2003 Toyota RAV4 Air Bags
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY OCT /16/2018 A CHEVY VAN SEVERELY CRASH INTO THE REAR OF MY 2003 RAV4 ,AND NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED .SHOULDN'T THE AIRBAGS HAVE DEPLOYED?WHAT SHOULD I DO?
TAKATA RECALL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY CONDITIONS AT 35 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND SEIZED. AS A RESULT THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED HEAD ON INTO A TREE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE CRASH. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE AIRBAG MIGHT NOT HAVE DEPLOYED BECAUSE THE AIRBAG SENSORS WERE LOCATED ON THE SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,000. THE VIN INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH THE TOYOTA 2003 RAV4 ROLLING OVER AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS HAD OPENED FRONT OR SKIRT ABOVE THE HEAD FOR ROLL OVER. *TR
MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING BACK FROM HER SECOND HOME ON THE 60 FREEWAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED AND CAME UP UPON STOPPED TRAFFIC. SHE APPLIED HER BRAKES HARD BUT RAN INTO THE BACK OF ONE VEHICLE WHICH WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE LANE AND THEN MY MOTHER CONTINUED INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. IN NEITHER OF THE 2 SEPARATE COLLISIONS DID ANY OF THE AIRBAGS IN HER 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4 DEPLOY. BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT SHE BROKE HER NECK BETWEEN C5 AND C6 IN HER SPINAL COLUMN AND HAS BEEN IN THE ICU UNIT OF THE LOCAL HOSPITAL EVER SINCE. *TR
INSTRUCTIONS SAY A 12 YR. OLD OR UNDER SHOULD SIT IN THE BACK SEAT DUE TO THE FACT AN AIRBAG COULD KILL THE CHILD. HOWEVER, WE ARE ONLY 5 FEET 2 INCHES WHICH IS THE SIZE OF A 12 YR OLD. SHOULDN'T OUR AIRBAGS BE DISCONNECTED?? *TR
WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK *NM
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2003 Toyota RAV4 has 8 Air Bags complaints on file. 6 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.