NHTSA Complaint #10444939 — 2004 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

AROUND THE END OF 2010, I NOTICED A CRACK ON THE DASHBOARD OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DEALER TO SEE IF THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE COULD LOOK AT IT AT HIS NEXT VISIT. INSTEAD OF THE REP LOOKING AT IT AT A LATER DATE THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD ME BRING THE VEHICLE BACK SO HE COULD TAKE A PICTURE OF IT. I GOT NO HELP FROM THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER. MID 2011 THE ONE CRACK HAS DEVELOPED INTO 2 CRACKS WITH ONE BEING APPROX 15 INCHES LONG AND THE OTHER APPROX 4-5 INCHES LONG. DECEMBER 2011 I CALLED THE DEALER BACK AGAIN TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE FACTORY REP AND I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER CUSTOMER SERVICE PHONE NUMBER AND THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO CALL MY LOCAL DEALER. I CALLED BACK TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME HE WOULD CALL ME WHEN HE KNEW WHEN THE REP WOULD BE AT THE DEALERSHIP. ONE MONTH LATER, AFTER NOT RECEIVING A PHONE CALL I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER BACK AND WAS TOLD HE STILL DID NOT KNOW THE REPS SCHEDULE YET. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF I AM INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY, HOW WILL THESE CRACKS AFFECT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG?? WILL THE DASHBOARD BREAK INTO PIECES WHEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYS AND HURL PLASTIC PIECES OF THE DASHBOARD TOWARDS THE OCCUPANT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AT GREAT SPEEDS INSTEAD OF CLEANLY COMING OUT OF THE DASH. *TR