NHTSA Complaint #11387223 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

I WAS DRIVING ON A DIRT ROAD AROUND 25-30 MPH WHEN MY DRIVERS SIDE CURTAIN SHIELD AIRBAG (CSA) DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY. PREVIOUS TO DEPLOYING, THE SEATBELT HAD SUDDENLY LOCKED INTO PLACE. I LEANED BACK TO GET THE SEATBELT TO RELEASE, AND AS I TRIED TO LEAN FORWARD TO SEE IF IT HAD, THE AIRBAG SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY DEPLOYED. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND LOOKED AROUND THE CAR FOR DAMAGE FROM A COLLISION AND OBSERVED NONE. I ALSO DID NOT FEEL OR SENSE A COLLISION HAPPENING. I BELIEVED THIS ISSUE MAY BE RELATED TO A TOYOTA AIRBAG RECALL, PROMPTING ME TO CONTACT THEM. TOYOTA DID AN INSPECTION AND READ THE ELECTRONIC DATA RECORDER FOR THE VEHICLE. UPON COMPLETION THEY TOLD ME THAT THE EDR HAD SENSED A COLLISION ON THE LEFT REAR OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. I HAVE A COPY OF THE EDR, THOUGH NO MEANS TO READ IT OR VERIFY IF THIS IS CORRECT. BASED ON THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLLISION, I PURSUED A CLAIM WITH MY COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOUND NO DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE AND CITED A FAULTY SENSOR AND CITED TOYOTAS CSA AND SEATBELT RECALL OF 2007 RAV4S. TOYOTA INSISTS THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL AND THAT THIS ISSUE IS UNRELATED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THAT IS TRUE, AS MY INSURANCE IS DENYING THE CLAIM AND CITING THE RECALL AS THE REASON. I DID HAVE A TOYOTA DEALER REPLACE THE SEATBELT, AS AFTER THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED IT WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. I ALSO STILL HAVE THE AIRBAG, JUST IN CASE IT NEEDS TO BE INSPECTED OR SOMETHING.