Toyota Motor Vietnam (TMV) is implementing two recall programmes over airbag faults on Corolla, Vios and Yaris models.

The first recall programme is to check and replace the airbag inflator module of the front passenger airbag on a total 11,346 units of locally assembled Corolla, Vios and imported Yaris produced from January 2, 2013 to December 31, 2013.

According to Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), the subject vehicles equipped with front passenger airbag inflators produced by airbag supplier Takata Corporation, may have been manufactured in such a way as to have the potential for the intrusion of moisture over time. Depending on the circumstances, this could create excessive internal pressure when the airbag is deployed and cause the inflator to rupture. In the event of an inflator rupture, metal fragments could pass through the airbag cushion material, striking and potentially seriously injuring the vehicle occupants in a crash.

The process of checking and repairing airbags is expected to take one to three hours per car and the recall programme began from last Friday.

The second recall programme is to inspect and replace the airbag sensor on 372 Corolla cars which were assembled in Viet Nam from December 16, 2015 to February 15, 2016.

The subject vehicles are equipped with an airbag system containing airbag sensors which detect impact to the vehicle. There is a possibility that, due to two different manufacturing issues, the IC chips in affected sensors have insulation layers that could peel over time, creating an open circuit in the IC chip. If this were to occur, the airbag warning light will illuminate. Further, the side/curtain shield airbags and/or front airbags, can become deactivated.

TMV will check and replace the airbag inflator module of the front passenger airbag on affected vehicles at no cost at all Toyota dealers or branches from last Friday. Total time to check and replace the part is about half an hour to 2.5 hours depending on each model.

For the Corolla, Vios and Yaris units which are not officially distributed by TMV, if requests from customers are received, TMV will contact TMC to confirm details. Once TMV gets official approval from TMC, TMV will replace the airbag inflator module or airbag sensor following standard procedures of the campaign at no cost. — VNS