1995 TOYOTA T100 Air Bags Problems

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.

Mileage: 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.

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.

Mileage: 150,000

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.

Mileage: 255,330

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.

Mileage: 160,000

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.

Mileage: 92,000

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

Mileage: 185,500

THE DRIVERS AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING ON A SMOOTH FLAT CITY STREET / HIGHWAY, NO IMPACT OR ACCIDENT INVOLVED. AS A RESULT THE INJURIES SUSTAINED WERE BRUISES AND BURNS TO THE FOREARMS, FACE, CHEST, AND NECK.

Mileage: 188,000

WHILE DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD,THE AIRBAG ON THE STEERING WHEEL EXPLODED. I WAS HIT MY CHEST AND ARM. THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD THAT ,I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET RID OF EAR RINGING. MY WIFE WAS ALSO IN THE VEHICLE AND THE SMOKE FROM EXPLOSION CAUSED HER THROAT TO BECOME RAW.

Mileage: 70,000

AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING AND NO IMPACT. DRIVER WAS DRIVING DOWN 2 LANE ROAD GOING ROUGHLY 25 MPH. ROAD SURFACE WAS SMOOTH AND FLAT (NO POT HOLES). IT HAD JUST STARTED RAINING. NO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT TO ANY OTHER OBJECT AND WITHOUT WARNING. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HEAD, ARM, AND CHEST. *TR

Mileage: 306,000

THE MPH DOSEN'T WORK, THE AIR BAGS DO NOT RESPOND, THE AC AND HEAT DO NOT WORK, REAR BRAKES DO NOT RESPOND. *TR

Mileage: 175,712

WHILE BEING ROAD TESTED BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *AK

Mileage: 142,134

AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY IN 30 MILE/HOUR CRASH,BRAKES-ABS SYSTEM-HAS EXTENDED RESPONSE TIME IN THE SYSTEM,CAUSING DELAY.

WHILE DRIVING THE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED.PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

DRIVERS AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHILE WAITING AT STOP LIGHT-CAUSING BURNS TO LEFT ARM. TT

PASSENGERS AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHILE WAITING AT STOP LIGHT-CAUSING BURNS TO LEFT ARM. TT