Drivers of certain Toyota and Pontiac vehicles could experience an airbag safety defect that could result in the airbag becoming inoperable. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the steering column in these vehicles contain a spiral cable assembly which contains the electrical connections to the driver’s airbag module. When the steering wheel is turned, the cable could contact a small point of the retainer and become damaged. The airbag could become deactivated causing it not to deploy during an accident. Drivers of vehicles experiencing this problem will be alerted with an air bag warning lamp.
The vehicles involved in this recall include:
- 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe
- 2009-2010 Toyota Corolla
- 2009-2010 Toyota Corolla Matrix
- 2008-2010 Toyota Highlander
- 2006-2008 Toyota RAV4
- 2009-2010 Toyota Tachoma
- 2006-2010 Toyota Yaris
The problem affects only vehicles equipped with spiral cable assemblies that use seven channel circuits. Other Toyota or Lexus models with similar spiral cable assemblies are not affected because those assemblies contain a Flexible Flat Cable (FFC) with a different number of channels, or were produced by a different supplier with a different design. In addition, certain 2005-2009 Tacoma vehicles repaired under previous recall 12V-092, are not affected because the spiral cables in those vehicles are the same as the ones being used to repair this recall.
The number of vehicles affected is approximately 1.3 million. For more information about the problem, Toyota owners can call 1-800-331-4331 and General Motors owners can call 1-800-762-2737. The NHTSA campaign number is 14V-168.
