Toyota to recall 1.43 mn hybrid cars over airbag inflator defect

Toyota Motor Corp today said that it will recall 1.43 million hybrid cars worldwide to fix a defect in the airbag inflator, which could pose a major threat to occupants in the vehicle.

The Japanese carmaker clarified that this recall is not a part of the larger ongoing recall for cars with faulty Takata airbags.

The recall includes the Prius hybrid, Prius plug-in and the Lexus CT200h produced between October 2008 and April 2012.
 
The recall affects 743,000 vehicles in Japan, 495,000 in North America, 141,000 in Europe, 9,000 in China and 46,000 in other countries.

This is the second global recall issued by the carmaker this year, not pertaining to the Takata Airbag scandal.

Toyota said that a small crack in some inflators in the driver and passenger side air bags may expand, causing them to partially inflate and could enter the vehicle interior, increasing the risk of injury.

The company said it was not aware of any fatalities or injuries related to the recall.

Toyota and other carmakers have over the past years been affected by problems with faulty airbags supplied by Japanese airbag supplier Takata.
 
These recalls are the biggest in the history of the automotive industry.

Toyota has so far recalled more than 100 million vehicles worldwide over faulty airbags, including those made by Takata, which has resulted in 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries.