Toyota SA recalls 700,000 cars

Some of the affected models date back more than 15 years. The recall is to replace the front airbag inflators produced by parts firm Takata. Takata discovered the problem last year and is in the process of replacing the airbags in millions of models worldwide from a large range of manufacturers, including Toyota, General Motors and BMW. The airbags themselves can shower drivers and passengers with metal shards when they explode in a crash and they’ve been linked to 13 deaths in the United States alone. “Depending on the circumstances‚ this could create excessive internal pressure when the airbag is deployed and cause the inflator to rupture. In the event of an inflator rupture‚ metal fragment could pass through the airbag cushion material‚ striking and possibly injuring the occupants in the event of an accident‚” Toyota South Africa said in a statement on their website. The company said no-one has been injured or killed in South Africa as a result of this fault. The current Toyota recall affects 10 models, including Lexus.