Owners of thousands of older Toyota, Lexus and Hino vehicles are being urged to check whether their vehicles are affected by the global Takata airbag recall as Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) launches its renewed “Don’t Risk it, Fix it” campaign.
The campaign is not a new recall but an enhanced effort to reach owners who have not responded to previous safety notices issued since 2015.
The Takata airbag recall is regarded as the largest automotive safety recall in history, affecting multiple vehicle manufacturers worldwide. According to Toyota less than 50% of affected vehicles in South Africa have still not been repaired, leaving drivers and passengers at risk.
Airbags pose great danger
According to Toyota the recall was prompted after certain Takata airbag inflators were found to be susceptible to moisture intrusion over time. This can cause excessive pressure inside the inflator when the airbag deploys during a collision, potentially causing it to rupture and propel metal fragments through the airbag, increasing the risk of serious injury to vehicle occupants. Toyota said no injuries or fatalities linked to the defect have been reported in South Africa to date.
The recall applies to the following models: Corolla (2002-2017), RAV4 (2003-2005), Fortuner (2005-2015), Hilux (2004-2015), Yaris (2005-2017), Avensis (2006-2008), Auris (2007-2013), RunX (2002-2007), Lexus IS (2006-2012), Lexus SC (2008), Lexus RX (2016) and Hino 300 Series (2011-2017).
Toyota South Africa Motors CEO and President, Andrew Kirby, said the company wants to ensure every affected vehicle is repaired.
“We are calling on all communities to Don’t Risk It, Fix It. This is not a new recall, it is an enhanced campaign to ensure that every affected vehicle is accounted for and repaired. Our goal is to remove any existing barriers to continuous action and to make it as easy as possible for owners to get their vehicles fixed, at no cost to them.”
Repairs are free of charge
The campaign includes renewed notifications to owners, free safety inspections and repairs through Toyota’s dealership network and service centres, community awareness events and multilingual communication to reach more motorists.
Owners can check whether their vehicle is affected by contacting the Toyota Call Centre on 0800 139 111 with their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), or by verifying their VIN online through the official recall pages for Toyota, Lexus or Hino. Customers are also encouraged to use the MyToyota, My Lexus and Hino-Connect mobile applications for recall notifications.
Kirby said customer safety remained Toyota’s highest priority.
“Toyota’s ongoing commitment to manufacturing safe and reliable vehicles remains a key priority,” he said. “To this effect we will do everything in our power to safeguard the safety of our customers and that of other road users alike. I encourage all our customers to heed the call for this proactive safety critical measure with urgency. Additionally, we ask for all stakeholders’ support to help us reach our 100% target.”
