The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Toyota will recall 145,254 vehicles in the US because the side curtain airbags may not deploy properly. In a crash, the side curtain airbags act as a barrier to prevent occupants from being ejected from the vehicle. However, NHTSA says in some Toyota vehicles, the driver’s side curtain airbag may not deploy as expected, or may deploy partially outside the open window. The recall involves certain 2024 SUVs and hybrid vehicles, such as Toyota Highlander, hybrid version of Highlander, Lexus RX350, hybrid version of RX500, and hybrid version of RX550.
Toyota is currently developing remedies for the issue and will notify customers by mid-August 2024. NHTSA data shows Toyota has issued 9 vehicle recalls this year, involving about 1,001,312 cars. Last month, Toyota recalled 13,077 2023 Toyota Crown cars equipped with rear and/or front cameras. According to NHTSA’s report, Toyota stated insufficient laser welding could cause the camera housing to detach. This could allow water to enter the camera, leading to a short circuit and potential display issues with the rear and front cameras.