Toyota issues major HiLux recall

Toyota Australia has recalled 179,000 HiLux utes due to a potential flaw that may render the SRS airbag inoperable

A total of 179,000 HiLux utes have been recalled by Toyota Australia, the measure affecting models built between April 2004 and December 2009.

Along with a simultaneous recall for 118,600 examples of the brand’s Yaris light car, it’s one of the biggest recalls the brand has seen in this country.

The total of 297,600 vehicles affected is just a few hundred units shy of Toyota’s local October 2012 recall in which 297,931 cars were potentially afflicted with dodgy window switches. That was part of a global recall affecting 7.4 million vehicles.

Toyota’s top-selling HiLux ute is being recalled due a faulty cable that can result in the driver’s airbag failing to deploy during a collision.

The company says a spiral cable located in the steering column can become damaged if the steering wheel is “repeatedly turned”. This, in turn, can cause an error with the SRS airbag warning light, fooling the car into thinking it’s inoperable.

In a worst-case scenario, “the driver’s airbag may not deploy in the event of an accident, which may increase the risk of injury to the driver,” says Toyota.

“There have been no reports of any accidents or injuries as the result of this condition,” Toyota said in press statement.

Toyota says the affected vehicles will be repaired free of charge.

Owners will be asked to schedule an appointment with an authorised Toyota dealer to fix the problem but in the meantime may continue to drive their vehicles.

HiLux owners will be sent letters from late July, which is when Toyota will begin taking delivery of new parts to rectify the problem. The company says it will take around one hour to rectify the issue.

Toyota issues major HiLux recall

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