NHTSA Complaint #10088269 — 2002 TOYOTA ECHO

MY BOY FRIEND WAS DRIVING MY 2002 TOYOTA ECHO 2-DOOR COUPE. WE WERE DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE ON THE OUTERLOOP OF 495 (MARYLAND), RIGHT PAST THE CONNECTICUT/KENSINGTON EXIT WHEN TRAFFIC BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN (50MPH). THE MAZDA 626 IN FRONT OF US SUDDENLY SLAMMED ON HIS BREAKS SO MY BOYFRIEND SLAMMED ON HIS BREAKS WHEN HE NOTICED A CHEVY MALIBU COMING FULL SPEED BEHIND US WITH THE DRIVER UNCONSCIOUS AT THE STEERING WHEEL. HE GLANCED TO THE SIDE AND SAW NO ONE COMING ON HIS LEFT SO HE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO CHANGE LANES. THE TOYOTA ECHO KEPT GOING STRAIGHT SINCE SLOWING DOWN AT THAT SPEED, THE CAR WAS SKIDDING TOWARD THE MAZDA 626 QUITE FAST. SINCE HE WAS SLOWING DOWN QUITE RAPIDLY AND THE CHEVY MALIBU BEHIND US DIDN'T SEEM TO BE SLOWING DOWN, IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT THE CHEVY MALIBU SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF OUR TOYOTA ECHO. THE IMPACT CRUSHED THE TRUNK PAST THE GAS TANK. AFTER THAT WE WERE LURCHED FORWARD INTO THE MAZDA 626. IN TURN HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF HIM AND SO FORTH. IT DIDN'T END THERE BECAUSE THE DRIVER BEHIND US WAS UNCONSCIOUS, THE CHEVY MALIBU KEPT SLAMMING INTO THE BACK OF OUR TOYOTA 2-3 TIMES LIKE A BUMPER CAR UNTIL WE FINALLY CAME TO A STOP. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE TOYOTA ECHO SUFFERED SEVERE FRONTAL AND REAR DAMAGE, YET THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WHEN THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, THEY WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THAT WITH SUCH SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE CAR, THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER HAS TOLD ME THAT THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS AND NOT WORTH THE COST OF REPAIRING AS IT WOULD EXCEED $10,000 IN CHARGES. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT ALTHOUGH WE ALL SURVIVED THE CRASH WITHOUT SERIOUS INJURY, WHY WOULD SUCH AN IMPACT NOT MAKE THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY?*AK