- Auto Accident Injury
- Auto Deaths
- Back Injuries
- Brain Injury
- Car Accident Injury
- Catastrophic Injury
- Closed Head Injury
- Design Manufacturing
- Fuel Fed Fire Injury
- Head Injuries
- Occupant Ejections
- Paralysis
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Roof Crush Injury
- Seat Belt Injuries
- Tempered Glass
- Tire Blow Out Injury
- Trailer Sway
- Traumatic Head Injury
Toyota Recalls 160,000 Tundras
July 10, 2006
Toyota has announced the recall of 160,000 Tundra pick-up trucks from the model years 2003 to 2005 to deactivate an airbag switch intended to protect children in the event of a collision. Auto safety experts have criticized the automaker for not responding appropriately to this problem.
Though the Tundra recall will cost Toyota millions of dollars, it would cost the company more to fully comply with federal regulations. These regulations require that all vehicles built after 2002 have a child-seat anchor system called LATCH in the front seat if they are also equipped with an airbag shut-off switch in the front seat.
The automaker has chosen to address this safety issue by deactivating the airbag shut-off switch. This means that the front airbag will always deploy in a front-end accident, posing a serious safety risk to children who are seated in the front passenger seat during the collision.
Children are at a greater risk of injury or death from airbag deployment, which is why federal regulations requires that vehicles come equipped with the LATCH system if they also have the cut-off switch.
According to Henry Jasny of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Toyota's decision to respond to this safety issue this way presents, "a clear and present danger to the children who ride in child restraints in the front passenger seats of those vehicles."
If you have questions or have been injured in a Toyota Tundra due to an auto defect or safety concern, please contact us to speak with qualified attorney who can assess your case and determine the best way to protect your interests.
For more information on crashworthiness, contact us to confer with an attorney.
Toyota SUA Information
Recent News
The federal government is under increasing pressure to impose tougher regulations on vehicle crashworthiness. In a long overdue effort, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration...
