Toyota is recalling 133 model year 2004-2006 Lexus LS, 2006 Lexus GS, 2006 Lexus IS, 2004-2006 Toyota Prius, 2005 Toyota RAV4, 2005-2006 Toyota Tacoma, 2005-2006 Scion TC, 2005-2006 Toyota Avalon and 2007 Toyota Camry vehicles. On certain vehicles, due to improper assembly of the air bag inflator, which is used in the side air bag, the curtain shield air bag, and the knee air bag assembly, some inflators were produced with an insufficient amount of the heating agents necessary for proper air bag deployment.
In this condition, the expansion force of the gas may be insufficient to properly inflate the air bag when the SRS system is activated during a crash. This may increase the risk of injury to the occupant in the involved seating position in the event of a crash. Dealers will replace the specific SRS air bag. The recall began on April 6, 2006. 06V-096.
This is yet another recall that indicates that Toyota’s quality control measures were inadequate for such a critical safety component. Simply put, safety related parts like air bag should never be shipped from the manufacturing facility if they do not meet specifications. That is the whole purpose of a quality control program: to ensure defective parts never make it to the consumer. Obviously, the quality control system failed, unnecessarily exposing Toyota customers to the risk of serious injury or death.
I was in a total car wreck in my 2005 prius (hit from behind and then hit a car in front of us) and all airbags failed to deploy. I always took my car to Toyota Dealer for service and was never told of any issues around the airbag. My lawyer says it’s not going to be productive to sue Toyota.
Your case may or may not be well-suited for air bag defect litigation. It depends on a variety of factors, including the specifics of the accident, the severity/location/angle of impact, the damage to your car, the severity of your injuries, plus numerous other factors. Perhaps your lawyer is right. However, we have previously found that some defective air bag cases were indeed well-suited for such litigation, even after other lawyers had turned down the cases. A lot depends on the experience of the lawyer in dealing with air bag cases, whether air bag cases represent a significant practice area for that lawyer, whether they are fmiliar with air bag technology, etc. It never hurts to get a second opinion.
My wife and I were in a car accident while driving our 2005 Prius. A motorist was clipped by 18-Wheeler, causing their car to loss control on the freeway. The car eventually hit us causing our car to crash into the guard rail, hitting it head on. After the direct impact in the accident, NOT ONE of the airbags deployed (neither side or front). The car was totaled. Thankfully, our 3-year old son wasn’t in the car at the time. We both survived, our injuries included; concussions, a broken nose, an eye laceration, bruised ribs, extreme neck and back pain. We purchased the car because of the safety specifications when my wife was pregnant and prior to our son’s birth.
My mom was recently in a wreck..she was driving her 2002 Toyota Tacoma and was hit on the driver side. It totaled her truck but her driver side airbag did not deploy.. She had a lot of injuries to her and also we just found out that she has to have neck surgery.
My mother was in an accident in her 2004 Scion xB which was totaled. None of the airbags deployed. 6 months previously she had taken the car to a Toyota [dealer] because the Airbag light was on. They said she needed a $15 part to replace a broken contact under the drivers side seat. They did not have the part in stock but the estimate for labour was $350. The fact that they let my 74 year old mother drive off with defective airbags with an odometer reading of only 15,000 miles was ridiculous. She suffered severe damages as a result. Toyota Sucks! Or at least the Toyota [dealer] for not fixing such a minor problem.
My daughter was just in an accident with our 2005 Toyota corolla. The car hit on the front passenger side and flipped over on the driver’s side landing on the roof of the car. I had 7 airbags in the car. Front, curtain, knee — and not one of them deployed. Thank God she escaped with only minor injuries, the car was totaled.
She could have been injured alot worse. Someone else may have the same problem with their airbags and they might not be so lucky.
I was just in a wreck……hit dead on by a semi truck going at least 50mph. Survived with minor injuries……..airbag on Rav 4 did not deploy
I was in accident on Fed 25 2010. I was going between 30 and 35mph hit black ice and took me into ongoing traffic. Where there was a car. I had tried to straighten it out and I hit a ditch/hill head on. The back of the truck flipped up on its nose and landed on the driver’s side. My airbag did not deploy like it should have done..
I have a concussion and neck injury. The Doctor said that it may take months maybe years to get fully recovered from this.. I have problems seeing, thinking, talking, remembering and walking.. My head and neck still is hurting me and I don’t when I’m going to get back everything I could do..
My doctor said if the airbag would have went off and won’t be going through all this right now.
Genea
My daughter was driving a 2007 IS 250 Lexus and was hit at the front right corner of her car by a moving tow truck. She was stopped completely. The truck hit her hard enough to spin her around where she hit the car next to her and ended up going the complete opposite way from how she started. No airbags at all deployed with either of these hits. She walked away but her she experienced neck pain right from the start and the whole left side of her body is hurting her and she is experiencing sharp pains on the left side 3 days later when she breathes in deeply.
I was just in I actually dont know how to explain it but I was in my parked car gathering my belonging when the airbags in my 2003 toyota corolla ce both passenger and driver side popped on me and I didnt even hit anything. Im so confused because they just deployed and no one was around my car and no one including my self didnt hit anything on or around my car.
We have a toyota tercel 2003. I was driving down the street one day and suddenly the airbags deployed. Luckily no one was seriouly injured. I took the car in to a local servco dealer and they are taking forever to diagnose. There was no airbag warning light on so, there was no indication that there was a problem.
Today my 2008 Toyota Rav 4 side airbags front and back malfunctioned, exploding within seconds after my partner turned the key in the ignition and was about to put the car in reverse and back out of our garage. It sounded like an explosion, and the quarter panels flew off. The one on the driver’s side flew off, severely lacerating my partner’s left hand, and requiring more than 17 stitches and an additional surgery tomorrow. The doctor said my friend was fortunate: his hand may have prevented a cut at his neck or throat, which could have been even more severe.
I reported this to my local dealership, who had me call Toyota Customer Experience in Torrance, CA. Since 2008, I have taken my Rav 4 to this dealership because various panel indicator lights were coming on. I was told that this problem was just a glitch, like a “ghost” in the system that was not really a problem.
Though the customer experience representative indicated the company was not aware of this problem, after doing internet research, I found that other incidents related to airbag malfunction in this model have been reported since 2006. I do not understand why Toyota has not recalled since there are numerous reported incidents of faulty airbags– either not deploying upon impact, or as in our experience today– deploying upon turning the key to start the engine.
My husband drives a 2007 Toyota Camry. He was on his way to work on Friday, Feb. 25th and slipped on a patch of ice near our home. He bounced off of a guard rail and then the car proceeded to spin around and slammed into a tree. Luckily he was not seriously injured but our insurance company totalled the car due to the amount of damage done to the drivers side of the vehicle. He hit with such force that the insurance adjuster said he is lucky to be alive. None of the airbags deployed which I and the adjuster found very odd. I notify Toyota immediately and was told there were no known problems with airbags. A down right LIE. They should be ashamed of themselves for keeping innocent people at risk.
My 2007 toyota camry started to have problem the 1st month.The tire pressure light came but somehow it went off itself so,I didn’t have to call the dealer.Now,my passenger seat belt light keeps flashing even when the seat belt is worn by the passenger.
I was driving my 2008 Toyota Corolla LE back in February of this year, when I encountered a deer at 55mph. The accident totaled the car, breaking the engine mounts, destroying the inner core of the front bumper, and smashing the front of the car so badly the front doors failed to open. During the impact, the driver’s side airbag assembly, cover, and all, fell out into my lap. From what I understand, had it deployed while laying in my lap, I would have been killed. I’ve talked to Toyota about this, and they’ve sent reps to my house to discuss it- their verdict? I or someone else had to have tampered with the airbag. I talked with the dealership, the previous owner, and reviewed the car’s records- at no time was the airbag taken out of the car, deployed, or modified in any way. Toyota is trying to sweep the quality and safety problems of their cars under the rug. When I called tonight to tell them I’d filed a complaint with http://www.safercar.gov, they immediately told me that my case manager for my claim was “unavailable.”. I will never buy another toyota product again.
I was in an accident with my 2009 Lexus ES350. The guy in front of me did not have break lights and as approaching I realized too late that he was stopped. I rear ended him at approx 30 -35 miles and hour. My lexus has $9,000 worth of front end damage and not air bags not one deployed. I was knocked out and left with a head injury, knee, back and neck as well as wrist and shoulder injuries. I have pictures of my car. If anyone else has had an issue with airbags in their Lexus ES350 please send me an email to my jrsybchgal42@aol.com. I have googled this and have found that their has been issues with Lexus ES350 airbag deployement and a class action in 2007. Would be interested to hear from anyone else with this car who has also had an issue with airbags. Thanks.
My 2008 Toyota Camry was rear ended from a Ford F150 truck and was pushed into a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. My vehicle was sandwiched between these two large vehicles. The back and front of my vehicle is severely damaged. My insurance company did an estimate that it will cost me $8,800 to repair my vehicle. My cousin at the age of 15 and I both went to the ER after the accident. We are severely hurt from this accident and are currently under going medical treatment. We wonder why both of the driver and passenger airbags were not deployed and believed that if it did deploy. It would have prevent or lessen our personal injuries. I am definitely not content with Toyota and have concerns on my future safety driving this vehicle.
My son hit a tree head on and then the back end slid and slammed into a tree and did damaged to the rear side panel, the car was a 2011 Toyota Corella and he just bought in April and NONE of the airbags deployed and his car was totalled.
While Traveling in Washington, my boyfriend blacked out while driving, he had never had this happen before. We hit a rock wall doing 60 and rolled twice,we were not speeding. NOT one air bag deployed. We were in a 2004 Toyota Sienna…… The van was totaled. My boyfriend was in the hosp for 3 days. I do feel if the air bags would have deployed we would not be suffering from headaches.
My wife and I were T Boned on 9-14=2011 and none of the side curtain’s ( airbags ) deployed. The car that hit us was doing 50+ mph. We both got Hurt. Th car hit us right at the door hinges which has a bag in the same place.
I was in a Toyota Highlander that was t-boned by a speeding motorcyclist. The door was totally bent in, the frame was bent, and the floor board was coming up. The car had to be totaled. I was driving with four young children in the car. The side curtain airbags did not deploy. My back and neck were hurt. My young cousin had a bloody nose. I contacted Toyota to ask why it had not deployed. After two people took reports, one called back and said that it would have to be a severe intrusion for them to deploy. It was a severe intrusion. He told me that seatbelts are the best way to avoid injury. I told him that I was very disappointed in him and Toyota for their response. I was only calling to let them know what happened so they can improve their vehicles, and this was the response I got. No more Toyotas for me.
Severe intrusion?? My boyfriend and I were in my 07 Toyota Camry, both have seat belts on, were Tboned by someone running a redlight the passenger side where I was sitting was pushed in 8 inches!! Both of the front airbags deployed however the side airbag did not deploy. I have been told I now have permanent damage to my central nervous system, have significant memory loss a torn rotator cuff among other injuries not to mention the injuries my boyfriend is experiencing. I would think if the side airbag had deployed ( 8 inches is significant I would think) My head and neck may have been spared from taking the blunt of the impact.