Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) on Friday confirmed that it was conducting a recall campaign related to potentially defective Takata airbag inflators, which were currently affecting a number of automotive brands worldwide.
TSAM stated that this was not a new recall for its models, but an "ongoing campaign that started in July 2015."
The recall affects some 730 000 locally-sold Toyota and Lexus models - ten different model ranges - produced between 2002 and 2015; however, Toyota said airbags were not standard on all Toyota models produced during this period.
"[We] would like to stress that the Takata recall campaign is a precautionary measure as there have been no injuries or fatalities reported in South Africa linked to the potentially faulty airbag inflators," the company added.
Affected customers were contacted directly by TSAM, as well as its dealers, to bring their vehicles in for repair, which was conducted free of charge. TSAM has also further established a dedicated Takata call centre to locate affected customers.
Toyota owners could check if their specific vehicle was affected by contacting the Toyota call centre with their vehicle identification number at hand; visiting the Toyota Recall website; or by downloading the MyToyota app.
"The app will enable you to scan any Toyota licence disc to establish if it is affected by the Takata recall," TSAM highlighted.
TSAM president and CEO Andrew Kirby said the company's focus remained on their customers' safety and peace of mind. "I would like to sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused but we feel that this proactive measure is the right thing to do as prevention is always better than cure.
"There has not been a single reported injury or fatality in this country arising from the potentially faulty Takata airbag inflators - and we want to keep it that way.
"We as Toyota are committed to developing safe and reliable vehicles, while ensuring that even our older models provide occupants with the best level of safety possible."