I suspect you are correct in this assumption. I don’t know if the problem is really that simple though as no specifics have been provided - just a generalization of the problem. I will not be leaving a safety recall unaddressed, but then I have the time to deal with it and I always enjoy the opportunity to snoop through new models.

 

And enjoy the “free” coffee and biscotti that we actually, of course, indirectly pay for!

 

Just because the idiot light shows the system is working does not mean it is correct. The Toyota statement says "would not allow the airbag system to properly classify the occupant’s weight". Apparently there are different classifications according to weight and the type of crash determines from the classification whether to deploy or not. It seems it is not just an on off feature. Did not know that.

 

That makes a visit necessary.

 

Correct. In the "Front passenger occupant classification system" section in the "1-1. For safe use" sub-chapter of the Owner's Manual (page number varies by model type and model year) there's a "Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant classification system" table with four non-malfunctioning classification categories: Adult, Child, Child restraint system with infant, and Unoccupied.

If one reads the footnotes and warnings one can get the impression that there may be more sensing involved than just a simple single weight sensor. For us in the general public peanut gallery, the weight thresholds and positional parameters used by the system for classifying occupants is pretty much unknown.

While one is strongly advised to not put a child in the front passenger seat, some people either ignore that advice or encounter a situation where putting a child in the front passenger seat is difficult/impossible to avoid.

There was also the spate of horror story cases some years ago where small stature adult females were getting decapitated by deploying airbags. That was back in the days of relatively dumb airbag deployment systems. So, the vehicle and airbag system designers and manufacturers have a pretty strong incentive to develop and deploy "smart" systems which work to avoid such cases. It is always suboptimal for positive PR when your airbag system decapitates vehicle occupants.

 

No such recall for Japanese manufactured Rx, Es etc.

Sounds like US factories used a different manufacturer for these sensors.

 

Has anyone heard an update on this?

 

There are no active recalls. Most are a few years old like the airbags. But there was a more recent one for the back camera not working because of a software glitch. Check here for any recalls. https://www.toyota.com/recall/

 

I was told that the recall still wasn’t ready, wondered if anyone has gotten it here yet or not.

 

I had the passenger air bag recall automatically done at Lexus of Orlando when I was there for defective battery replace on 12/04/24 and they did the air bag recall that I never mentioned but they knew about it.
My passenger air bag light was working well so great they did the recall anyway. Passenger Safety is important.

All work done under 4 yr 50k basic warranty and I had 22,300 mi at the time and basic warranty started on 9/04/21

Call Lexus and ask about getting it done and see since a factory recall it would be free but ask if out of basic warranty if your car is in the recall list is the recall still free.

 

Recalls have nothing to do with warranty, they’re paid for by corporate regardless of warranty status.

 

True recalls are free but you never know what a dealership will do. In my huge years with cars I have come across cases where recalls were denied free. Tele calls are free so ask.
In my case the battery replace was a warranty item and the recall was done because I was there for the battery.

 

Luckily I have an insider at the dealership.

 

That's great to have a contact. I also have a personal contact with the shop manager at Lexus Of Orlando

 

I got mine fixed 2 weeks ago during my 45k service.