39,000 Toyota cars in UAE may have airbag trouble

Dubai - The statement comes after Toyota Motor Corp announced it was recalling a total of about 2.9 million vehicles.

Al Futtaim Motors, the exclusive distributor of Toyota in the UAE, on Thursday said it has started a 'special service campaign' on 39,294 Toyota vehicles in the UAE, including Corolla (2010 to 2013 models), Yaris (2012 models) and Alphard (2011 and 2013 models).

The statement comes after Toyota Motor Corp announced it was recalling a total of about 2.9 million vehicles in Japan, China, Europe and other regions, including its Corolla Axio sedan and RAV4 SUV crossover due to potentially faulty airbags.

"The involved vehicles are equipped with Takata-produced front driver and/or passenger airbag inflators which contain propellants that could degrade after prolonged exposure to humidity and high temperatures. These propellants could cause the inflators to rupture and the airbag to deploy abnormally in the event of an accident," Al Futtaim said in a statement to Khaleej Times.

"In the interests of delivering the highest standards of Toyota quality and customer care, Al Futtaim Motors has begun contacting customers with affected models to inform them about the situation and arrange service bookings accordingly," the statement said.