Toyota Recalls Camrys, Tacomas, Venzas Over Airbags, Brake Lights
Toyota has issued two voluntary safety recalls affecting nearly 700,000 Camrys, Venzas, and Tacomas nationwide.
An air bag issue led Toyota to recall about 495,000 Tacomas -- 2005 to early 2009 models in particular, Toyota said in a statement.
Friction between the Tacoma's steering wheel spiral cable and the retainer may sever a connection to the driver's air bag. If that happens, the air bag warning lamp will be illuminated, but the air bag may not work in a crash, Toyota said.
In a second recall, Toyota cited an issue with brake lights on certain 2009 Toyota Camrys and 2009 to 2011 Venzas, the company's statement said.
Silicon grease may have reached the inside of the vehicles' stop-lamp switch, which may make Camry and Venza brake lights inoperable, Toyota said. The grease issue may also prevent the vehicles from starting, or prevent the shift lever from moving from the "Park" position.
Toyota is currently ordering replacement parts, and will notify affected owners by U.S. mail when those parts become available, the company said. Repairs, which will be free, should take about 30 minutes to complete.
With the latest Toyota recalls, the company has now recalled more than 10 million vehicles over the past three years, The Guardian reports. Still, Toyota's U.S. sales are trending upward, with the company reporting a 12% sales surge in February 2012, compared to a year ago.
Toyota owners with questions about the company's latest Camry, Venza, and Tacoma recalls can get more information at Toyota's recall website, or by calling Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Related Resources:
- Toyota Announces Voluntary Safety Recalls of Certain Camry, Venza and Tacoma Vehicles (Toyota USA)
- Toyota recalls 700,000 vehicles in US (The Guardian)
- Car Defects and Recalls Basics (FindLaw)
- Toyota Recall Lawsuits: a Rundown (FindLaw's Courtside)