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Toyota, Honda, Mazda and Nissan recall 3.4 million vehicles for faulty airbags

Most vehicle recalls that take place these days are a result of some problem that happens during the manufacturing process by the automaker, but as we see here, parts suppliers can also factor in to problematic safety issues. Automotive News is reporting that a total of 3.4 million vehicles produced by Japanese automakers between 2000 and 2004 are being recalled globally due to faulty airbags produced by an outside supplier, Takata Corp.
According to the report, vehicles from Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda are being recalled because of passenger front airbags that do not inflate properly. Globally, Toyota is said to be recalling around 1.73 million cars including 510,000 in the US composed of Toyota Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia and Tundra as well as the Lexus SC430 for the 2001 through 2003 model years; this is the second time this year the 2003 Corolla and Matrix have been recalled for an airbag problem. Honda is recalling 1.14 million models, Nissan another 480,000 and Mazda 45,463. The article says that Takata supplied faulty airbags to non-Japanese automakers, but it did not specify which ones.
Honda and Toyota have released information on their own websites about the recall, while Nissan and Mazda have not yet commented. Read official press releases from Honda and Toyota, below, and look for updates as we have word from the others.

Toyota i-ROAD goes to carsharing service Park24 in Tokyo

Drivers in Tokyo citizens can now soon a handle on what "active leaning" is all about. That's because a small number of Toyota's funky, three-wheeled i-Road electric vehicle will soon be available for a car-sharing program throughout the Japanese capital city. Let the party begin. Toyota is collaborating with parking-lot operator Park24 Co. on the car-sharing program. The automaker will contribute five i-Road vehicles to the project, which will start April 10 and run until the end of September. Users will be able to pick up the trikes at the Times Station at Yurakucho ITOCiA and will be able to drop them off at five locations throughout the city. Toyota will charge 412 yen (about $3.50) per every 15 minutes and will impose a maximum checkout time of two and a half hours. We first became aware of the i-Road when Toyota posted a groovy video of the vehicles sashaying through town a couple of years back. The car, which has so-called "active leaning" technology, is less than eight feet long and less than three feet wide, and has a top speed of 28 miles per hour. Check out Toyota's press release below and get more details here. Park24 and Toyota to Trial i-ROAD Sharing Service in Central Tokyo February 24, 2015 Tokyo, Feb. 25, 2015 -- Starting in April, Park24 Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation will trial a car sharing service in central Tokyo using the Toyota i-ROAD, an ultra-compact three-wheeled electric vehicle. The i-ROAD, designed for flexibility and ease of use, will be paired with Park24's "Times Car Plus" service, which allows members to use share cars at any time of day or night. The trial will also incorporate elements from Toyota's "Ha:mo" optimized urban transport system. The trial will run from April 10 to the end of September. Usage data and user feedback will be gathered with the goal of assessing ease of use. The trial will also be used to assess changes in user activity patterns and receptiveness to new mobility systems of this type. For more information about the program, go to: http://newsroom.toyota.co.jp/en/detail/6168109/ Related Video:

Volkswagen could outsell GM in China for the first time in nine years

As of the end of November, Volkswagen had sold 70,000 more cars than General Motors in China in 2013, making it appear inevitable that VW will outsell GM there. The feat would return the German brand to the top of chart in China for the first time in nine years, but even the second-place getter won't be complaining too loudly: both automakers sold more than three million vehicles in a market pegged to hit 16 million sales this year.
Volkswagen said it could have sold more cars if it had had more production capacity in China. The arrival of a new-to-China Audi A4, a China-built A3 sedan, the VW Bora and Skoda Octavia, as well as an $18.2-billion-euro investment in the country to construct new factories, means VW should see its numbers grow in 2014. GM's lineup is expanding next year, too, adding four Chevrolet nameplates and two vehicles to its Baojun brand as it tries to get to five million in sales by 2015.
Among other automakers, Ford benefited from good product and woes for Japanese automakers over a territorial dispute with China, outselling Toyota by almost 32,000 units through the end of November. The Ford Focus is China's best-selling vehicle so far this year.