Toyota recalls 2.9 million vehicles for faulty air bag sensor

Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Toyota is recalling 2.9 million vehicles to check sensors on potentially faulty air bags, which may not deploy in certain circumstances.

The North American recall involves 2011 through 2019 Corolla sedans, 2011 through 2013 Matrix hatchbacks, 2012 through 2018 Avalon sedans, and 2013 through 2018 Avalon Hybrid sedans.

At issue are air bag control units, electrical components that could receive incorrect signals from crash sensors and fail to tighten seat belts or deploy air bags at the first indication of an accident. The company said the problem is more likely in certain situations, notably an underride crash in which the front of a vehicle is wedged beneath the rear of another vehicle.

The U.S. National Highway Safety Administration, which has been investigating the problem since April 2019, has identified two accidents involving Toyota Corolla models, one resulting in a fatality, in which the situation may have been a factor.

Electrical interference can hinder the control unit's performance, and Toyota service departments will modify the part, if necessary, with a noise filter to isolate the control unit from wiring that could cause interference.

The control unit was manufactured by TRW, a component company now known as ZF-TRW. The part is used by a number of car manufacturers, and Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Hyundai, and Kia have all previously issued recalls for vehicles using the part.

Toyota announced the recall on Tuesday, saying it will notify owners of potentially affected vehicles by mid-March.