in January 2019. Earlier this month, Ford announced a recall of 1 million vehicles with Takata airbags, of which 780,000 are in the US.
