Toyota Corolla

2024: Recall of defective cars due to metal-shot airbags

On January 29, 2024, Toyota and General Motors initiated a large-scale recall program for cars of various models. The problem is related to defective airbags, which can explode, hitting people in the vehicle with sharp metal fragments. This can cause serious injury or even death to the driver and/or passengers.

The defect affects older Toyota Corolla cars and Matrix hatchbacks of 2003 and 2004 model years, as well as RAV4 crossovers of the 2004 and 2005 models. In addition, the 2003 and 2004 Pontiac Vibe models are subject to recall - this is actually a version of the Matrix offered under a different brand. In total, the problem covers approximately 61 thousand of these machines.

Toyota

Defective airbags are made by the Japanese company Takata. In them, ammonium nitrate is used to pump air. It has been found that this chemical compound can burn too actively if the car is operated at high temperatures or high humidity. As a result, when the pillow is triggered, a metal container containing ammonium nitrate explodes, and fragments can cripple or kill people in the car.

It is noted that from May 2009 until the beginning of 2024, due to explosions of Takata airbags, at least 30 people died worldwide, including the United States, Malaysia and Australia. Another 400 people received injuries of varying severity. Takata's defective products have led to the largest series of car recalls in history, with tens of millions of vehicles affected by such campaigns around the world. Defective pillows were equipped with cars Honda, Toyota, Audi, BMW, Daimler Vans, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, etc. For Takata, these reviews turned into bankruptcy.^[1]

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