Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured December 28, 2001, to May 2, 2004, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2002, to April 29, 2004, 2003-2004 Avalon vehicles manufactured June 5, 2002, to December 20, 2004, and 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured January 18, 2002, to April 27, 2004. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Safety risk
Inadvertent deployment of the air bags or the seat belt pretensioners increases the risk of an injury or crash.
Manufacturer remedy
Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. GM issued an interim notification to owners on March 27, 2015. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-620-7668. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 13V-029 and 14V-147. Vehicles that had a noise filter installed as the remedy for one of those campaigns need to have the air bag control module replaced under this campaign.
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-FE OR 3MZ-FE ENGINE. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING AND THE TORSIONAL RUBBER DAMPER (INNER RING) IN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY MAY BE INADEQUATE. IF THE ADHESIVE IS INSUFFICIENT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE OUTER RING MAY BECOME MISALIGNED AND IT MAY NOT PROPERLY ROTATE WITH THE INNER RING, CAUSING NOISE AND/OR ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY DISCHARGE INDICATOR LIGHT.
Safety risk
IN SOME CASES, THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A SUDDEN INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Manufacturer remedy
TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING EARLY JANUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2000-2004 AVALON VEHICLES. DUE TO IMPROPER CASTING OF THE STEERING LOCK BAR, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A MINUTE CRACK MAY DEVELOP ON THE SURFACE OF THE LOCK BAR. SUCH A CRACK MAY EXPAND OVER A LONG PERIOD OF REPEATED LOCK AND UNLOCK OPERATIONS, AND EVENTUALLY THE LOCK BAR COULD BREAK.
Safety risk
SHOULD THE STEERING LOCK BAR BREAK, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK AND THE DRIVER WOULD LOSE THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING INTERLOCK DEVICE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Air bags
122
90,000 mi
Steering
24
61,399 mi
Vehicle speed control
23
53,082 mi
Electrical system
10
120,000 mi
Seat belts
7
120,000 mi
Air bags: frontal
5
50,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling
4
87,000 mi
Unknown or other
4
61,700 mi
Engine
3
76,011 mi
Fuel system, gasoline
3
5 mi
Power train
3
8,000 mi
Suspension
3
106,500 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
—
Latches/locks/linkages
2
69,000 mi
Service brakes
2
104,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
75,890 mi
Steering: hydraulic power assist: pump
2
25,349 mi
Structure
2
40 mi
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
2
61,000 mi
Air bags: on-off switch assembly
1
—
Electrical system: ignition
1
—
Electronic stability control: automatic (ASC)
1
7,361 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine
1
8,614 mi
Equipment
1
68,771 mi
Equipment: appliance: air conditioner
1
40 mi
Exterior lighting
1
30,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: ABS warning light
1
30,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
1
9,902 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum
1
9,902 mi
Steering: column
1
40 mi
Steering: hydraulic power assist system
1
36,080 mi
Steering: rack and pinion
1
—
Structure: body
1
106,500 mi
Structure: body: door
1
69,000 mi
Suspension: rear
1
—
Tires
1
—
Tires: valve
1
32,700 mi
Wheels
1
16,520 mi
Wheels: rim
1
16,520 mi
The 2003 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2005 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.