Faulty Takata airbag fix triggers another recall
The Lexus IS is being recalled again, after it was discovered the fix for its deadly Takata airbags could degrade over time.
Lexus Australia has recalled 7015 examples of the IS sedan and convertible, owing to a fault with the original fix for its dangerous Takata airbags.
Affecting examples of the Lexus IS built between August 2005 and December 2012, the impacted cars are fitted with Takata front passenger air bag inflators which are a replacement part from a prior recall.
These inflators contain a desiccated, phase stabilised ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant which it has been discovered can cause the inflator to degrade if exposed to prolonged periods of “high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling”.
“This recall is initiated as a proactive measure. Based on the investigation of recovered parts, no degradation of the propellant has been currently identified,” Lexus Australia said in its recall notice.
According to the manufacturer, the recall will take approximately 4.5 hours to complete, with owners of affected IS vehicles encouraged to keep their contact details up to date with Lexus so future communications can be received.
Globally, the Takata airbag recall impacted more than 100 million vehicles, with the faulty inflators linked to at least 28 deaths and more than 400 injuries.
Approximately 4.1 million cars in Australia were impacted by the Takata recall, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) declaring in late 2022 that all faulty devices in affected vehicles had been replaced.
However, this data included vehicles which were written-off, scrapped or unregistered for more than two years.
