Another Toyota Recall Affects Over 200,000 FJ Cruisers | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

What Happened

Toyota has issued a recall for an estimated 209,000 FJ Cruisers because of an issue with the mounting components for the driver and front passenger seat belts. The seat belts in FJ Cruisers are mounted differently than other vehicles available on the market. Typical seat belts are mounted to a metal pillar in between the front and rear doors. However the style of doors in the FJ Cruiser does not make it possible for a metal pillar to be installed. Instead, the seat belts are mounted to the back doors of the vehicle. This is where the retractor component is mounted and can become cracked which could lead to seat belt failure in the event of a crash. Toyota notes the component has a greater chance of becoming cracked if the door is repeatedly slammed.

Here is a picture of an FJ Cruiser

The Virginia Personal Injury Lawyers’ Perspective

This defect has the potential to lead to very deadly accidents. seat belts are the single most effective safety device that prevents death and injury in any vehicle. When used correctly, wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45% and risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50% according to statistics. The number of Toyota recalls in the past few years is becoming very disconcerting; this recall brings the count to five major recalls in the past four years. Early in the year Toyota recalled over a million vehicles due to airbag and windshield wiper problems. In 2009, Toyota recalled over four million vehicles due to a design error in the accelerator pedal that could cause the pedal to become stuck and the vehicle to accelerate out of control.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an incident involving a recall pertaining to a vehicle, you should contact a Virginia (VA) personal injury attorney to determine what your legal rights are. A private consultation with our Virginia (VA) personal injury attorneys may benefit you with possible compensation if you have been injured by a defective product in an automobile. As a Virginia (VA) personal injury firm we have helped many victims of dangerous and defective products recover damages.

Potentially Helpful Info

Defective and dangerous products come in all shapes and sizes, from cars to cribs.  If you or a family member has been injured, sickened or killed by an unsafe product you can begin to learn about your legal rights and options by reading this free guide.

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