NHTSA Complaint #10917962 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

TAKATA RECALL. I WAS DRIVING MY TOYOTA RAV4 SUV IN JUNE AND I WAS HIT HEAD-ON BY A LADY TALKING ON HER CELL PHONE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS IN MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 DEPLOYED WHICH CAUSED ME TO BE INJURED. MY HEAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD, MY KNEE HIT SOMETHING WHICH CUT IT, MY CHEST HIT THE STEERING COLUMN WHERE ONE OF THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED AND I HAD TWO DAMAGED RIBS AND ALSO I HAD INTERNAL INJURIES ALONG WITH DAMAGE TO MY LEFT HAND. MY WIFE AND I WERE WEARING OUR SEATBELTS AND MY WIFE ONLY INCURRED BRUISES TO HER RIGHT ARM. WE COULD NOT GET OUT OF MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THE IMPACT HAD PUSHED THE FRONT OF MY TOYOTA RAV4 SUV BACK WHICH BLOCKED MY FRONT DOORS. MY VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE AND WE COULD NOT GET OUT. SOMEONE CALLED THE FIRES DEPARTMENT, AMBULANCE, AND A WRECKER. THE FIREMEN HAD TO FORCE THE FRONT DOORS OPEN TO GET US OUT. THE POLICE, THE FIREMEN, AND THE AMBULANCE PERSONNEL ASKED WHY MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND I TOLD THAT I DO NOT KNOW. THEY SAID THAT I PROBABLY HAD DEFECTIVE TAKATA AIRBAGS IN MY VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND I SPENT TIME IN THE HOSPITAL AND I HAVE NOT FULLY RECOVERED YET. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE NHTSA HAS INSPECTED TOYOTA RAV4 SUVS FOR DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS THAT HAVE FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING A HEAD-ON COLLISION. MY TOYOTA RAV4 SUV HAD ONLY 33,000 MILES ON IT AND IT WAS IN MINT CONDITION. I THINK THAT THE NHTSA SHOULD GO BACK AND INSPECT EARLIER MODELS OF TOYOTA RAV4 SUVS FOR DEFECTIVE AIR BAGS. MY WIFE AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE TAKATA AIRBAGS FAILING TO DEPLOY. WE WERE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND I WAS GOING 45 MILES PER HOUR. EVERYONE THAT KNOWS ABOUT MY ACCIDENT HAS SAID THAT I HAD DEFECTIVE TAKATA AIRBAGS IN MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 SUV. PLEASE FOR MY SAKE AND FOR THE SAKE OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN AND DRIVE A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 SUV PLEASE CHECK INTO WHY MY AIRBAGS FAILED. *TR ...UPDATED 03/29/17 *BF UPDATED 9/5/18*JB