Toyota Says Do Not Drive These Older Vehicles With Dangerous Takata Airbags

If you are planning on buying one of these vehicles, you also need to check to make sure it does not have an open recall, as federal law doesn’t require dealers or individuals to fix open recalls on used cars before selling them.

Although all these vehicles have been part of ongoing airbag recalls since at least 2016, Toyota says that about 50,000 cars and SUVs still haven’t had a free repair performed at a dealership. The automaker says that it will continue to try to notify owners of these vehicles every month until they get the quick and free repair completed.

Over 67 million faulty Takata airbags have already been replaced in vehicles made by 34 brands, an effort that NHTSA has called “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.” The airbags have been associated with 26 deaths and more than 400 injuries in the U.S.

The problem is caused by the airbag’s metal inflator. If the inflator housing ruptures in a crash, metal shards from the airbag can be sprayed throughout the passenger cabin—a potentially disastrous outcome from a supposedly lifesaving device. High humidity, high temperatures, and age can increase the risk.

Check to see whether your vehicle has an open recall: NHTSA’s website will tell you whether your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed.

If you plug your car’s 17-digit VIN into NHTSA’s website and a recall doesn’t appear, it means your vehicle doesn’t currently have any open recalls. Because automakers issue recalls often, and for many older vehicles, we recommend checking back regularly to see whether your vehicle has had a recall issued.