NHTSA Complaint #11104142 — 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX

TAKATA RECALL - WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, THERE WAS A SLOW UP, AND I BRAKED, BUT STOPPED RIGHT AT THE REAR BUMPER OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. HOWEVER, ANOTHER CAR WAS COMING BEHIND ME AND COULDN'T STOP, OR DIDN'T NOTICE THAT TRAFFICE HAD STOPPED. HE PUSHED ME INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. AT THAT MOMENT, WHICH WAS NOT A SEVERE FRONT END HIT, I SAW FIRE, AN EXPLOSION, AND THE AIRBAG BLEW OUT THE ENTIRE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, AND FLEW TO THE BACK SEAT BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SIDE. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. METAL WAS FLYING OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IN THE FRONT. WE COULD NOT BELIEVE THE DAMAGE THAT RESULTED FROM SUCH A SOMEWHAT MINOR ACCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAR WAS TOTALED WHICH HAS BEEN A STRAIN ON US! NOW, ABOUT 30 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WE JUST RECEIVED A CARD IN THE MAIL TELLING US OF THE RECALL. WE HAD NO IDEA THERE IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH AIRBAG RECALLS! TODAY, I CHECKED ONLINE FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND FOUND MANY SITES DESCRIBING THE ISSUES. HOWEVER, MY CAR IS NOT EVEN ON THE RECALL LIST!!! I WAS IN THE CAR ALONE AND WAS AFFECTED BY THE ACCIDENT, HOWEVER, I DREAD TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF I HAD A PASSENGER WITH ME. I AM INCLUDING SOME PICTURES.