Toyota Recalls Avalon Cars for Inadvertent Airbag Deployment
Toyota Recalls Avalon Cars for Inadvertent Airbag Deployment
Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling about 125,000 older model Avalon cars for airbag defects.
According to a report in The Detroit News, Toyota and Chrysler LLC together have recalled about 2 million vehicles since 2012.
This recall is linked to the same component in the airbag control module that can fail and cause the airbags to deploy suddenly and inadvertently.
The Japanese automaker is recalling 119,000 2003-2004 Avalon cars in the United States and about 5,000 around the world after getting a report of a minor burn injury in the U.S.
No crashes or deaths have been reported in connection with these airbag issues.
Airbags Subject of Prior Toyota Recalls
Toyota stated in a report to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that certain circuits within the airbag control module might be susceptible to damage if exposed to electrical noise from other electrical components.
This may cause the front airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners to deploy inadvertently. In January 2013, Toyota recalled about 1 million vehicles worldwide for the same issue. That recall included the 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Pontiac Vibe.
Toyota at the time told NHTSA that it had reports of 72 airbag deployments and 31 injuries in the 897,000 vehicles recalled in the United States.
Chrysler recalled 920,000 Jeep SUVs and Dodge Vipers for a similar issue. In that case, NHTSA got reports of 215 frontal airbag deployments resulting in 71 injuries including cuts, burns and bruises.
When the recall begins, Toyota dealers will add an electrical noise filter to the airbag control module. It is not clear when this recall will begin.
Liability Issues Involving Defective Autos
Airbag defects can be extremely dangerous whether they deploy suddenly or fail to deploy.
When airbags fail to deploy in the event of a crash, serious injuries can occur. When airbags deploy suddenly without reason, it could lead to a crash and serious injuries as well.
Anyone who has suffered serious injuries as the result of a defective airbag or any other auto defect would be well advised to preserve the vehicle in its current condition unaltered so an expert can analyze it for defects, malfunctions and other evidence.
An experienced auto product liability attorney will be able to advise injured victims and their families in such cases regarding their legal rights and options.
