AA: ‘No panic on recalls’

The AA says parts are unlikely to be immediately available due to the scale of the most recent Takata airbag recall affectiing Toyotas and Nissans – but it is advising drivers not to panic. Andrew Bayliss, the organisation’s manager of motoring advice, says that despite the very small risk, any safety-related defect must be treated seriously. “Manufacturers have robust processes in place and, having identified the defect, will contact vehicle owners affected to fix the problems,” he says. “Given the numbers of vehicles affected, it’s unlikely parts will be available immediately, so owners should wait until contacted by the manufacturer.” The latest fault is thought to relate to abnormal deployment of the driver’s or front-seat passenger’s airbag in the event of a crash. It is believed to be unrelated to recalls by Takata airbags last year when an airbag-retaining ring could potentially rupture during deployment, sending shards of metal flying. There have been no reported instances of the faulty airbags causing injury in New Zealand. Toyota New Zealand says 26,050 Toyota Corollas, Yarises, RAV4s and Picnics are affected – ranging between 2001 and 2007 – while the number of used imports affected is still unknown. The number of Nissan models to be recalled is still to be announced.