Toyota Halts Sales of Vehicles With Heated Seats
Because a certain material located between the seat covers fails to comply with federal safety standards, dealers must first replace the fabric with another before the vehicle can leave the lot.
The interior of a Toyota Sienna. Photo courtesy of Toyota.
The interior of a Toyota Sienna. Photo courtesy of Toyota.
Toyota has informed its dealers that before selling any more models with heated seats, dealers must replace a fabric used between the seat covers with another approved material, ABC News reported. The original material fails to meet U.S. vehicle safety standards for fire resistance.
The issue affects 36,000 heated seats-equipped Toyotas on U.S. dealer lots. Models include the popular Camry, Corolla, Avalon, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra. Some dealers have already received the replacement material, while others await its arrival.
The noncompliance problem first came to light when South Korean safety regulators began testing the material for fire resistance. The vehicles were manufactured in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Toyota is cooperating with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is considering whether a recall of such Toyota vehicles already on the road is warranted. Toyota plans to petition the agency to declare the issue inconsequential to vehicle safety, ABC News reported.
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