Toyota this month will conduct two separate safety recalls involving approximately 752,000 2003-2004 model-year Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles and approximately 270,000 2006-2012 model-year Lexus IS vehicles.
The supplemental restraint system (SRS) circuits in the Corolla vehicles are susceptible to internal shorting, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The electrical short may create an abnormal current flow and greater heat, which can damage the circuits. This could result in an inadvertent deployment of the front airbags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
To remedy the problem, Toyota dealers will install a supplemental harness containing an electrical filter between the airbag control module and its wire harness. There will be no charge for this service.
The other recall involves 2006-2012 model-year Lexus IS250 and IS350 vehicles manufactured from Aug. 23, 2005 through Oct. 5, 2011; 2010-2012 MY Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles manufactured from April 10, 2009 through Oct. 6, 2011; and 2008-2011 MY Lexus IS-F vehicles manufactured from Dec. 14, 2007 through July 10, 2011.
The nuts that fasten the wiper arms may be insufficiently torqued, so that if the wiper arms are restricted by an external load, such as a buildup of heavy snow, one or both of the wipers may become inoperative, NHTSA said.
Lexus dealers will fix the problem by installing new wiper arm nuts free of charge.
Toyota can be reached at 1-800-331-4331.
