2001 Toyota Sequoia Air Bags & Restraints Problems

CHECKING ON RECALL FOR AIR BAGS.

AIRBAG LIGHT WAS FLASHING MECHANIC DETERMINED THE CODE TO WAS B0132 SHORT IN PT SQUIB RIGHT CIRCUIT GROUND. TOYOTA DEALER DETERMINED THE CAUSE WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE IN THE RIGHT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY IN THE PASSENGER SIDE. ONCE THAT WAS REPLACED, THE ERROR PERSISTED AND DETERMINED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SENSOR ALSO HAS TO BE REPLACED. AIRBAG SENSOR FAILURE IS COMMON IN MANY TOYOTA MODELS. HOWEVER, TOYOTA SAID THAT THE 2001 SEQUOIA IS NOT IN THE RECALL LIST.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO AN ENBANKMENT. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MOUTH AND HEAD INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.

I BARELY TAPPED THR BACK OF AN OLD TOYOTA COROLLA AND AT A LOW SPEED WHERE NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO EITHER VEHICLE BESIDE MINE WHEN THE AIRBAGS UNNECESSARILY DEPLOYED AND SHATTERED MY WINDSHIELD. WHEN I TOOK IT TO MY BODY SHOP GUY HE SAID THERE WAS NO WAY THE AIRBAGS SHOULD'VE DEPLOYED HE HAD CHECKED MY SENSORS AND THEY HAD NOT BEEN TOUCHED. ABOUT A MONTH AGO I TOOK MY CAR TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR SOMEONE TO COME UP FROM I BELIEVE ATLANTA AND INSPECT MY CAR. I NEVER COULD GET A RESPONSE FROM HIM. TESTERDAY I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA INQUIRING ABOUT MY AIRBAGS PROBLEM AND THEY SAID YOURS WERE RECALLED NEW ONES ARE HERE BRING YOUR CAR HERE IN THE MORNING AND IT'LL TAKE ABOUT THREE HOURS TO FIX. I WAS EXCITED TO FINALLY GET SOMEWHERE WITH THIS ISSUE... THIS MORNING I TAKE MY CAR UP THERE AND THEY TELL ME THAT IT WASNT RECALLED AND TO CALL THE GUY WHO CANE DOWN AND INSPECTED IT. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE WAY THIS IS BEING HANDLED AND HOW NO ONE WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT AND FIX IT. *TR

IMMEDIATELY AFTER, NOT DURING, A VERY MILD AUTO ACCIDENT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT CAUSE. THEY SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD AND CAUSED MILD BURNS TO MY HANDS AND FOREARMS. FROM A COMPLETE STOP, I PULLED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 2 CAR LENGTHS AND THE AUTOMOBILE IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED WITHOUT WARMING OR BREAK LIGHTS. I HAD ALMOST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE MY FRONT BUMPER TAPPED HER REAR BUMPER. MY BODY DID NOT EVEN MOVE WHEN THE TWO BUMPERS TAPPED EACH OTHER. NO DAMAGE WAS NOTICED ON EITHER BUMPER, NOT EVEN A SCRATCH. MY WINDSHIELD HAD TO BE REPLACED THAT DAY IN ORDER FOR ME TO DRIVE HOME. I WAITED 5 HOURS FOR THE REPAIR MAN TO COME. I FILLED THIS ON MY AUTO INSURANCE WINDSHIELD POLICY AND PAID MY $50 DEDUCTIBLE. ALFA INSURANCE PROMPTLY RAISED MY COLLISION DEDUCTIBLE FROM $250 TO $500 AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD NEVER REPLACE ANOTHER WINDSHIELD. IF THE AIR BAGS HAD NOT SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I AM SO ANGRY AT TOYOTA. NO INSURANCE CLAIM WAS FILLED BY THE OTHER DRIVER SINCE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE. NO TICKET WAS GIVEN BY THE OFFICER THAT CAME TO THE SCENE. THE OFFICER TOLD ME THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED AND THAT HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THIS IS WHAT CAUSED ME TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THE AIR BAG RECALL ON THE SEQUOIA STARTING IN 2002, BUT DID NOT INCLUDE 2001. I FILLED A MALFUNCTION REPORT WITH TOYOTA AND THEY SENT OUT AN INVESTIGATOR. AFTER 45 DAYS I RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE SENSORS AND DENIED THE CLAIM. I HAVE NOT HAD THE USE OF MY SEAT BELTS, HORN OR AIR BAGS TO PROVIDE A SAFE RIDE SINCE JANUARY. I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE THROUGH ICE AND SNOW WITH NO PROTECTION FOR MY FOUR CHILDREN OR I. IT IS OBVIOUS TOYOTA DOES NOT CARE ABOUT SAFETY. *TR

I WAS DROPPING OFF MY WIFE AND 4 MONTH-OLD TWINS @ THE AIRPORT. SHE WAS GOING ON A VACATION W/ HER MOM AND SISTERS. WHILE GETTING HER CHECKED IN, OUR 9-YEAR-OLD TWIN GIRLS AND 3 YEAR-OLD GIRL WERE SITTING IN THE CAR. WE WERE STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAR BUT COULD NOT SEE IN THE BACK W/ THE DARK TINTED WINDOWS. IN THE MEAN TIME, ONE DAUGHTER, WHO WAS SITTING IN THE 3RD ROW, MIDDLE SEAT OF OUR 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA, BECAME TANGLED IN THE AUTOMATICALLY LATCHED SEATBELT. AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO GET FREE, SHE ONLY GOT FURTHER TWISTED. HER TWIN SISTER THEN YELLED TO US, HER PARENTS. WE OPENED THE TRUNK AND FOUND HER PURPLE AND STRUGGLING TO BREATHE. THE WORST THING IS THAT WE COULDN'T UNLATCH THE BELT, NOR COULD WE UNTANGLE HER. WE STARTED YELLING FOR SOMETHING SHARP TO CUT THE BELT (THE AIRPORT IS NOT THE BEST PLACE TO FIND SOMETHING SHARP) AND AT THE SAME TIME WE GRABBED THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION TO ATTEMPT TO STICK INTO THE LATCH IN HOPES OF UNLATCHING THE BELT IN AN ALTERNATIVE WAY. IN WHAT SEEMED AN ETERNITY OF HELPLESSNESS, THE SKY CAP FOUND SCISSORS AND CUT THE BELT... AT THE SAME TIME, I RELEASED THE BELT FROM THE LATCH W/ THE HELP OF THE KEY. JUST AS OUR DAUGHTER PASSED OUT, WE WERE ABLE TO UNTANGLE HER FROM THE BELT. FORTUNATELY, WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY GET HER BREATHING AGAIN. POLICE AND PARAMEDICS WERE CALLED. A REPORT WAS FILED. ALL COMMENTED ON THE POOR DESIGN OF THIS MIDDLE BELT! HOPEFULLY OUR NEAR TRAGEDY WITH A HAPPY ENDING WILL PREVENT ANYONE ELSE FROM A TRAGIC ENDING! PLEASE HELP US REQUIRE THIS TYPE OF BELT TO HAVE ANOTHER DESIGN W/ A SIMPLE MANUAL RELEASE! THANKS, VERNON J COOLEY, MD *TR

THE CHILD SEAT WAS DIFFICULT TO INSTALL. *NM THE VEHICLES LATCH STRAPS WERE TOO SMALL TO INSTALL THE CAR SEAT REAR FACING. (DOREL JUVENILLE GROUP. MODEL# INTERA -22-460-BDF. *JB

MY FAMILY OF 5 WAS IN AN ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 95 IN BREVARD COUNTY FLORIDA OVER $10,000 OF FRONT END DAMAGE ON TOYOTA SEQUOIA WITH LESS THAN 10000 MILES ON IT. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED SEVERAL INJURIES SUSTAINED. *AK

CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 440 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELLING 60 MPH RAN A RED LIGHT AND TURNED INTO CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, HITTING IT HEAD-ON. FRONT END WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, PUSHING RADIATOR THROUGH THE ENGINE. AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. CONSUMER WAS INJURED. MANUFACTURER HAS APOLOGIZED, AND WILL SEND SOMEONE OUT TO INSPECT VEHICLE. AMOUNT OF DAMAGE WAS $23629. VEHICLE WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 9 MONTHS TO BE TOTALLY REPAIRED. *AK TOYOTA ISSUED A LETTER TO CONSUMER STATING THAT THE SRS OPERATED AS DESIGNED. *SLC