Still reeling from the Daihatsu "notchgate" and the Hybrid Raize crash test controversies, Toyota is again in hot water as its Toyota Corolla Cross is being recalled in two markets for two different reasons.

The popular crossover is being recalled in Australia, with around 1,285 affected by a parking brake issue for units produced between February 2022 and April 2023.

Meanwhile, it is also being recalled in North America, covering 96,000 Corolla Cross models that were produced between 2022 to 2023 for a passenger airbag issue. This recall only covers internal combustion engine models, as hybrid variants are not included. 

Also Read: Daihatsu admits rigging crash test: Next-gen Toyota Wigo and Vios affected

The Australian recall

The Australian recall for the Toyota Corolla Cross deals with the brake actuator assembly of the vehicle. It may falsely detect an overcurrent condition with the electronic parking brake actuator, putting it into a failsafe mode.

According to Toyota Australia, once the system enters the failsafe mode, it turns on the malfunction indicator lamp, which displays the message “Parking Brake Malfunction, Visit Your Dealer” on the multi-information display, preventing the parking brake from being activated.

If the electronic parking brake cannot be activated and the warnings are ignored, vehicles parked on an incline without being set to “Park” could roll away.

Toyota Australia is already busy contacting affected customers and will fix the problem free of charge.

The North American recall

The North American recall for the Toyota Corolla Cross is a bit more severe as the passenger-side airbag may not deploy in the event of a crash.

The problem isn’t with the airbag itself but with the dashboard section where it is contained. It is supposed to come with perforations that let the airbag deploy properly in the event of a crash. 

However, Toyota has discovered that some vehicles may not come with these perforations making it harder for the airbag to deploy correctly, increasing the risk of injury.

An investigation by the Japanese automaker revealed that the issue was the "incorrectly followed production work instructions in the instrument panel milling process at a certain supplier."

In the meantime, Toyota recommends that no one sits in the vehicle's front passenger seat until an inspection and parts are replaced. If the car inspected is found to be faulty, Toyota will replace the instrument panel.

Do any of the recalls affect the Philippine market?

Toyota Motor Philippines has confirmed with AutoFun Philippines that the Corolla Cross units sold in our market are safe from the electric parking brake and airbag recalls.  

All of the Toyota Corolla Cross models available in the country come with a footbrake and are sourced from Thailand, which has yet to encounter any issues with the crossover.

What do you think of Toyota's response to this safety issue?

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