Toyota is recalling more than 7100 units of the Corolla, manufactured between April 2007 and July 2008 for fixing defective passenger-side airbags.
In the latest round of voluntary recalls, Toyota is recalling in excess of 7100 units of the Corolla sedan that have been manufactured between April 2007 and July 2008 and sold in the country. The recall is for fixing defective passenger-side airbags that are made by Japanese component maker Takata. This turns out to be Toyota’s third Corolla recall in India in the last one year itself and is linked to the company’s global recall of 2.86 million cars which was announced on 25th June 2015.
However, other manufacturers including the likes of Honda and Nissan have also recalled their vehicles to fix the same issue. More than 30 million cars have been brought back for alterations and inspection for the passenger-side safety device all over the world. The Japanese major’s previous Corolla recall in May 2014 affected models sold between July 2003 and March 2007. Last November, the company recalled 5834 units of the diesel Corolla manufactured between June 2010 and May 2011 for replacing faulty components which contribute to the entry of engine oil into the air intake system.
In the company’s latest statement, the recall is global and a special service campaign to rectify the Corolla’s passenger-side airbag manufactured from April 2007 till June 2008 will take place. In addition to this, a few models manufactured between June 2008 and July 2008 also fall under the “7-year mandate” of the voluntary recall code. Therefore, Toyota will be initiating a voluntary recall soon to check and fix the faulty device in the respective vehicles.
According to the company, the defective mechanism might result in incorrect deployment of the airbag inflator. With excessive force, metal shrapnel could be hurtled towards the passengers and drivers as well, which is a very serious issue. Such is the problem that it has resulted in at least eight people losing their lives in the US from the same issue. Our country as we all know does not have a mandatory policy to recall vehicles. However, through a voluntary code adopted by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) in July 2012, more than eight lakh cars have been recalled till date.
