Toyota Canada issues "do not drive" notice to over 7,000 customers impacted by airbag recall

Toyota Canada has issued a “do not drive” advisory that impacts over 7,000 of its customers in Canada due to an issue with airbag inflators, which may explode.

According to a notice from Toyota, a recall was previously initiated for certain Toyota and Lexus vehicles equipped with Takata Front Passenger Airbag Inflators and one Toyota model equipped with a Takata Driver’s Airbag Inflator.

Toyota says the Takata airbag inflators use a propellant that may degrade over time or after being exposed to environmental moisture or fluctuating high temperatures.

In an email to Daily Hive, a Toyota spokesperson noted that this recall is not new and the “do not drive” notice is a “recent step as part of the Takata recall from almost a decade ago in hope to reach those who have not yet reacted.”

In Canada, there are 7,300 impacted vehicles including:

• 2003-2004 Corolla (5,000 units)
• 2003-2004 Corolla Matrix (1,600 units)
• 2004-2005 RAV4 (700 units)

Owners who believe their vehicle may be impacted can check if their model is listed under the recall on Toyota’s website.

“[The] next step is for owners of affected vehicles to contact a Toyota dealership to have the recall procedure done free of charge,” noted the Toyota spokesperson.

Toyota added that, to date, there have not been any inflator ruptures with Takata airbags in Canada.

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