Again, Airbag Takata, A Total Of 61,000 Toyota And GM Vehicles Must Be Withdrawn

Toyota RAV4 2004. (Doc. Toyota)

JAKARTA - The airbag problem from Takata still haunts the automotive world. This recall program involves Toyota and General Motors (GM).

The two automotive machines announced a warning to the owners of the production year between 2003-2005 in the US.

The recall involved 61,000 vehicles in Uncle Sam's country, consisting of 50,000 Toyota models and 11,000 GM vehicles. The affected models include the 2003-2005 Corolla, the 2003-2004 Corolla Matrix, and the 2004-2005 RAV4 output.

Meanwhile, vehicles from GM only cover the 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe model which is the latest version of the Corolla Matrix and assembled in one factory.

Reporting from Carscoops, Wednesday, January 31, Toyota revealed that the affected vehicles were equipped with an airbag inflator from Takata that was damaged, so they could fire metal shards into the cabin in the event of an accident.

It was also reported that the RAV4 model had a damaged airbag on the driver's side. Then, Corolla and Corolla Matrix on the passenger side. The company invites owners of the affected cars not to drive until the problem is fixed.

"Toyota urges owners to contact local dealers rather than driving their vehicles for repair. Dealers can provide one of several FREE options, such as cell phone repairs at vehicle locations, cranes to dealers, vehicle pick-up and delivery, or other alternative transportation options," Toyota wrote.

In line with this Japanese manufacturer, GM also urged owners from Pontiac Vibe not to drive it until the repairs were complete. The repairs are made free of charge.

Stepping back further, in 2013 there was a mass recall involving millions of vehicles from various brands due to the airbag problem. Due to this incident, Takata went bankrupt in 2018.

Since 2009 cases of Takata airbags have surfaced, more than 30 deaths worldwide and hundreds of injured victims including 26 of them have occurred in the US.