1998 Toyota Sienna

AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN A FRONT END COLLISION. WE WERE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65MPH ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE LOST CONTROL, WRECKED, AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN OUR LANE AND FACING US. MY HUSBAND BRAKED HARD BUT WE COULD NOT AVOID THE VEHICLE. WE TRULY HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST WE WERE GOING AT IMPACT BUT I WOULD GUESS 30-40 MPH. IT HAD JUST STARTED RAINING LIGHTLY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. SEAT BELTS AND GOD SAVED US. NO MAJOR INJURIES.

1998 TOYOTA SIENNA MINI VAN. INVOLVED IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT WHERE THE MINI VAN RAN INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE ACTUAL COLLISION OCCURRED AFTER THE BRAKES WERE FULLY APPLIED WHEN IT HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE SIENNA, SO MUCH SO THAT THE RADIATOR WAS DAMAGED AND LEAKING. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT NEITHER THE DRIVERS OR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND ALL MECHANICAL WORK HAD BEEN DONE BY THE DEALER OR OTHER CERTIFIED MECHANIC. SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE AND DID WORK PROPERLY. A CHILD SAFETY SEAT WAS IN USE IN THE SECOND ROW SEAT AND IT ALSO WORKED PROPERLY. *TR

ON OCT 14TH 2006 AT ABOUT 4:45 PM I WAS DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AT SLOW SPEED. I CAME TO A STOP AND THEN TRIED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. AS I TURNED THE WHEEL AND APPLIED THE GAS THE STEERING COLUMN MADE A NOISE LIKE BREAKING PLASTIC AND THE CAR MOVED IN A STRAIGHT LINE DESPITE THE WHEEL BEEING TURNED. I INCREASED THE TURNING MOTION UNTIL IT WAS CLEAR STEERING HAD FAILED. SINCE THE LOT WAS EMPTY I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO SANDY SPRINGS TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING SHAFT HAD BROKEN AT THE "KNUCKLE" WHERE THE COLUMN CONNECTS TO THE SHAFT. IN ADDITION I WAS TOLD THAT THE SPIRAL CABLE TO THE AIRBAG HAD BEEN DAMAGED IN THE INCIDENT. MY CONCERNS ARE THAT HAD THIS OCCURED AT HIGH SPEED OR WHILE ALREADY IN A TURN OR IN TRAFFIC THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. IN ADDITION THE FAILURE OF THE AIR BAG MEANT THAT HAD I IN FACT HAD A COLLISION I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE PROTECTION OF THE AIRBAG. I DRIVE THIS CAR DAILY AND I DID NOT DETECT AND CHANGE IN STEERING OR HANDLING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND HAS DRIVEN NROMALLY SINCE. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ANY REPLACEMENT PARTS. *NM

WE WERE IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT RECENTLY AND HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT NEEDING TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELTS AND POSSIBLY QUESTION OF MALFUNCTION OF AIRBAGS. OUR TOYOTA SIENNA VAN WAS GOING ABOUT 35 MPH AND HIT STRAIGHT-ON A CAR THAT TURNED IN FRONT OF US HITTING THE DRIVER SIDE WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WITH ESSENTIALLY NO BRAKING. ESSENTIALLY THE TOYOTA SUSTAINED A FRONT IMPACT COLLISION. THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND OUR REPAIR MECHANIC IS TELLING US THIS IMPACT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO DEPLOY AIRBAGS. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OF THE TOYOTA SUSTAINED CHEST INJURIES, KNEE INJURIES, WITH GENERALIZED PAIN, ESPECIALLY NECK, SHOULDERS, AND BACK. WE THINK THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING AND THE SEAT BELTS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT SHOULD BE REPLACED. OUR AUTO MECHANIC IS TELLING US THAT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT IMPACT, AND THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED. CAN YOU HELP US HOW WE GET THE CORRECT ANSWERS? SCOTT S. LEE 949-295-0438 CELL 949-598-3302 WORK SCOTTSLEE@COX.NET. *JB

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING A 98 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH KIDS ON THE FREEWAY IN A COMUTER LANE. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED VIBRATING AND LOCKED IN LEFT POSITION. AS A RESULT THEY ENDED UP CRASHING IN THE MIDDLE DIVIDER HEAD ON. THE VAN TOOK A 180 DEGREE SPIN AND HIT FROM THE BACK. WE HAVE DONE 99000 MILES ON THIS VAN IN LAST 5 YEARS. THIS IS TOTALLY A MALFUNCTION OR MECHANICAL FAILURE OF STEERING WHEEL. WE HAVE DONE LONG TRIPS WITH OUR VAN IN THE PAST 5 YEARS AND NEVER HAD PROBLEM. ALSO THE AIR BAGS DID NOT OPEN UP EVEN THOUGH THE IMPACT WAS SO SEVERE.