As South Africans prepare for increased travel over the Easter holiday period, Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has renewed its call for motorists to prioritise safety by addressing outstanding airbag recalls. The company has relaunched its Takata Airbag Recall initiative under the banner “Don’t Risk It, Fix It”, urging customers to act on long-standing safety notices.
This campaign is not a new recall but an intensified effort to reach vehicle owners who have yet to respond since the initial notices were issued in 2015. The Takata airbag recall remains the largest automotive safety recall globally, affecting millions of vehicles across multiple brands.
Toyota’s renewed campaign targets several models produced between 2002 and 2017 across its Toyota, Lexus, and Hino ranges. These include popular vehicles such as the Corolla, Hilux, Fortuner, Yaris, and RAV4, as well as selected Lexus and Hino models. The initiative focuses on replacing defective airbag inflators that may pose serious safety risks if left unaddressed.
Despite years of communication efforts, Toyota reports that approximately 39% of affected vehicles in South Africa remain unrepaired. This presents a continued risk to drivers, passengers, and other road users.
Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of TSAM, stressed the urgency of the campaign, calling on motorists to take immediate action. He noted that the goal is to eliminate any barriers that may have prevented customers from responding previously and to make the repair process as simple and accessible as possible.
Key elements of the revitalised campaign include reissuing notifications to affected customers, offering free safety inspections and repairs through Toyota’s dealership network, and hosting community outreach events to raise awareness. The campaign also incorporates multilingual communication to ensure broader accessibility across diverse communities.
To further assist customers, Toyota has made it easier to check whether a vehicle is affected. Motorists can contact the Toyota call centre, use official brand websites to verify their vehicle identification number (VIN), or download dedicated mobile apps such as MyToyota, My Lexus, and Hino-Connect for real-time updates.
All repairs related to the recall are conducted at no cost to customers.
Toyota emphasised that the campaign forms part of its broader commitment to vehicle safety and customer care. With heightened traffic expected during the Easter period, the company is urging all affected vehicle owners to act without delay.
The “Don’t Risk It, Fix It” campaign ultimately aims to ensure that every affected vehicle is repaired, reinforcing safety on South African roads and providing peace of mind to motorists and their families.
