The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·18V883000·Announced 2018-12-12

Toyota, Lexus, and Pontiac Recall Vehicles Due to Air Bag Inflator Defect

Toyota, Lexus, and Pontiac are recalling specific 2002-2007 vehicles because passenger air bag inflators may explode during deployment, posing a risk of serious injury.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect may result in 'serious injury or death,' which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe (4) rating involving significant injury reports or potential for serious harm.

Plain-English summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners, while General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, or replace the air bag assembly that includes an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371, Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. This recall includes vehicles that have had their air bag previously replaced under an earlier air bag campaign.

The recalled product

Product
PONTIAC, LEXUS, TOYOTA VIBE, SC, SEQUOIA, COROLLA
Brand
PONTIAC
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag Inflator
Hazard
Affected units
168,993

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 (5)

  • VIBE
  • SC
  • SEQUOIA
  • COROLLA
  • TUNDRA

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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