Toyota to recall 1.12m vehicles over potential airbag issue

The news: Japanese auto giant Toyota will recall vehicles globally because a short circuit in a sensor could cause air bags not to deploy as designed.

The numbers: The automaker said it will recall 1.12 million vehicles worldwide of which 1 million are in the United States. The recall covers vehicles from 2020 model year through 2022 and includes Avalon, Camry, Corolla, RAV4, Lexus ES250, ES300H, ES350, RX350 Highlander and Sienna Hybrid models.

The context: Toyota said the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensors — which ensure air bags do not deploy if a small adult or child is sitting in the front seat — in these vehicles may not be working. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the sensors. The new sensors were prompted because older airbags deployed the same way for all driver and passengers, causing some injuries and in rare cases even death to children, small adults and unbelted passengers.