2020 Toyota 4RUNNER

The contact owned a 2020 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that while the driver who was her father crashed into another vehicle, the air bags failed to deploy. In addition, the contact stated that the braking alert for getting too close to a vehicle failed to illuminate. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the driver sustained two injuries and the contact sustained two injuries. Medical attention was sought. The contact was unaware of the other passengers from the other vehicle sustained any injuries. The vehicle was damaged and towed to a tow lot. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 13,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, WHEN SHE SLID OFF THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO HER RESIDENCE. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAINED ANY INJURIES OR SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 19,000.

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".

THE 4RUNNER STRUCK A VEHICLE THAT RAN A RED LIGHT. THE 4RUNNER WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PER HOUR AND STRUCK THE OTHER VEHICLE, A NISSAN ALTIMA SIDE ON WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO PROPEL THAT VEHICLE TWO LANES INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY ON THE 4RUNNER BUT DID DEPLOY ON THE ALTIMA. THE ROADS WERE DRIVE AND VISIBILITY WAS CLEAR. INJURIES TO THE 4RUNNER DRIVER INCLUDED: HEAD FROM CONTACT WITH GRAB BAR ABOVE DRIVERS DOOR, NECK, BACK, WRISTS, FINGERS AND ARMS. ALTIMA DRIVER HAD TO BE REMOVED BY PARAMEDICS AND RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL. INVESTIGATION OF THE VEHICLE COMPUTER SHOWED THE VEHICLE WAS UNKNOWINGLY SOLD TO ME WITH ERRORS IN THE MULTI-TERRAIN, ESC AND PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER OF 2019. SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS FOR VERIFICATION.