NHTSA Complaint #11377866 — 2020 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG ON THIS CAR IS DEACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY WHENEVER THE FRONT PASENGER WEIGHS LESS THAN 100 LBS. WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS FEATURE WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR. MY WIFE, WHO IS 65 YEARS OLD, WEIGHS ABOUT 95 LBS AND WHENEVER SHE SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, A WARNING LIGHT APPEARS INDICATING THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED. WE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND TOYOTA AND WERE TOLD THAT THIS SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO AUTOMATICALLY PROTECT SMALLER CHILDREN WHO MAY RIDE IN THE FRONT SEAT. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS SYSTEM PREVENTS MY WIFE FROM USING WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY FEATURE (THE FRONT AIR BAG). THE NHTSA SHOULD MANDATE THAT MANUFACTURERS PROVIDE US WITH A SWITCH OR A SYSTEM SETTING THAT ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO ACTIVATE THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG AND OVERRIDE THIS "CHILD SAFETY FEATURE". IT CERTAINLY IMPACTS MY WIFE'S SAFETY EVRYTIME SHE SITS IN THE "DEATH SEAT".