Recall alert: Toyota recalls 2.9 million vehicles due to airbag, seat belt issues

Toyota has announced a recall of about 2.9 million vehicles due to an issue with a unit that controls airbags and seat belts.

An electronic control unit, or ECU, from a specific supplier, may not be able to deal with what’s being called electrical noise that can happen during some crashes.

The ECU then would not deploy an airbag or the seat belt pretensioner may not work, increasing the risk or severity of injury in crashes.

The affected vehicles include some 2011 to 2019 Corolla, 2011 to 2013 Matrix, 2012 to 2018 Avalon and 2013 to 2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles in the U.S.

To fix the issue, Toyota dealerships will install noise filters but will look at the ECU before installing the equipment. The repair will cost nothing for owners who will be alerted by mail by mid-March.

If you have any questions about the recall, you can call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or the Lexus Guest Experience Center at 1-800-255-3987.

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