Toyota issues 'do not drive' advisory to 50,000 car owners over potentially deadly air bag issue

Toyota is urging the owners of 50,000 vehicles not to drive their cars due to an air bag issue that could cause "serious injury or death."

The air bags in the affected vehicles "are under an urgent air bag safety recall" because they are "involved in the Takata air bag recalls," the automaker said Thursday in a "do not drive" advisory.

Toyota said the driver or passenger of the affected vehicles could potentially face serious injury or death if an air bag deploys because the vehicles have a part "more likely to explode and shoot sharp metal fragments."

"Owners should not drive these vehicles until the free safety recall repair has been conducted," Toyota said.

The warning covers some 2003-2004 model year Corollas and Corolla Matrix cars, as well as RAV4 vehicles from the model years 2004-2005 that have a Takata air bag inflator.

Safety issues with Takata air bag inflators have affected other automakers as well. In the U.S., the number of recalled Takata air bags totaled around 67 million, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The agency said 27 fatalities and at least 400 injuries in America stem from the faulty inflators.

Toyota Motor Corp

The company is contacting customers who have the affected Corolla, Corolla Matrix and RAV4 vehicles about the issue through multiple methods on a monthly basis.

Owners should get in touch with their local dealer to schedule a no-charge repair or replacement without the driver having to operate the affected vehicle, according to Toyota.

In many cases, the fix takes about an hour for dealers to complete, the automaker said on its website.