Toyota recalls 1.4 million hybrid vehicles because of a recent airbag company’s controversies.
The hybrid vehicles, Toyota Prius and Toyota Lexus are great for fuel economy but might not be so great for airbag safety. More than 1.4 million of those vehicles were recalled in late June because Autoliv, a Swedish-American airbag manufacturer, is under investigation for having faulty airbags.
According to The New York Times, no injuries have been reported due to these potentially defunct airbags, there have been a few times where the airbags unjustly deployed inside parked vehicles.
Business Standard reports that Toyota began the recall on June 29, so they can inspect and properly install newer airbags. The recalled versions are only from 2009 until 2012, so recent versions of the Toyota Prius and Toyota Lexus should be fine.
“Inflaters are one of the most complex automotive components to manufacture. Airbag makers need to have extensive experience in chemistry, explosives, as well as quality control,” said Scott Upham, chief executive of Valient Market Research. “This is the reason why there are so few inflater suppliers in the industry.”
The airbag supplier — Autoliv — was not named by Toyota when the company originally announced the recall, but Autoliv came out with their own statement stating that they are the manufacturer that produced the faulty airbags. The company acknowledged their mistakes and plan on fully cooperating with the vehicle recall.
There have been no known deaths or major injuries caused by the airbag issues. High temperatures were one of the main reasons that caused the airbags to deploy spontaneously by themselves.
Fuel economy is important, which is why these hybrid vehicles are so popular, but safety for drivers and passengers is even more important.
Fuel economy has to do with protecting the environment as well — which is just as important as anything else. Electric batteries for cars can cause major problems to the environment if they are not properly taken care of and disposed. The batteries in hybrid cars should be monitored regularly and never just discarded once they stop working. Proper hybrid battery replacement is extremely important for preserving the environment.