Lexus recalls IS and LFA for Takata airbag fault

LEXUS Australia has been forced to recall all 10 local examples of its ultra-exclusive LFA supercar, as well as 2156 IS luxury mid-size sedans, over safety concerns as part of Takata’s widening worldwide faulty airbag saga.

The flaw, found in the front passenger airbag inflators, can leave safety systems compromised by the intrusion of moisture. This could lead to a rupture in the device, which then has potential to create small, metallic projectile fragments in the event of collision, raising the risk of occupant injury.

No reported accidents or injuries have occurred in Australia as a result of the fault, but Lexus has taken the precaution of recalling 2156 2012-built IS sedans – including 100 F, 260 250C, 565 250 and 1231 350 variants – and all 10 LFAs sold locally.

While affected IS owners will be contacted by mail and LFA buyers will receive a phone call, Lexus has anticipated vehicle repair work will not be carried out until later this year.

“Due to the number of vehicles impacted globally, it is anticipated that sufficient parts will be available to commence recall repairs from late 2017,” it said.

All recall work will be carried out by an authorised Lexus dealer and will be free-of-charge for affected owners, with IS repairs taking about two hours to complete, while LFA adjustments will take two days.

Although there are no warning indicators in affected vehicles, concerned owners can contact their local Lexus dealer or the Lexus Customer Assistance Centre where a full list of affected vehicle identification numbers can be found.

Worldwide, the total number of recalls due to faulty Takata airbag equipment as reached around 100 million vehicles, with affected brands including Toyota, Mitsubishi and BMW.