Defective Airbags Prompt Toyota Recall of Almost 900,000 Vehicles

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced the recall of 887,709 potentially affected Toyota Corolla and Pontiac Vibe vehicles due to an airbag defect.

The vehicles’ supplemental restraint system (SRS) circuits may short, creating an abnormal flow of electrical current, which subsequently increases the level of heat and potentially damages the circuits. As a result, the front airbags and/or seat belt pretensioners may malfunction and inadvertently deploy the airbags, increasing the risk of a car accident and/or injury.

Toyota is recalling model year 2003 – 2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix cars, and General Motors is recalling model year 2003 – 2004 Pontiac Vibe cars.

What to Do Now

Owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by Toyota or General Motors and dealers will install a supplemental harness including an electrical filter between the airbag control module and its wire harness at no cost. A recall notification schedule has not yet been established.

If you would like additional information regarding this recall you can call Toyota at (800) 331-4331 or Pontiac at (800) 620-7668. You can also call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236 or visit www.safecar.gov.

What if the Defect Has Already Caused Injury?

Recalls are necessary safety measures, but they sometimes come too late to prevent all incidents of injury. If you have been injured directly as the result of an auto defect or a car accident caused by an auto defect, you may be able to hold the auto manufacturer financially responsible for medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering, and other damages. To find out if taking legal action is the best option for your particular situation, contact Kiley Law Group today to discuss your legal rights.