Toyota dealer recalls vehicles in Kenya over defective airbags

Toyota dealer recalls vehicles in Kenya over defective airbags
An auto mechanic displays a recalled Takata airbag. [Photo/China Daily]

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 19 – CFAO Mobility Kenya has recalled some Toyota vehicles manufactured between 2001 and 2017 over defective airbags linked to injuries and fatalities globally.

The Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI), in a letter to insurance company CEOs, said CFAO Mobility had engaged the association on plans to replace the defective airbags.

“The defective airbags have been reported to have detonated on their own causing accidents and fatalities worldwide; giving way to injury and property damage claims,” AKI Executive Director Tom Gichuhi said.

CFAO Mobility made a presentation on the recall during the Underwriting Managers’ Forum on April 17, 2026, after which affected vehicles were identified and their details shared with respective insurance managers.

AKI has urged insurers to support the recall campaign by sensitising customers with affected vehicles and sharing their contact details with CFAO Mobility for follow-up.

“The campaign is ongoing and we wish to request members to continue supporting CFAO Mobility by sensitizing clients with affected vehicles and further sharing the clients’ contact details with CFAO for continued follow-up,” Gichuhi said.

The recall involves airbags manufactured by Japanese car-parts maker Takata, which filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States and Japan in 2017 after facing billions of dollars in liabilities linked to defective airbags.

The airbags were linked to at least 17 deaths globally, with faulty inflators reported to have deployed with excessive force and sprayed metal shrapnel into vehicle cabins.

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has approved the sharing of affected customers’ contact details for the recall exercise, according to AKI.