'Do not drive': Toyota and GM recall 8,300 vehicles in Canada over air bag inflators

Toyota and General Motors are telling the owners of around 8,300 vehicles in Canada to stop driving them because their air bag inflators may explode.

The notice covers certain 2003 to 2004 models sold in Canada, including approximately 5,000 Toyota Corollas, 1,600 Toyota Corolla Matrixes, 700 Toyota RAV4s and 1,000 Pontiac Vibes from General Motors.

While the recall itself isn’t new, Toyota Canada spokesperson Philippe Crowe said the company is hoping to reach customers who may still be driving vehicles with the potentially dangerous issue.

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"The 'stop driving' notice is being sent to owners of vehicles who have not, after many communication attempts, had the recall procedure done on their vehicle," Crowe said in an email.

In a statement to CTVNews.ca, General Motors spokesperson Bill Grotz said the automaker was voluntarily issuing the "do not drive" advisory to encourage owners to receive the urgent and free repairs.

"GM will notify owners of affected vehicles with advice to immediately visit a GM dealership for the recall repair," Grotz said by email. "The safety of our products is the highest priority for the entire GM team."

The affected vehicles are equipped with Takata airbag inflators, which use a propellant that “may degrade over time” or “after experiencing long-term exposure to fluctuating high temperatures and environmental moisture,” Toyota Canada states on its website.

“If the air bag deploys, a part inside is more likely to explode and shoot sharp metal fragments, which could cause serious injury or death to the driver or passengers,” Toyota said in a statement.

No Canadian deaths have been recorded in connection with this recall, possibly due to Canada’s lower absolute humidity.

At least 26 people have been killed in the U.S. by Takata inflators since May 2009, and at least 30 people have died worldwide. About 400 people have also been injured by the exploding inflators.

A warning was also issued Monday for the owners of around 61,000 Toyota and General Motors vehicles in the U.S., the latest in a series of notices connected to Takata airbags that stretch back a decade and involve about 100 million vehicles worldwide. A series of recalls began in 2014, when the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered the company to initiate a nationwide airbag recall. Takata has since gone into bankruptcy.

Am I affected by the recall?

Customers who believe they’re affected by the recall can check Toyota Canada and General Motors Canada's websites and enter their vehicle identification number.

If your vehicle is impacted, contact a Toyota or General Motors dealership to rectify the issue, which may include replacing the airbag inflator or the airbag assembly, free of charge. Pontiac Vibe owners can also schedule repairs at General Motors' Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac dealerships.

Owners are being told not to drive to dealerships, which may offer options like mobile repair, towing or vehicle pickup and delivery.

With files from The Associated Press