Skip to main content

Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazda recall 3.4 million vehicles over faulty airbags

Car Airbags Deployed
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s a bad day for Japanese car manufacturers. Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazda are recalling 3.4 million vehicles globally because of reported problems with front passenger-side airbags.

No injuries have been recorded up to now, though according to a Toyota spokesperson in the UK, five incidents worldwide have been reported. All the airbags at the center of the recall were made by Tokyo-based Takata, a firm specializing in safety components for automobiles.

Toyota issued a statement early Thursday explaining that the fault lies with the inflator inside the airbag.

“The involved vehicles are equipped with front passenger airbag inflators which could have been assembled with improperly manufactured propellant wafers,” the car maker said. “Improperly manufactured propellant wafers could cause the inflator to rupture and the front passenger airbag to deploy abnormally in the event of a crash.”

For Toyota, the recall will involve a total of 1.73 million vehicles, including around 580,000 in North America, 490,000 in Europe and 320,000 in Japan.

In the US, the recalled vehicles include “certain Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Tundra, and Lexus SC 430 models manufactured from 2001 to 2003,” Toyota said.

Honda is reportedly calling in around 1.1 million vehicles worldwide, inlcuding 560,000 in the US (for car makes, see the update below), 270,000 in Japan and 64,000 in Europe.

Nissan is recalling almost half a million vehicles, though at the time of writing specific make and model information hasn’t been released by the car maker. Mazda is also yet to release detailed information.

Owners of affected vehicles should receive a recall notification in the mail in the next couple of months.

Mass production of a machine packed with so much technology means huge recalls like the one today are a regular part of life for car manufacturers. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not a major headache, with each one costing a company a huge amount of money as well as knocking its reputation. In the last four years alone, Toyota, for example, has had to recall around 15 million vehicles to sort out brake problems, sticking accelerator pedals, engine issues, fire risks, fuel leaks and non-functioning airbags.

[Update] Honda has announced in the US it’s recalling 426,000 model-year 2001-2003 Civic vehicles, approximately 43,000 CR-V vehicles from the 2002-2003 model years and approximately 92,000 model-year 2002 Odyssey vehicles. “It is possible that the passenger front airbag inflators in affected vehicles may deploy with too much pressure, which may cause the inflator casing to rupture and could result in injury,” the car maker said in a statement released Thursday. There’s been no official word from Nissan or Mazda as yet.

[Source: Sky, Herald Sun]

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Toyota recalls another 1.3 million vehicles in U.S. over Takata airbags
2014 Toyota Rav4 Limted front badge

Toyota announced on Wednesday it's recalling another 1.7 million vehicles globally as part of the ongoing Takata airbag replacement program. Around 1.3 million of the vehicles are in the U.S.

The largest multi-automaker recall in history started in 2009 after it was discovered that Takata's airbag inflators could degrade over time and, if activated, spray sharp metal fragments toward the vehicle's occupants, causing injury or even death.

Read more
Tesla Model 3 vs. Hyundai Ioniq 6: Which electric sedan is best?
Front three quarter view of the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6.

There are finally some more electric sedan options. For years, the Tesla Model 3 was really the only good electric sedan that comes at a reasonable price -- until, Hyundai recently launched the Ioniq 6. The Ioniq 6 certainly takes some cues from the larger Ioniq 5, but is smaller and sleeker, with a design seemingly inspired by the Porsche 911.

But the Tesla Model 3 is still clearly an excellent option for those looking for an electric car, and who don't want a larger crossover. Which is better? Here's a look.
Design
The exterior design of the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 is quite different. If you've seen a Tesla car before, then you'll immediately recognize the Model 3 -- it looks largely like a slightly different version of every other Tesla (except the Cybertruck).

Read more
Scout Motors Electric SUV: rumored price, release date, design, and more
Scout SUV Teaser

There's another electric SUV on the way, and this one comes with a familiar name. Volkswagen is reviving the classic Scout name for a new electric SUV that's billed as being an "RUV," or a rugged utility vehicle. And, it could well prove itself as the best electric SUV in its price range, when it does finally come out.

The new EV isn't due out for quite some time, but there's already a fair bit that we know about it. Curious to learn more? Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming Scout SUV.
Design
There's very little we actually know about the Scout SUV so far, but we do know a little about the eventual design. A few teasers for the upcoming vehicle have been released, showing sketches of both the SUV and the accompanying pickup truck, along with what's presumably the front of the SUV -- though in a dark environment, with little detail.

Read more