Toyota announced Wednesday it’s recalling approximately 1 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles to inspect a potential defect with their airbags.

“Toyota is conducting a safety recall involving certain 2020-2022 Toyota and Lexus models in the United States. Approximately 1 million vehicles are involved in this recall,” the automaker said in a press release.

The impacted models include:

Toyota:

  • 2020-21 Avalon including hybrid,
  • 2020-22 Camry including hybrid,
  • 2020-21 Highlander including hybrid,
  • 2020-21 RAV4 including hybrid,
  • 2021 Sienna,
  • 2020-21 Corolla.

Lexus:

  • 2021 ES250,
  • 2020-22 ES300h,
  • 2020-21 ES350,
  • 2020-21 RX350,
  • 2020-21 RX450h.

WATCH:

Toyota announced:

The subject vehicles have Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensors in the front passenger seat that could have been improperly manufactured, causing a short circuit. This would not allow the airbag system to properly classify the occupant’s weight, and the airbag may not deploy as designed in certain crashes, increasing the risk of injury.

For all involved vehicles, Toyota and Lexus dealers will inspect the OCS sensors, and, if necessary, replace them at no cost to owners. For all involved vehicles, Toyota will notify customers by the middle of February 2024.

Information about automotive recalls, including but not limited to the list of involved vehicles, is current as of today’s filing date and is subject to change thereafter. To see if your vehicle is involved in a safety recall visit Toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or license plate information.

From the New York Post:

Toyota and Lexus dealers will inspect the sensors and replace them for free if necessary, but the company said that all customers affected by the recall would be notified by mid-February of next year.

Representatives for Toyota Motor declined to comment how it learned of the defective airbags.

Frontal airbags have saved more than 50,000 lives in the United States over 30 years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The new sensors were prompted because older air bags deployed the same way for all driver and passengers, causing some injuries and in rare cases even death to children, small adults and unbelted passengers who were too close to the air bag as it deployed, the agency said.

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