2010 Toyota Highlander Airbags Problems
14 owner-reported airbags complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Airbags Recalls (2)
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, 2008-2010 Highlander, and 2009-2010 Tacoma, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and General Motors Pontiac Vibe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical connections to the driver's airbag module housed in a spiral cable assembly, which includes a Flexible Flat Cable (FFC). Due to the shape and location of the FFC's retainer, the FFC could become damaged when the steering wheel is turned.
Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota vehicle owners, and General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Toyota sent owners an interim notification letter in May 2014 to advise owners of the recall. Toyota will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available. General Motors sent Pontiac Vibe owners an Interim letter on June 20, 2014 notifying them that parts are currently unavailable. General Motors sent notices to the Pontiac Vibe owners on September 15, 2014, that a remedy is available. The recall began on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-762-2737.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Owner Complaints (14)
Your vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a barrier, but the front airbags failed to deploy when they should have. The vehicle became airborne and flipped, and only the side airbags deployed during the crash. This indicates a failure in the front airbag system that should have protected you during the initial impact.
Parts you may need:
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In June passenger airbag light was sending error messages to the system. The dealer(service department) reported the car needed a specific part for the repair. Control Panel - Toyota (84010-0E050-E0). The part was ordered and we waited. After several weeks it became clear the part was not coming. Reached out to both dealership and Toyota and was told today it would not be available until the end of the year. This is a non-functioning air bag. Toyota has advised me to use an after market replacement, if I can find and they will install(Auto Nation-Libertyville). The second point was to essentially be careful driving... The car is dangerous and Toyota does not seem to care!
AIR BAG ALARM DISPLAYS ON THE SCREEN AS A WARNING. IT WILL INTERMITTENTLY APPEAR SOMETIMES AFTER A 30 MINUTE DRIVE TIME AND NOW OCCURS EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. THIS WARNING WILL NOT CLEAR UNTIL THE CAR IS RESTARTED. THIS WARNING OCCURS IN BOTH COLD AND HOT WEATHER.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 60 TO 65 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND CAUSED THE OTHER VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE ULTIMATELY CRASHED INTO A CEMENT WALL. THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED; HOWEVER, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE CHEST AND LOWER BACK. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE ARMS, NECK, BACK, AND RIGHT ANKLE. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS RECEIVED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CAUSE OF THE AIR BAG FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000.
MY FAMILY WAS INVOLVED IN A MULTI CAR ACCIDENT WHERE WE WERE STRUCK FROM BEHIND AND DRIVEN INTO THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF US (FROM A NEAR STOPPED POSITION). THE FORCE OF IMPACT ON THE FRONT BUMPER WAS HARD ENOUGH TO DRIVE THE TRAILER HITCH OF THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF US THROUGH THE LICENSE PLATE ON THE FRONT BUMPER. THE BUMPER AND GRILL WERE SEVERELY DAMAGES BUT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO ER FOR HEAD/NECK INJURIES WHICH WERE DEEMED TO BE MINOR.
FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE. FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT DISPLAYS "OFF" ON THE DASH AND ON THE DRIVER'S DISPLAY PANEL. AIRBAG WON'T DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT (BECAUSE THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR ISN'T WORKING). EVEN WHILE AN ADULT IS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIRBAG SENSOR STAYS ILLUMINATED IN THE "OFF" POSITION. IT POPPED UP LAST YEAR AND NO ACCIDENTS OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE ISSUES HAVE OCCURRED DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. TWO YEARS AGO, THE DEALER REPLACED THE FLEXIBLE FLAT CABLE (FFC) PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V168000 (AIR BAGS). THE FFC THAT WAS REPLACED BECOME FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FFC NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,856.
AIR BAG LIGHTS COMES ON AND OFF AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY WHEN OPERATING MY VEHICLE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG MODULE WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.
ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN SOUTHBOUND LANE OF I-95 AT THE DILLON, SC EXIT ON 6/14/14. NORTHBOUND TRAILER LOST A TIRE/RIM DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURE AND IT CROSSED THE MEDIUM AND IMPACTED OUR VEHICLE BLOWING THREE (3) AIRBAGS. THIS MODEL AND YEAR DID NOT INITIALLY HAVE TAKATA AIRBAGS INSTALLED DURING PRODUCTION. IT IS UNKNOWN, TO DATE, WHETHER THE REPLACEMENT AIR BAGS INSTALLED BY GRIFFIN TOYOTA AT ROCKINGHAM, NC WHERE MANUFACTURED BY TAKATA AND POSE A DANGER TO OCCUPANTS IF ACTIVATED. THE TAKATA AIRBAG PROBLEM DID NOT GET PUBLIC ATTENTION UNTIL THE OCTOBER & NOVEMBER, 2014, TIMEFRAME. I CONTACTED GRIFFIN TOYOTA STATING MY CONCERN IN JANUARY, 2015 AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY THE REPLACEMENT WERE MANUFACTURED BY TAKATA AND COULD BE DEFECTIVE. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REPORTED SAME (GIVEN CASE NUMBER [XXX]) AND THEM REFERRED ME TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (CHARLES BARKER TOYOTA IN VIRGINIA BEACH, VA). THIS DEALERSHIP CONTINUES TO "STRUGGLE" TO GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS IN CA TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE AIRBAGS SHOULD BE REPLACED (THAT IS, IF TAKATA REPLACEMENTS WERE INSTALLED AFTER THE WRECK) TO ENSURE THE OCCUPANTS SAFETY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE TO DETERMINE WHAT POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS (MANUFACTURED BY TAKATA) WERE INSTALLED IN THE JUNE-JULY 2014 TIMEFRAME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A CEMENT COVERT. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT AND MIDDLE SECTIONS. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED A BROKEN NOSE, A CONCUSSION, MULTIPLE FACIAL ABRASIONS AND CONTUSIONS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED IN REFERENCE TO THE CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH, A DEER HIT MY CAR. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, DAMAGED FRONT END, MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER, MAJOR DAMAGE TO ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED WHY DID THE AIRBAG NOT DEPLOY OUR MAJOR CONCERN CONCERN THAT WILL THE AIRBAG WORK AFTER REPAIRS?? *TR
MY HUSBAND AND TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WERE IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A TREE AFTER ANOTHER VEHICLE CAME INTO HIS LANE AND HE ATTEMPTED TO AVOID THE HEAD ON COLLISION WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. SIGNIFICANT INJURIES. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WRAPPED AROUND THE TREE. WINDSHIELD SHATTERED IN SEVERAL PLACES. RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR SMASHED IN. NO DOORS ON THE CAR CLOSE ALL THE WAY. REAR PASSENGER DOOR IS OFF THE HINGE. CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. SIX AIRBAGS IN THE CAR AND NOT ONE OF THEM DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW. NEVER BEEN WRECKED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS VEHICLE, BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE VEHICLE WAS HIT HARD BUT COULD NOT TELL HIM WHY THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A CLAIM WAS FILED, BUT NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.