Toyota is recalling an estimated 168,000 2018 to 2019 Tundra pickups and Sequoia large SUVs and  2019 Avalon sedans because of inappropriate programming in the airbag electronic control unit.

Specifically, a fault in the system during vehicle startup could potentially disable one or more of the sensors used to detect crashes.  If this scenario occurs, it could result in the side and curtain shield airbags or the front and knee airbags failing to deploy, increasing the likelihood of injury during a crash.

To fix the problem, Toyota will notify owners by first class mail in later October, and Toyota dealers will update the electronic control unit programming at no cost to owners. 

Owners can reach Toyota customer service at (800) 331-4331.