Toyota Agrees to Pay $78.5 Million Settlement to Vehicle Owners Complaining of Defective Airbags
Toyota vehicle owners are suing the automaker over installing defective airbag control modules built by ZF. The company hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing, but it has agreed to dish out $78.5 million in settlements to owners of certain cars, trucks, and SUVs. Here are the affected makes and models:
- 2011–2019 Toyota Corolla
- 2011–2013 Toyota Corolla Matrix
- 2012–2018 Toyota Avalon
- 2013–2018 Toyota Avalon HV
- 2012–2019 Toyota Tacoma
- 2012–2017 Toyota Tundra
- 2012–2017 Toyota Sequoia
How the $78.5 million Toyota settlement will be divided
This $78.5 million will be split up in several ways. The Toyota settlement includes reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses related to the recall, vehicle inspections, an extended parts warranty, rental cars for drivers with a vehicle in the shop, and potential “Residual Distribution” payments up to $250 per vehicle owner if money is left over after repairs in December 2026. But that only applies to vehicle owners registered as members of the lawsuit.
This is not a recall, so Toyota doesn’t need to contact you to warn that your vehicle might be defective. Luckily, the law firm handling the lawsuit has set up a website, and it’s easy to file your vehicle with the claim. You can use the website’s VIN Lookup tool to find out if your Toyota is eligible.
