The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for brake service, the contact was informed that the transmission chain had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic for the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle w…
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The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for brake service, the contact was informed that the transmission chain had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic for the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
NHTSA ODI #11757407
Mileage unknown · Jan 2, 2024
Power Train
My college son was driving down from Orlando, and when he got here I took his/my car to my mechanic because the AC was not cold. I felt a hard shift when I put it in reverse, and when I started to drive the car to the mechanic, it didn’t feel right. They fixed my AC and I asked him to check the car as I was worried it did not f…
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My college son was driving down from Orlando, and when he got here I took his/my car to my mechanic because the AC was not cold. I felt a hard shift when I put it in reverse, and when I started to drive the car to the mechanic, it didn’t feel right. They fixed my AC and I asked him to check the car as I was worried it did not feel safe to drive. They changed all the filters and did a complete transmission flush even though it was not due for 60,000 miles and there is less than 54,000 miles on this vehicle. They changed all the filters and upon doing the transmission flush my mechanic of 15 years found chunks of metal and shavings in the transmission pan. He took pics & told me my transmission was bad but it was an internal defect and I needed to take it to Toyota as there was no damage on the outside of my transmission, it’s pan, gasket or filter and there were no signs of any leak. He told me these CVT transmissions were a problem and there were a lot of ones not recalled, but there was a Special Service Campaign JSD for 1.3 million of these transmissions from Toyota. Toyota said my Vin number was not part of this Special Service Campaign JSD but I found there were also 3400 recalls on the CVT transmissions from the Toyota hatchback. Toyota told me because my car was already out of warranty, even if it was a manufacturing defect, they were not responsible. I take very good care of my cars. I have two Toyota Corollas, both 2017 and now I am very concerned about the other one. I’ve been on a lot of Toyota forums and it seems there are so many other Toyota Corollas that don’t have many miles on them and all of a sudden their transmission has an internal defect. I brought it to the dealership and they simply said it needed to be replaced, that it was hard shifting when going into reverse and banging gears intermediately. They told me if I wanted to know what the defect was I would have to pay at least 15 hrs of labor to start. My son could have been killed driving it
NHTSA ODI #11563178
Mileage unknown · Jul 10, 2021
Forward Collision AvoidancePower TrainVehicle Speed Control
I HAD TO DRIVE AROUND 600 MILES TO AND FROM FAMILY FUNERAL. AS OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE CRUISE CONTROL ON A DOWN HILL SLOPE GOES OUT OF CONTROL. AS I REACHED THE TOP OF A HILL AND STARTED DOWN THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD ACCELERATE TO 4000 RPM ( IT IS REALLY LOUD) THE SPEED WOULD START INCREASING AND GO 15-20 MPH OVER WHAT THE CRU…
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I HAD TO DRIVE AROUND 600 MILES TO AND FROM FAMILY FUNERAL. AS OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE CRUISE CONTROL ON A DOWN HILL SLOPE GOES OUT OF CONTROL. AS I REACHED THE TOP OF A HILL AND STARTED DOWN THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD ACCELERATE TO 4000 RPM ( IT IS REALLY LOUD) THE SPEED WOULD START INCREASING AND GO 15-20 MPH OVER WHAT THE CRUISE CONTROL SPEED WAS SET AT. I HAD TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL TO REGAIN CONTROL OVER THE SPEED. I WAS AFRAID THAT SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN IF I DID NOT. WHERE IT SEEMED MY CAR SHOULD DOWN SHIFT IT WAS NOT. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE PROGRAMMING OF THE CRUISE CONTROL. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A DECLINE. ALSO, AT ONE POINT WHEN I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND A CAR PASSED ME ON THE RIGHT, MY CAR SLOWED DOWN REALLY QUICKLY. IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN BEHIND ME IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS IS MY FOURTH TOYOTA AND I HAVE NEVER HAD THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE.
NHTSA ODI #11424164
Mileage unknown · May 13, 2020
Power TrainUnknown Or Other
MY CAR WAS IN DRIVE AND MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE SO I WAS NOT ACCELERATING. I WAS IN A TURNING LANE TO ENTER A BUSINESS. MY CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND THE LIGHTS ON MY DASH LIT UP. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND TOOK THE KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION AND WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AGAIN. I'VE ALSO HAD ISSUES IN THE PAST, ON MULTIPLE OCCA…
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MY CAR WAS IN DRIVE AND MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE SO I WAS NOT ACCELERATING. I WAS IN A TURNING LANE TO ENTER A BUSINESS. MY CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND THE LIGHTS ON MY DASH LIT UP. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND TOOK THE KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION AND WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AGAIN. I'VE ALSO HAD ISSUES IN THE PAST, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, WHERE I TURN MY KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES (EVEN WHEN IT WAS BRAND NEW) AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT AS IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY. *TR
NHTSA ODI #11324439
50 miles · Nov 17, 2019
Power Train
SHIFTING OF TRANSMISSION IN VEHICLE HESITATES AND/OR IS INCONSISTENT UPON SUDDEN ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE DRIVER TO DETERMINE THE ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE VERSUS OTHER CARS ON A BUSY STREET. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS INSTANCES IN WHICH THE CAR IS NOT SHIFTING APPROPRIATELY AND I AM UNABLE TO AC…
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SHIFTING OF TRANSMISSION IN VEHICLE HESITATES AND/OR IS INCONSISTENT UPON SUDDEN ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE DRIVER TO DETERMINE THE ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE VERSUS OTHER CARS ON A BUSY STREET. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS INSTANCES IN WHICH THE CAR IS NOT SHIFTING APPROPRIATELY AND I AM UNABLE TO ACCURATELY JUDGE ENTERING TRAFFIC FROM A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ONTO A BUSY INTERSECTION AS THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES SHIFT/REACT TO THE DRIVER AND OTHER TIMES NOT. AT TIMES THE TRANSMISSION REACHES AND REMAINS AT 7, 000 RPM (IN RED) WITHOUT SHIFTING AND/OR IS SLOW IN RESPONSE TO ACCELERATION. A CAMPAIGN RECALL WAS ISSUED BY TOYOTA FOR WHICH THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE WAS REPROGRAMMED ON THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THESE ISSUES STILL REMAIN. MY ULTIMATE CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF WHEN DRIVING THIS CAR AS I AM NOT ALWAYS ABLE TO PREDICT HOW IT WILL DRIVE UPON SUDDEN NEEDS TO ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE. IT IS MOST NOTABLE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, STOPS ON A HILL, OR NEED FOR INCREASED ACCELERATION GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY. WEATHER TEMPERATURE, HIGH WINDS, PASSENGER LOAD ALL SEEM TO BE VARIABLES IN HOW THE CAR SHIFTS. THE CAR DRIVES/SHIFTS INCONSISTENTLY FROM DAY TO DAY. WHEN NOT SHIFTING, IT RAISES MAJOR CONCERNS I WILL MAKE THE WRONG DETERMINATION WHEN JUDGING TRAFFIC THAT MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE CONSISTENTLY RAISED THESE CONCERNS WITH THE DEALERSHIP FROM THE TIME OF FIRST OIL CHANGE (PURCHASED NEW) TO CURRENT (31,000 MILES). TOYOTA HAS ALSO REVIEWED; HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED THERE IS BIAS IN THE TRUE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE AS THERE COMMENT WAS "DRIVING AS DESIGNED'. IT WAS STATED BY TOYOTA THAT IT COSTS SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE AND THAT IT WOULD NOT BE UPDATED UNTIL ENOUGH OF THESE CASES WERE KNOWN. I AM SUBMITTING THIS REQUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE TRANSMISSION ISSUES IN THIS MODEL YEAR.
NHTSA ODI #11280645
34,423 miles · Mar 21, 2019
Power Train
TOYOTA SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN JSD. UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA HAS NOTIFIED DEALERS THERE IS A KNOW DEFECT WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, AS AN OWNER I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. TRANSMISSION DOES NOT OPERATE SMOOTHLY WHEN DRIVING. TOYOTA IS ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE, BUT THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY DISASSEMBL…
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TOYOTA SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN JSD. UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA HAS NOTIFIED DEALERS THERE IS A KNOW DEFECT WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, AS AN OWNER I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. TRANSMISSION DOES NOT OPERATE SMOOTHLY WHEN DRIVING. TOYOTA IS ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE, BUT THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY DISASSEMBLING THE CVT TRANSMISSION TO CHECK FOR PROBLEMS\UNNECESSARY WEAR. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL, SO OWNERS WILL BE COVERED IN THE LIKELY EVENT THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS BREAK IN THE FUTURE DUE TO THE KNOWN DEFECT ISSUE AND THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. APPEARS TOYOTA IS TRYING TO SAVE MONEY BY NOT ISSUING A RECALL, AND JUST TRYING AN INEXPENSIVE AND INADEQUATE SOFTWARE UPDATE WITH INVESTIGATING WHETHER THE PROBLEM HAS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION.
NHTSA ODI #11190520
2,464 miles · Mar 2, 2019
Power Train
VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED FOR A LEFT TURN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THREE OCCASIONS AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET IT CHECKED AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE IT. TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN SHIFTING C…
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VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED FOR A LEFT TURN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THREE OCCASIONS AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET IT CHECKED AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE IT. TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN SHIFTING CORRECTLY AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS MAKING A STRANGE GRINDING NOISE. THIS COROLLA HAS A CVT TRANSMISSION AND THE TOYOTA COROLLA FORUMS ARE TELLING ME THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAD ISSUED A SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE. THIS HAS SINCE BEEN RESCINDED BECAUSE THE UPDATE DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.I HAVE READ THAT THIS LOSS OF POWER IS CAUSING SOME SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY IF IT HAPPENS ON HIGH SPEED HIGHWAYS.
NHTSA ODI #11183600
Mileage unknown · Jun 29, 2018
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A DOWNGRADE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED AND SET TO 65MPH, THE CVT TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO DOWNSHIFT, THE RPM'S INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO WELL OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. IT FELT LIKE I WAS LOSING CONTROL. I HAD TO ACTIVATE THE BRAKES TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL IN ORDER TO REDUCE MY SPEED TO BE…
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WHILE DRIVING DOWN A DOWNGRADE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED AND SET TO 65MPH, THE CVT TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO DOWNSHIFT, THE RPM'S INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO WELL OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. IT FELT LIKE I WAS LOSING CONTROL. I HAD TO ACTIVATE THE BRAKES TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL IN ORDER TO REDUCE MY SPEED TO BELOW THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT. I TRIED IT AGAIN ON ANOTHER DOWNGRADE AND THE SAME SITUATION WAS DUPLICATED. I DID NOT TAKE THE CAR INTO A DEALER SINCE THE ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO DEALERSHIPS WITH A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
NHTSA ODI #11104743
Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2018
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EnginePower Train
MOTOR, POWER TRAIN...
NHTSA ODI #11061303
1,080 miles · Dec 21, 2017
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Power TrainCrash
ON THE ROAD IN PUERTO RICO THE TRACTION AND PRE COLLISION SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTION NORMALLY AND HAVE A COLLISION AND THE SRS CURTAIN AIRBAG CRASCHED FOR BECAUE OF THE COLLISION AND THE TRANSMISION HAVE A SOUND...
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. The spare tire air pressure was not adjusted to the proper pressure as stated on the Tire Pressure Label.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Toyota's number for this recall is 17R2.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2
EA21002 · Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Opened Sep 17, 2021 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
EA19001 · Electrical Overstress
Opened Apr 19, 2019 · Closed Sep 19, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications. The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU. In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle. Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW. These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes. An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time. In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU. This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners. Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW. The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation. The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage. There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation. The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU. If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC. Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC. All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled. In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024. With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.