Toyota advised more than 875,000 U.S. drivers on Monday not to let riders sit in the passenger seats of certain models due to reported issues with air bags.
Metal shrapnel has been said to release when the air bags, made by Japanese supplier Takata, deploy. A number of deaths have been associated with Takata's products in the past.
The Toyota units included in the recall are the 2001 to 2004 models of Toyota Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, Tundra and Lexus SC sold or registered in Southern Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, U.S Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa, according to USA Today.
"This is a very focused attempt to raise awareness with owners of affected vehicles in these particular regions, where we have found the incidence of failures is the highest," said John Hanson, a Toyota spokesman, to Businessweek. "We're prepared to do whatever the owner asks us to do. If the owner is afraid to drive a car, we'll come and get it."
Toyota is not the only automaker using Takata air bags that has been subject to recall; Honda, Nissan, BMW, Buick, and Chevrolet have also brought back certain products made by the Japan-based company. The recall is focused on vehicles from southern Florida and the Gulf Coast, where humidity is high. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has started investigating Takata, a Japanese supplier of air-bag inflators used by Honda, Toyota, and Nissan.
The New York Times detailed the story of Hien Tran, who died in a car accident. After crashing her Honda Accord, the air bag deployment sent shrapnel flying into her neck, causing stab wounds. Her twin sister stated in the complaint letter that the cause of her death was associated with the injuries brought on by shrapnel. On Monday, federal investigators urged more than five million car owners to get the air bags fixed. In the event that there are no parts available to fix the air bag, dealers will attach a warning label to the door.
Takata has not responded yet on how long it will be before they can provide replacements for the air bags.
