Toyota Launches New Takata Recalls in China, Europe, Japan

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling another 485,000 vehicles in Japan, China and Europe to replace Takata Corp. airbag inflators that could misfire.

The new campaigns involve passenger-side frontal airbag inflators and hike Toyota’s Takata-related recalls to more than 17 million devices worldwide over the past eight years.

The inflators in the latest callbacks use an ammonium nitrate propellant that lacks a drying agent. Takata added a desiccant about five years ago to help prevent the propellant from deteriorating after prolonged exposure to heat and moisture. Exploding Takata inflators have killed 13 people and injured more than 130 others.

In Japan, the new recalls cover some 45,000 of the company’s 2005-2011 model Lexis IS luxury sedans. Callbacks in China involve about 140,000 Lexus ES and IS sedans and GX crossovers. In Europe, Toyota is recalling all three Lexus models, plus Toyota Corolla sedans and 4Runner SUVs for a total of about 80,000 vehicles.

Toyota says it also is recalling about 220,000 Corolla sedans, Sienna minivans and Yaris minicars in Mexico and South America.