Toyota, Mazda and Suzuki are running voluntary recalls of more than 18,000 vehicles manufactured between 1996 and 1999 over airbag safety concerns.

The affected vehicles are fitted with potentially deadly Takata NADI 5-AT airbags.

“These airbags could injure or kill people in the car by misdeploying in an accident and propelling parts or metal fragments into the cabin of the vehicle at high speed,” ACCC Acting Chair Stephen Ridgeway said.

“The airbags have also, in some instances, not fully inflated in a crash, thereby failing to protect drivers as expected.”

Owners of affected vehicles are advised to stop driving their vehicles immediately and contact their manufacturer to arrange an urgent, free inspection.

Safety authorities in Australia have now received reports of four incidents involving suspected misdeployments of these airbags in Australia. These incidents resulted in a death and a serious injury in BMW vehicles, and a death and a serious injury in Toyota vehicles.

“Drivers must take these warnings seriously. These airbags pose a serious safety risk that could lead to deaths or serious injuries. Please do not put lives at risk, and consider other transport options if your vehicle is affected,” Mr Ridgeway said.

Consumers should check if their car is included in this recall by checking their vehicle’s VIN number in the table below or visiting the Product Safety Australia website. People who need help to check if their vehicle is affected, should call the manufacturer’s hotline for help.

Toyota is offering to buy back vehicles or provide alternative transport options until the airbag is replaced. Toyota will arrange alternative transport options until the buy-back process or airbag replacement is completed.

Mazda and Suzuki are offering to buy back affected vehicles from their owners.

Today’s voluntary recalls by Toyota, Mazda and Suzuki follows voluntary recalls of nearly 17,000 vehicles by Audi, BMW and Ford since November 2019.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development, supported by the ACCC, is seeking to finalise voluntary recalls by Honda and Mitsubishi. It is expected that these recalls will be launched very soon.