2019 Lexus ES models recalled for knee airbag problems
Thankfully, the problem only affects a handful of cars.
The 2019 Lexus ES is about as inoffensive as a car can get, but that doesn't mean it's immune to recalls.
Toyota announced this week that it will conduct a recall for the 2019 Lexus ES sedan. Approximately 560 vehicles are affected, which represents a small subset of the entire ES run. For a bit of context, Lexus sells between 2,000 and 5,000 ES sedans each month, so the recalled vehicles here wouldn't even cover a month's worth of sales.
The problem stems from the airbag system -- but don't worry, it's not a Takata recall. Toyota said that the driver-side knee airbag might not have been fastened correctly during assembly. If the airbag does not deploy precisely as intended, it can actually increase the risk of injury in the event of a collision.
Toyota did not say if it received any reports of accidents or injuries related to this issue.
The remedy is straightforward. Lexus technicians will inspect the knee airbags in all the recalled vehicles and, if necessary, swap them out for new ones, which will undoubtedly be fastened correctly. Toyota said owners should expect to receive recall notifications in the mail starting later this month. As with all recalls, the repair will be performed free of charge.
