— Apparently, it just isn't right that General Motors is the automaker making headlines lately for massive recalls. Toyota doesn't want us to forget them, and they have made sure of that by announcing global recalls of 6.3 millions vehicles involving about 30 different models.
About 2.3 million recalled vehicles are in North America, 1.09 million vehicles in Japan, 810,000 vehicles in Europe, and many others in Africa, the Middle East, and South America.
Toyota Air Bag Problems (Corolla, Matrix, Highlander, Tacoma, RAV4, Yaris)
In the U.S., Toyota is recalling 1.3 million vehicles for air bag problems, although Toyota isn't aware of any accidents or injuries related to the defect. The recalled cars include the 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2008-2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 Tacoma, 2006-2008 RAV4 and the 2006-2010 Yaris.
Toyota says electrical connections in a cable assembly can be damaged when the steering wheel is turned. The driver's air bag module is attached to that cable and any damage to the cable could disable the air bag. At the least, the air bag warning light will let you know of a problem.
Toyota doesn't know when the recall will start and they currently don't have the parts to fix the vehicles. Owners of the affected Corolla, Matrix, Highlander, Tacoma, RAV4 and Yaris should watch for a letter. Toyota dealers will eventually replace the cable with one that won't suffer from so much damage.
Toyota Seat Problems (Yaris Hatchback, Yaris Sedan, Scion xD)
Another 472,000 Toyota vehicles are recalled because the front seats could break. Toyota says the affected cars include the 2006-2010 Yaris Hatchback, 2007-2010 Yaris Sedan, and the 2008-2010 Scion xD.
According to Toyota, some of the vehicles have the defect only on the driver's side while others have the problem on both sides.
In all the affected cars, the springs could break in the seat rail of the driver's seat and cause the seat to move on its own. A broken spring will cause the locking mechanism to fail and cause failure of the seat to lock into place. In the three-door models of the recalled cars, the same thing could happen on the passenger-side seat.
Toyota says the problem is made worse if the front seats are adjusted on a frequent basis. Additionally, in some cases the seat could be moved forward and get stuck in that position.
As with the other recalls, Toyota doesn't have the parts to fix the problem. Once they do, dealers will replace the seat track assembly.
Owners of the recalled cars should watch for a letter from Toyota or call 800-331-4331.
Click a model to read complaints about the recalled vehicles:
UPDATE: Just when you think a recall won't have the words "General Motors" in it, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 23,000 Pontiac Vibe cars will be included in this "Toyota" recall. GM will conduct a separate recall from Toyota but dealers will use the same repair procedure.
