Toyota and Nissan Recall: 6.5 Million Vehicles Recalled Because of Takata Airbags
Toyota and Nissan have recalled 6.5 million vehicles over faulty airbags from the troubled Japanese auto supplier Takata.
The added vehicles expand on an existing recall over the airbags from other car companies in the U.S. and around the world, USA Today reports.
Toyota and Nissan's recalls show that problems continue to persist with Takata.
U.S. regulators have examined Takata closely after all of the recalls. Honda has relied heavily on parts from Takata, including airbags, and was the first carmaker to recall vehicles because of them. The recall by Toyota and Nissan prove that Honda is not alone.
Honda reported six fatal accidents with its vehicles involving Takata airbags; five in the U.S. and one in Malaysia. The Takata airbag inflator spewed plastic and metal debris at passengers when the airbags were inflated.
Nissan said it will recall 1.5 million vehicles, Bloomberg News reported. Toyota will recall 5 million. These recalls add to the 17 million vehicles that have already been issued due to the issue.
Toyota informed reporters by e-mail that its recall involves three separate actions in the U.S. One of the actions is a new recall and the other two are expansions of existing recalls.
The new recall that Toyota is issuing affects 160,000 RAV4 SUVs in the U.S. from the 2004 and 2005 model years.
Toyota will also expand an April 2013 recall and add 177,000 Tundra pickup trucks from the 2003 and 2004 model years and 2004 Sequoia SUVs in the U.S.
Toyota will also include 300,000 more vehicles driven in mostly southern states. The high humidity in southern states is said to be a key factor that causes the Takata airbags to spit out debris when inflated.
The Nissan recall is smaller and will affect vehicles made between 2004 and 2007, CNN Money reports.
Takata engineers first noticed problems in the chemical mix for its airbags more than 10 years ago. Toyota decided to add to its recall because the moisture problems could make the airbags have an "abnormal deployment in a crash."
A spokesperson for Takata says the company plans to "fully cooperate" with the investigation and the recalls.
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