Toronto, Ontario — When making any trip for the holidays, it’s important to stay up-to-date on potential safety risks. Toyota has recently announced that it is recalling certain 2020 to 2022 vehicles due to an airbag that may not deploy for front seat passengers.
In the United States, the recall covers over one million vehicles—according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—while in Canada, Transport Canada reports there may be another 99,965 affected vehicles.
Under normal circumstances, the affected vehicles would assess the front passenger’s weight, which would then trigger the airbag to be turned either on or off. However, affected vehicles are instead getting inaccurate readings for the passenger’s size and therefore, may not deploy airbags when needed.
A sensor for the occupant classification system (OCS) may not be functioning properly, and the sensor could short-circuit, which would then turn off the airbag system even if a passenger is sitting in the front seat.
According to Transport Canada, if this happens, a warning message will display, in addition to the airbag indicator light being off. Regardless of the message, Toyota advises not using the front passenger seat until the vehicle is inspected and necessary repairs are completed.
Toyota will be notifying owners by mail, and they’ll be advised to take the vehicle to a dealership to be inspected where the OCS sensor will be replaced, if necessary.
