1995 Toyota T100

The contact owns a 1995 Toyota T100. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45-50 MPH, the driver's side air bag unexpectedly deployed. The air bag warning light had illuminated intermittently. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle that could have caused the air bag to deploy. The contact sustained bruising to the left arm, chest, and stomach, but medical attention was not received. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Within about 30 seconds of pulling out of my driveway on a dead end street, and thus driving very slowly, the driver's side airbag suddenly exploded. Thankfully there was no one else on the road and I wasn't going at a high speed. The airbag hit me in the face, knocking off my glasses and producing terrible smell and smoke. My left cheek is bruised. The horn went off continually until I was able to turn off the road into another driveway and turn off the engine. There was no warning, no impact, no braking until it exploded.

I GOT INTO MY VEHICLE AND TURNED THE KEY. THE AIRBAG EXPLODED IN MY FACE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND COMPLETELY STILL. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ON AND IT WAS NOT IN GEAR. THE IMPACT OF THE EXPLOSION CAUSED MILD INJURIES. I TRIED TO WORK WITH TOYOTA ON THIS PROBLEM BUT THEY WERE UNHELPFUL. I CUT THE AIRBAG OFF AND HAVE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE HORN WILL NOT WORK AND OF COURSE I HAVE NO AIRBAG PROTECTION. THE VEHICLE HAD NEVER BEEN IN A WRECK AT THE TIME THAT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. I HAVE RECORDS OF MY INTERACTION WITH TOYOTA THAT WILL PROVE THAT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN A WRECK TWO YEARS AFTER THE AIRBAG EXPLODED. I STILL OWN AND DRIVE THE VEHICLE.

WHILE DRIVING UP THE ROAD MY DRIVER'S AIRBAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY OTHERS AND THAT HUMIDITY COULD AFFECT THE SENSORS ON THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THIS WAS A HUMID DAY, I WAS DRIVING ON A NEWLY PAVED, SMOOTH TWO LANE ROAD AND HAD NOT STRUCK ANYTHING NOR HAD ANYTHING STRUCK ME. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND SAFELY STOP IN SPITE OF THE CAB BEING FILLED WITH THE SMOKE FROM THE AIRBAG. I SUFFERED BURNS ON MY CHEST AND LEFT ARM AND BRUISING ON MY LEFT HAND AND ARM.

JUNE 1, 2017, WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ABOUT 40 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, IN 5 O'CLOCK TRAFFIC, THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT REASON. I WAS NOT HURT AND THE INCIDENT DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE STEERING COLUMN SHROUD IS ORIGINAL, THE SHROUD CAME IN TWO COLORS, OAK AND MOON MIST. IT IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME WHAT HAPPENED BUT I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FROM WHAT IT READS, THE AIRBAG SENSOR IS LOCATED NEXT TO THE ENGINE AND IS EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS WHICH CAUSED IT TO MALFUNCTION.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A DIVIDED HIGHWAY, THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITH NO WARNING. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE DRIVER HAD CUTS AND BRUISES (SEE PHOTOS). WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN MILLEDGEVILLE, GA. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. HE SAID THAT THE "TRUCK WAS OLD AND PROBABLY JUST GOT HOT". HE OFFERED TO GIVE ME A RAZOR KNIFE TO CUT THE AIRBAG OFF OF THE STEERING WHEEL. I FIND THIS RESPONSE APPALLING IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT IT WAS APPARENTLY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND NOT THE RESULT OF ANYTHING THAT WE HAD DONE.

TAKATA RECALL AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45 PM ON 11/18/2016 AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 10 MPH AND COMPLETING A RIGHT TURN IN A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF SE INDIAN STREET AND SE FEDERAL HWY IN STUART,FL. IT WAS LIKE A GUNSHOT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CAB FILLED WITH SMOKE AND RESIDUE AND BRUISED MY LEFT ARM THAT WAS HOLDING THE WHEEL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 TOYOTA T100. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A LOUD CRACKING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE STEERING RELAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 232,000. ..UPDATED 06/12/17 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH DUE TO THE POWER STEERING AND STEERING RELAY FAILING. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD, NECK AND BACK. *J'S