1999 Toyota Avalon

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE MIDDLE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED FOUR FRACTURED RIBS, A FRACTURED PELVIS, AND A FRACTURED COXAE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A CONTUSION UNDER HIS RIGHT SIDE RIB. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,600. UPDATED 01-11-08. *KB UPDATED 12/31/07

AIR BAG SENSORS WENT OUT ON MY 1999TOYOTA AVALON AS I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN ON THE 101FWY NEAR WOODLAND HILLS, CA. THE FLASHING AIRBAG ICON SCARED ME AND I WONDERED IF THE AIR BAGS WOULD IMPLODE. MY PASSENGER CHECKED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL AND NOTHING THERE LISTED HAD OCCURED PREVIOUSLY TO WARRANT THE FLASHING SIGNAL OR FAILURE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY THEY WERE OPEN. THE SENSORS WERE REPLACED. MY CAR HAD 86,995 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE WARRANTY MANUAL STATES PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEMS ARE WARRANTED FOR 60000 OR 5 YEARS. IN KANSAS THEY ARE WARRANTED FOR 10 YEARS OR UNLIMITED MILEAGE. I DO NOT SEE WHY KANSAS OWNERS SHOULD GET SPECIAL WARRANTIES. THE SENSORS WERE REPLACED AND I PAID $450 LESS 15% THAT THE SERVICE MANAGER GRUDGINGLY GAVE ME. I HAVE COMPLAINED THROUGH CHANNELS. I DON'T EXPECT MIRACLES BUT WANT OTHER OWNERS TO KNOW IT HAPPENED TO MY 1999AVALON AT 86,995. *AK

THE AVALON WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND WAS STRUCK ON THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE POINT OF IMPACT WAS ONLY A FEW INCHES AWAY FROM ONE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. THE CAR SPUN OFF THE ROAD ONTO THE GRASS VERGE BUT FORTUNATELY THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET IT BACK UNDER CONTROL. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA MANY TIMES OVER THE WEEKS SINCE THE ACCIDENT, ASKING IF THIS WAS NORMAL OR WAS THERE AN AIRBAG FAILURE. TOYOTA HAVE BEEN DODGING THE QUESTION AND "REFERRING ME TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT". THEY SAID THEY WOULD 'INSPECT IT', DURING A TWO WEEK STAY AT THEIR DEALERSHIP BUT THEY DIDN'T. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE AIRBAGS, PARTICULARLY THE SIDE ONES DID NOT DEPLOY. IS THERE A FAULT IN THE SYSTEM, OR IF THEY ARE NOT DESIGNED TO OPERATE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES , THEN WHY FIT THEM? *NM

WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN TRAVELING ~ 20 MPH, A '89 HEAVY AUTO TRAVELING @ 48 MPH IMPACTED PASSENGER SIDE OF CONSUMERS VEHICLE, SLAMMING CONSUMERS VEHICLE INTO A '94 HEAVY AUTO STOPPED AT LIGHT, TOTALING ALL THREE AUTOS. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS ON CONSUMERS 1999 TOYOTA AVALON DEPLOYED. DRIVER SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE LEG/HIP/BACK, AND CHEST INJURIES. TOYOTA OFFICIALS SAY THE AIR BAGS WERE IN NORMAL FUNCTIONING CONDITION. *NLM

MY AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS COME ON FREQUENTLY WHILE DRIVING. THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY. ONCE THERE, THE DEALER STATES THERE IS NO CODE STORED IN THE COMPUTER AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. ONCE THE CAR IS RESTARTED, THE LIGHT IS OFF, BUT COMES ON AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES. I AM WORRIED OF AN AIR BAG FAILURE DUE TO THIS INDICATOR LIGHT, BUT THE DEALER CAN'T HELP BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF STORED CODES. *NLM