By Odunewu Segun
About 5.8 million Toyota vehicles are being recalled by Japanese automakers, Toyota, across the globe for potentially deadly Takata air bags inflators.
It is however not clear whether Toyota vehicles in Nigeria are going to be affected as the franchise holder in Nigeria, Toyota Nigeria Limited, is yet to make any official statement concerning the latest recall.
According to information posted Toyota’s website, one person had been injured in a crash involving one of the vehicles, but a spokesman didn’t know where the crash happened. Toyota says it hasn’t determined if the injury was caused by a ruptured inflator.
The vehicles have inflators that can rupture and spew shrapnel. U.S. vehicles with the same inflators are already under recall.
Toyota says the recall brings to 23.1 million the total number of vehicles it has recalled worldwide to fix inflators.
Authorities say as many as 16 deaths worldwide have been linked to Takata. Seventeen automakers are recalling about 69 million inflators in the U.S. and 100 million worldwide.
The models affected include 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner; 2003-2011 Toyota Corolla; 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix; 2009-2011 Toyota Matrix; 2004-2005 Toyota Rav4; 2011 Toyota Sienna; 2002-2007 Toyota Sequoia; 2003-2006 Toyota Tundra and 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris.
Motorists can check to see if their vehicle has been recalled by going to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s website and entering their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) here: https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/.
The Takata airbags, supplied to leading carmakers around the world, have been known to explode. Instead of softening the impact of a crash, they have sprayed metal shrapnel into the bodies of drivers and front seat passengers. Victims appear to have been shot or stabbed, according to police officers who have responded to the accidents.
The crisis has resulted in a massive global recall of tens of millions of vehicles made by companies like Honda, General Motors and Volkswagen.