Toyota will recall 1.12 million vehicles worldwide because a short circuit in a sensor could cause airbags not to deploy as designed.

The recall covers a range of Toyota and Lexus vehicles with model years from 2020 to 2022.

Included in the global recall are Toyota Avalons, Camrys, Highlanders, RAV4s, Siennas and Corollas, plus some hybrids of those models.

The Lexus models in the recall include the ES250 sedan and the RX350 SUV, among others.

It includes one million vehicles in the US, plus thousands more worldwide.

The vehicles being recalled have sensors in the front passenger seat that might have been manufactured improperly.

Those Occupant Classification System sensors could potentially short-circuit, causing the airbag system to fail todetermine the occupant’s correct weight and potentially not deploy in certain kinds of crashes.

The sensors ensure air bags do not deploy if a small adult or child is sitting in the front seat.

Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the sensors.

The car maker plans to begin notifying owners in February about the recall.

In July 2022, Toyota issued a recall for 3500 RAV4 vehicles in the US that because of potential interference between internal parts that could cause the same sensor to incorrectly detect the occupant.

Frontal airbags have saved more than 50,000 lives in the US over 30 years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says.

The new sensors were prompted because older airbags deployed the same way for all driver and passengers, causing some injuries and in rare cases even death to children, small adults and unbelted passengers who were too close to the airbag as it deployed, the agency says.

-AAP