Toyota recalling 1 million vehicles, including Lexus, for potential air bag problem

TOYOTA CITY — Toyota Motor Co. said Wednesday it is recalling 1 million vehicles over a defect that could cause airbags not to deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

The recall covers a range of Toyota and Lexus vehicles with model years from 2020 to 2022. Included in the recall are Toyota Avalons, Camrys, Highlanders, RAV4s, Siennas and Corollas, plus some hybrids of those models.

The Lexus models in the recall include the ES250 sedan and the RX350 SUV, among others.

The vehicles being recalled have sensors in the front passenger seat that may have been manufactured improperly. Those sensors could potentially short circuit, causing the airbag system to not determine the occupant’s correct weight and potentially not deploy in certain kinds of crashes.

Toyota and Lexus dealers will inspect the OCS sensors and replace them if necessary at no cost to owners. Toyota will notify customers by the middle of February 2024 if their cars are in the recall.

Toyota owners who think their car might be included in the recall can call 1-800-331-4331 for details. For Lexus vehicles, owners can call 1-800-255-3987 for more information.

John F. McCarthy is a veteran journalist in the Caribbean, writing from the "Decision Space" where survival meets the surreal. His reporting steel was tempered by a lineage of legendary editors and broadcasters, including Ed Wynn Brant (The Bomb), Owen Eschenroder (Ann Arbor News), Lynelle Emanuel (BVI Beacon), and Charles Thanas (WSVI-TV). Alongside longtime colleague Kenneth C. "Casey" Clark, McCarthy has navigated the front lines of the territory’s history—from the 1997 volcanic "snow" to every major hurricane since Hugo. Known for leaning out of doorless helicopters to capture the "money shot," McCarthy now edits the V.I. Free Press, providing the essential link between the island's colonial past and its SpaceX future.