Toyota PH recalls Rush: potholes, rough roads can trigger airbags

Yesterday, we reported that the Toyota Rush was being recalled in Indonesia after some 60,000 units suffered from faulty airbag components, particularly the airbag electronic control unit (ECU). Furthermore, a source within Toyota Motor Philipines (TMP) confirmed that Philippine-spec models were also affected by the same issue.

This is their official statement:

"In line with its corporate commitment to product safety and quality, Toyota has initiated a Special Service Campaign for the Curtain Shield Airbag Computer on some units of Toyota Rush.

Toyota Rush vehicles produced from April 2, 2018 to February 7, 2019 may have issues in the programming of their airbag Electric Control Units (ECU). As a result, an impact on the rear wheel when passing a pothole or dent may be misinterpreted as a collision, possibly causing deployment of the curtain shield airbag.

To ensure the safety of our customers, TMP has initiated countermeasures, one of which is directly contacting the users of the involved units through official notification letters.

Notified customers may proceed to any of our 70 authorized dealerships nationwide for FREE replacement of the airbag ECU. Service will normally take under 30 minutes, depending on the service center's operation schedule.

As safety is Toyota's number one priority, we strongly urge our customers to bring the unit to their preferred dealership immediately upon receipt of our notice. While servicing of the unit is pending, we urge our customers to take extra precautions when driving on uneven roads.

For further inquiries, Toyota Rush owners may contact their respective dealers or call our Customer Assistance Center at (02) 819-2912."