Toyota Recalls 803,000 Cars For Airbag Problem

Toyota issued a recall on Thursday for 803,000 vehicles in the United States, saying an electrical problem could stop airbags from deploying properly in an accident.

Including the latest news, Toyota recalled almost 1.5 million vehicles in the past month due to a mix of problems. The latest recall deals with the 2012 and 2013 Camry, Avalon, and Venza.

The automaker explained that a potential short circuit in the vehicles could case airbag warning lights to turn on an, in some cases, disable them so they won’t deploy in a collision, reports MSN Autos.

In some instances, the airbags could deploy when they aren’t supposed to. Toyota explained that the issue is from water leaking from the air conditioning condenser onto the airbag control module. The leak could also cause more problems, including a short circuit that disables the power-steering system.

Toyota will inform all customers affected by the recall and the dealership will make repairs at no charge. The repair requires a mechanic to apply sealant and a new cover that prevents water from leaking onto the airbag control module.

NBC News notes that the latest issue has resulted in two “minor” injuries and no reported accidents. The announcement of another recall comes just days after Toyota scored a huge victory in a California court over an unintended acceleration scandal that forced the manufacturer to recall 10 million cars.

Toyota was also forced to pay several billion dollars in settlements and jury verdicts related to the acceleration issue. Despite being the world’s best-selling automaker, Toyota has dealt with an unprecedented number of recalls in recent years. The most dangerous was when vehicles allegedly raced out of control without input from the driver.

The company also announced a recall last month for luxury and hybrid models because of two safety defects. It issued another recall a week later for 1 million cars worldwide to correct an earlier recall that proved faulty. Toyota has had more recalled vehicles in the US than any other manufacturer for four of the past five years. It is in first place for this year as well.

[Image by StaraBlazkova via Wikimedia Commons]