The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·12V029000·Announced 2012-02-01

Toyota Recalls 2011 RAV4 Vehicles for Defective Side Airbag Propellant

Toyota is recalling certain 2011 RAV4 vehicles because incorrect propellant in the side airbag inflators may prevent deployment during a crash.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a safety-critical component (airbags) that may fail to deploy, increasing the risk of injury in a crash, but the source text does not report any specific injuries or fatalities, fitting the 'High' severity criteria for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.

Plain-English summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling certain model year 2011 RAV4 vehicles manufactured between November 24, 2011, and December 19, 2011. The recall addresses a defect in the curtain shield airbags where propellant with the incorrect specification was used for the initiator assembled in the airbag inflator.

In this condition, the inflator may not perform properly, causing one or both curtain shield airbags to fail to deploy. If the airbags do not deploy in the event of a crash, they will not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the vehicle identification number to identify the curtain shield assemblies and replace them as necessary with new ones free of charge. The safety recall began on March 8, 2012. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
TOYOTA RAV4
Brand
TOYOTA
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Category
Vehicle — Airbag
Hazard
Affected units
427

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • RAV4

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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