Toyota South Africa announced on Thursday that it would be recalling over 700,000 of its vehicles over airbag safety concerns, with some affected models dating back over 15 years.<\/p>\n
A Toyota official told Reuters that 10 models, including Lexus, are affected.<\/p>\n
“The reason for this is certain types of airbag inflators manufactured by Takata were found to have a potential for moisture intrusion over time,” Toyota said.<\/p>\n
“Depending on the circumstances, this could create excessive internal pressure when the airbag is deployed and cause the inflator to rupture.<\/p>\n
“In the event of an inflator rupture, metal fragments could pass through the airbag cushion material, striking and possibly injuring the occupants in the event of an accident. To date, no injuries or fatalities caused by this condition have been reported locally,” it said.<\/p>\n
How to check if your car is affected<\/strong><\/p>\n Affected owners will be notified by a Toyota dealer to bring their vehicle in for the service.\u00a0Toyota said that\u00a0the replacement of the component will take one to two hours at no cost to the owner.<\/p>\n Toyota owners can also enter their VIN number into the the official recall portal here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Alternatively owners can contact the Toyota Call Centre on 0800 139 111, with a VIN number (recorded on your licence disc) on hand.<\/p>\n
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