Toyota issues recall, again, for air bag problems

Toyota is announcing a recall of a recall, asking that owners of vehicles involved in previous safety problems have their vehicles re-inspected for new problems.

Toyota Motor Sales USA said as many as 766,300 vehicles involved in a previous recall could be affected by an air bag issue that could cause the safety devices to explode when triggered.

The company said serial numbers provided for the previous recall were incomplete. The new recall could affect cars not previously included.

An April 2013 recall covered certain 2003 and 2004 Toyota Corollas, Corolla Matrixes and Tundras, as well as some 2002-2004 Sequoias and Lexus SC430 coupes.

Some vehicles involved in the previous recall had inflators for their air bags inspected. Others had them replaced. Now Toyota says all the affected vehicles should have the air bag inflators replaced.

Vehicle owners, who will be notified by Toyota by mail, will not be charged for the repair.

The company said the vehicles involved “were equipped with front passenger air bag inflators which could have been assembled with improperly manufactured propellant,” which “could cause the inflator to rupture and the front passenger air bag to deploy abnormally in the event of a crash.”