Diagsheet

2021 Toyota Corolla · symptom sheet

Takata airbag inflator recall

  • 33owner reports
  • $11,340median quote
  • 1involved a crash

Newest report Dec 27, 2025 · checked Sep 19, 2026

33 of the 52 reports of airbag on the 2021 Corolla describe Takata airbag recall.

Part of Airbag warning light or recall (52 reports)

Tick what matches of 33 reports

18
27
4
4

What got replaced

Few of these reports name the part that was replaced.

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the airbags covers the 2021 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

23V-865Dec 20, 2023
Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.

Risk and remedy
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

NHTSA investigations into the airbags on the Corolla

EA21-002opened Sep 17, 2021
Airbags · model years 2003 to 2018

Desiccated air bag inflator rupture. Open.

NHTSA summary
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been n
EA19-001opened Apr 19, 2019
Airbags · model years 2011 to 2019

Electrical overstress. Closed sep 19, 2024, led to recall 20V-024.

NHTSA summary
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications. The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU. In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle. Other FCA vehicles
EA15-001opened Feb 24, 2015
Airbags · model years 2003 to 2005

Air bag inflator rupture. Open, led to recall 14V-668.

NHTSA summary
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.During the course of PE14-016, ODI determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by Takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.Nonetheless, at ODI's insistence, all 10 vehicle manufacturers initiated a regional recall within approximately two weeks of the opening of the investigation.The regions recalled initially included Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, areas with high absolute humidity and climatic conditions believed to be a significant factor in the inflator ruptures.As part of the recall actions, inflators removed from remedied vehicles are to be returned to Takata for testing.Takata's initial test results on passenger inflators from remedied vehicles indicated a much higher than anticipated rupture frequency for inflators returned from Florida.Accordingly ODI requested all 10 manufacturers expand the regional recalls for passenger inflators to include other geographic areas where high absolute humidity co
PE14-016opened Jun 11, 2014
Airbags · model years 2002 to 2005

Air bag inflator rupture. Closed mar 2, 2015, led to recall 13V-172.

NHTSA summary
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.During the course of PE14-016, ODI determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by Takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.Nonetheless, at ODI's insistence, all 10 vehicle manufacturers initiated a regional recall within approximately two weeks of the opening of the investigation.The regions recalled initially included Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, areas with consistently high absolute humidity and climatic conditions believed to be a significant factor in the inflator ruptures.As part of the recall actions, inflators removed from remedied vehicles are to be returned to Takata for testing.Takata's initial test results on passenger inflators from remedied vehicles indicated a much higher than anticipated rupture frequency for inflators returned from Florida.Accordingly, ODI requested all 10 manufacturers expand the regional recalls for passenger inflators to include other geographic areas where high absolu
DP11-001opened Apr 7, 2011
Airbags · model years 2008

Frontal air bag non-deployment. Closed aug 19, 2011.

NHTSA summary
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition requesting that it open an investigation of model year (MY) 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles for the failure of the frontal air bags to deploy during an alleged serious crash. The petitioner alleges that the frontal air bags in their MY 2008 Corolla failed to deploy during a 55-mph frontal impact with a large animal (a deer).The petitioner also filed a complaint with the agency (see ODI 10327470 for further details of the incident and the petition submitted to the agency).ODI has reviewed the petition, assessed consumer complaints on the MY 2008 Toyota Corolla and similar vehicles, analyzed statistics derived from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and its National Automotive Sampling System (NASS), and evaluated crash tests of the subject vehicles.Based on its review, ODI does not believe that a safety-related defect trend currently exists for air bag non-deployment in the subject vehicles.Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied.However, the agency will continue to monitor this event and will take further action if warranted by changing future circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the DP11-001 file (www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/defects).
PE97-017opened Apr 23, 1997
Airbags · model years 1995

Air bag exhaust fire. Closed sep 30, 1997.

NHTSA summary
There is no summary currently available

None of these investigations covers the 2021 model year.

What owners paid

5 of the 33 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,050 to $14,000.

$1,050$11,340$14,000
$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

Too few of these reports state a mileage to give a range.

1524
1825

What owners wrote

“This is recall on and OCS that not has been taking of and I'm trying to find out is the problem that is matter has not been resolved. It's been since Dec of 2023 and I still don't have this issue fixed yet. And the light is on the right passanger side.”

Filed Jul 16, 2025

“After buying the car I got an email from car fax that my car has a recall on it. The recall says: PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY The date of the recall is: 12/20/23 I bought the car on 08/10/24 NHTSA: #23V865 I called my local Toyota dealership multiple times and they say the recall is not available yet.”

Filed Feb 1, 2025

“Since January 2024, my vehicle has been recalled. They said there would be a remedy by Q3. We called Toyota Dealership in Irving TX and they said next month. We feel blown off and unsafe considering this is an issue that's been almost a year. It's also Q4. Please help us get this rectified as soon as possible. I would truly appreciate your help.”

Filed Oct 16, 2024

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 1 of 33 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

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