Toyota has issued two recalls covering more than 4,000 replacement airbags for its Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks.
The affected parts are curtain shield airbags sold as service replacements, not the ones installed at the factory.
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The recalls stem from manufacturing defects at supplier Joyson Safety Systems. In total, 4,118 airbag assemblies are involved, spanning 2016-2023 Tacoma and 2014-2021 Tundra models.
These airbags were never in the trucks when they left the factory. They were only fitted later, typically after an accident required replacing the original airbags.
Two separate issues
The first recall covers 2,381 replacement curtain shield airbags for certain 2016-2023 Tacoma models.
Toyota says the supplier may not have properly secured the airbag to its mounting bracket during assembly.
If that happens, parts of the airbag may not reach their intended positions when deployed. This could reduce occupant restraint performance and increase injury risk in certain crashes.
The second recall involves 1,737 replacement curtain shield airbags for 2014-2021 Tundra Double Cab and CrewMax models.
In this case, the supplier may not have rolled the airbag correctly during manufacturing.
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An improperly rolled airbag may fail to fully deploy into the correct position during a collision.
Both defects can lead to reduced protection when the airbag is needed most.
Toyota will notify owners known to have received one of the affected replacement airbags by late September.
Dealers will inspect vehicles and replace any defective curtain shield airbag assemblies free of charge.
Toyota is also asking dealers to identify replacement parts previously sold to body shops and collision repair facilities.
This will help contact additional affected owners.
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If your Toyota was never in a wreck that required replacement of the factory airbags, these recalls won't affect you.
