Single supplier traced to Toyota’s latest airbag recall
Toyota has recalled select Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks due to curtain airbags that may not deploy correctly in a crash. These equipment recalls apply specifically to replacement parts installed in certain models between the 2014 and 2023 model years. The issue is confined to a relatively small number of Toyota pickups in relation to the number sold, since original production models that have not had airbag replacements do not require a fix. Given the importance of properly functioning airbags in a crash, affected owners are advised to have the vehicles inspected as soon as possible.
Toyota Airbag Recall Detailed
Toyota
According to the recall report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) site, certain curtain shield airbag (CSA) assemblies sold as replacement parts may not have been properly secured to their mounting brackets during assembly. Due to this, portions of the airbag may not reach their correct positions when deploying in a crash. This could increase the risk of injury to an occupant.
Zac Palmer
These replacement airbags are from one supplier, Joyson Safety Systems. Other curtain airbags sold as replacement parts are unaffected, and the same applies to the original airbag assemblies in these trucks. Here are the specific models and model years involved in the recall:
- 2016-2023 Toyota Tacoma (2,381 units)
- 2014-2021 Toyota Tundra Double Cab and CrewMax (1,737)
In total, 4,118 Toyota pickups that have had their airbags replaced for some reason are involved in this recall.
“All owners of Tacoma vehicles who are known to have had a curtain shield airbag replacement part installed in their vehicles will be notified to return their vehicles to a Toyota dealer,” states the recall report. “The dealers will inspect the vehicles for the affected replacement parts and will replace any curtain shield airbag assemblies that are found at no cost.”
Related: 2027 Toyota Tundra Finally Gets The Trailhunter Treatment It Deserves
What Owners Must Do Now
Toyota
Toyota owners who purchased their pickup truck from new and are certain that the curtain shield airbags have not been replaced will not need to take any action. Relevant owners with one of these pickups should expect notification letters to be mailed between September 13 and 27, 2026. Owners can also contact the automaker’s customer service at 1-800-331-4331 for more information.
There are no other specific precautions owners can take for this recall, since the airbag issue would only be known in the unlikely event of a crash. Curtain airbags are especially crucial in a side-impact crash, where it’s often the only thing preventing an occupant’s head from striking the window glass or even the object/other vehicle that collides with the first vehicle.
Side curtain airbags can also be designed to deploy in a rollover crash, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). They will typically deploy in the first 10 to 20 milliseconds of such a crash and can remain inflated for several seconds to protect occupants if the vehicle rolls over multiple times.
Owners of affected Toyota pickups should take this recall seriously and have their airbags replaced, if necessary, as soon as possible.
Related: 2022-2024 Lexus LX Airbag Recall: What Owners Should Know
