NHTSA Complaint #10934266 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

TAKATA RECALL: ME AND MY WIFE WERE INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN JUNE, 2015. A LADY TALKING ON HER CELL PHONE LOST CONTROL OF HER SUV AND HIT MY TOYOTA RAV4 SUV HEAD-ON. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS IN MY VEHICLE DEPLOYED. AS A RESULT, I SUSTAINED SEVERAL INJURIES TO MY HEAD, NECK, RIGHT KNEE AND LEFT ARM AND HAND. THE IMPACT WAS SO HARD THAT THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE WAS PUSHED BACKWARD WHICH BLOCKED THE TWO FRONT DOORS FROM OPENING. MY VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE AND SOMEONE CALLED THE POLICE, THE FIRED DEPARTMENT, AND AN AMBULANCE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT THE FIRE OUT IN MY VEHICLE AND HAD TO PRY THE TWO FRONT DOORS OPEN TO GET ME AND MY WIFE OUT OF MY VEHICLE. EVERYONE THAT CAME TO MY RESCUE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE, AND THE AMBULANCE PERSONNEL ALL ASKED THE SAME QUESTION, WHY DID YOUR AIRBAGS WORK. I TOLD THEM THAT I DID NOT KNOW. EVERY ONE OF THE RESCUE PEOPLE SAID THAT I PROBABLY HAD TAKATA AIRBAGS WHICH HAD FAILED TO DEPLOY BECAUSE DUE TO THE TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN WEST VIRGINIA ARE EITHER VERY HOT OR VERY COLD. IF THE AIRBAGS WOULD HAVE WORKED IN MY TOYOTA RAV4 SUV. THEN MY WIFE AND I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INJURED. AS THE RESULT OF THE WRECK, MY TOYOTA RAV4 SUB WAS TOTALED. THE AIRBAGS IN THE OTHER SUV THAT HIT US HEAD ON DEPLOYED LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO AND PROTECTED THE LADY DRIVING HER SUV. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOUR AGENCY TO FIND OUT WHY MY TAKATA AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I AM VERY CERTAIN THAT THERE A LOT OF OTHER TOYOTA RAV4 SUVS ON THE ROAD THAT HAVE DEFECTIVE TAKATA AIRBAGS. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, GOING THE SPEED LIMIT OF 40 MPH AND THE LADY WHO HIT US HEAD ON WAS DRIVING MUCH FASTER. THE IMPACT WAS LIKE HITTING A STONE WALL. PLEASE ADVISE. THANK YOU. *TR