Which Toyota Vehicles Have Dangerous Takata Airbags?

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The propellent Takata used is exploding with such force that it's ripping the inflators into tiny metal fragments and shooting them in the direction of vehicle occupants. To make matters worse, the inflators are exploding in low-speed accidents with very little impact.

Which Toyota Vehicles Have Been Recalled? ∞

MakeModelYearsLimited To
Toyota4Runner2010-2013Zone A
2010Zone B
Corolla2009-2013Zone A
2010Zone B
2009Zone C
2003-2012
Matrix2009-2013Zone A
2010Zone B
2009Zone C
2003-2012
RAV42004-2005
Sequoia2002-2007
Sienna2011-2013Zone A
Tundra2003-2006
Yaris2006-2012Zone A
2007-2012Zone B
2009Zone C
2007-2008; 2012

What are Zones? ∞

Some Takata recalls are being broken down into what NHTSA calls "zones". A zone is a group of states and territories where a vehicle was originally sold or registered at some point in time. A few notes about zones:

  1. A vehicle can be recalled in more than one zone.
  2. When no zone is defined, the recall was more widespread. Possibly internationally.
  3. If you find this all very confusing, you're not alone my friend.

So, here we go:

  • Zone A: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Zone B: Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
  • Zone C: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Take Action ∞

Takata inflators have been linked to 11 deaths in the USA, so far.

Owners of these vehicles are urged to call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or lookup your VIN (vehicle identification number).

"Consumers that are uncertain whether their vehicle is impacted by the Takata recalls, or any other recall, can contact their manufacturer’s website to search, by their vehicle identification number (VIN) to confirm whether their individual vehicle has an open recall that needs to be addressed."

Generations Where This Problem Has Been Reported

This problem has popped up in the following Toyota generations.

Most years within a generation share the same parts and manufacturing process. You can also expect them to share the same problems. So while it may not be a problem in every year yet, it's worth looking out for.

Further Reading

A timeline of stories related to this problem. We try to boil these stories down to the most important bits so you can quickly see where things stand. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts for your vehicle over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Someday the Takata Recalls will end. Today is not that day.

    Toyota has recalled the passenger-side inflators in 1.7 million vehicles across North America.

    The airbags currently in the vehicles have metal inflators that contain ammonium nitrate without a drying agent added to protect the chemical from moisture. The moisture can destabilize the ammonium nitrate and turn the metal inflator into a grenade full of shrapnel.

    The affected vehicles include the 2010-2016 4Runner, 2010-2013 Corolla, 2010-2013 Matrix, and 2011-2014 Sienna. Toyota plans on sending out recall notices towards the end of January.

    keep reading article "Toyota Announces Latest in Series of Takata Recalls"

  2. Toyota is recalling 65,000 vehicles to replace the front passenger airbag inflators … again.

    Although the previous recall used new replacement Takata airbag inflators, this latest recall will use inflators supplied by a company other than Takata. Those previous replacements were still using ammonium nitrate, a propellant that breaks down and explodes unpredictably when exposed to humidity and moisture.

    Takata's inflators has been a long-running nightmare for millions of owners, hopefully this is the last time you'll have to bring your car in for service related to these exploding chunks of metal.

    keep reading article "Toyota Vehicles Recalled Again to Get Rid of Ammonium Nitrate Inflators"

  5. Toyota is recalling 1.5 million vehicles with dangerous Takata airbag inflators, including some from its Scion and Lexus divisions.

    The move comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced an additional 35-40 million Takata airbags would need to be recalled across multiple brands across the USA. See the full list of recalled vehicles.…

    keep reading article "1.5 Million Toyota Vehicles Need New Takata Airbags"

  6. **Yo

    r vehicle might be involved in one of the largest and most dangerous recalls in automotive history. Toyota is expanding two previous recalls by bringing back an additional 330,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles with Takata inflators. You've probably heard about Takata by now. They're the ones responsible for airbag inflators that are sometimes exploding with too much force, sending metal shrapnel flying throughout the cabin. They're also the ones that have been linked to a number of deaths and injuries.…

    keep reading article "Toyota Expands Takata Recalls"

  7. Last April, Toyota was involved in a worldwide recall of over 3 million vehicles with defective airbag inflators from parts supplier Takata.

    The inflators have been rupturing and sending hot shrapnel all over the cabin, resulting in severe burns and cuts for owners. All affected cars were recalled and their inflator serial numbers were checked against a list of defective parts provided by the supplier. If the number was on the list, the inflator was replaced and it seemed like we could all get back to enjoying our summer.…

    keep reading article "Dangerous Takata Airbags Recalled Again"

  8. Toyota is taking part in a massive 3-million vehicle recall of inflators that can explode and send shards of metal throughout the cabin during an airbag deployment.

    Takata said the propellant wafers produced at a plant in Moses Lake, Washington, between April 13, 2000 and September 11, 2002, may have been produced with an inadequate compaction force. The propellant could deteriorate over time and cause too much combustion, which could cause the body of the inflator to rupture during air bag deployment.

    Toyota announced plans to recall the 2001-2003 Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, and Tundra along with the Lexus SC 430.

    keep reading article "Recall of Exploding Airbag Metal Canisters"

OK, Now What?

Maybe you've experienced this problem. Maybe you're concerned you will soon. Whatever the reason, here's a handful of things you can do to make sure it gets the attention it deserves.

  1. File Your Complaint

    CarComplaints.com is a free site dedicated to uncovering problem trends and informing owners about potential issues with their cars. Major class action law firms use this data when researching cases.

    Add a Complaint

  2. Notify CAS

    The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) is a pro-consumer organization that researches auto safety issues & often compels the US government to do the right thing through lobbying & lawsuits.

    Notify The CAS

  3. Report a Safety Concern

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the US agency with the authority to conduct vehicle defect investigations & force recalls. Their focus is on safety-related issues.

    Report to NHTSA