Airbags didn’t deploy

On 11/4/24 I was in a wreck in my 2004 Toyota tundra and the airbags didn’t deploy. I’ve read on some of the threads that the gforce has to be a certain amount in order for the airbags to deploy. I flipped 6 times… I will say despite the airbag situation, I’ve never seen a truck take such a beating and stay in one piece. I got hit by a small white car that “wasn’t paying attention”… but I digress. I’m looking for another vehicle (preferably Toyota) but the airbags have me a little concerned.

 

Damn, forget them airbags as long as you're ok.

 

I have a concussion, abrasions and knots on my head, left thumb is in a soft cast, from the top of my head all the way to my toes (no exaggeration) is covered in cuts and bruises. I’m alive thank God but that’s a ride I’ll never forget.

 

Wow. Sorry to hear about your accident and airbag. Were there no recalls on it? I remember some years had airbag recalls.

 

Glad you're ok. Rolling (i guess) did not meet the criteria in the MY perhaps it would on more current ones with their additional side and curtain bags. The steering wheel and passenger dash may not have helped much in the multi-roll as all the others now available. Best of luck.

 

@Jack McCarthy I’m trying to figure that out. But thank you! I appreciate that!!

 

I'm curious if the pre-tensioners on the seat belts fired or if they only fire with the airbags. Glad you're ok and able to post about it.

 

@Upshot Knothole thank you!!

 

@Jack McCarthy i just looked it up on NHTSA and it said “0 unrepaired recalls” with this VIN

 

I'm pretty sure the airbag recall was over them possibly shooting shrapnel and not them failing to deploy. Where did the car hit the truck? Front end looks pretty intact other than flipping 6 times.

 

@Upshot Knothole rear passenger door you can kinda see the white marks in the dents at the bottom. I was told when he hit me my back tire went over his hood, I slid on my side and roof then flipped 6 times off into a ditch. I truly can’t believe the truck is still in one piece.

 

That's crazy.

Dunno what to say about airbags, since you can't turn off the SRS light in the dash in the 2005-2006, it's an on-board LED. If you didn't have an SRS light on prior to the accident, and didn't tamper with any sensor it uses, like yaw sensor, wheel speed/ABS sensors, it's super weird.

Did you truck have the RCSA button on the dash for Rear Curtain Side Airbags? If so, was that button pressed to turn them off? I've heard of them deploying by accident offroading at certain angles, but never the opposite.

 

Holy smokes. Glad you're here to talk to us.

I've only seen two airbag sensors on my truck. Both are on the front framerails in the engine bay. There could be more- but I haven't seen any. Maybe the bags only deploy if it's a front-end collision?

I have a 2000 that doesn't have the side curtain airbags, but maybe there are more sensors on later trucks that do?

 

I don't think the 2004 had side curtain airbags. The frontal bags would not have gone off with a roll that didn't have the right angle of frontal impact. It isn't the amount of force, but the angle of said force.
Your seat belt pre-tensioners should have activated and yanked you into the seat.

 

I looked it up, side curtains were optional starting in 2005, DC only. Have to agree, without any significant frontal impact, the airbags shouldn't have gone off, but the seat belts should have.

 

I know very little about this, but this is what was going through my mind. Glad you're relatively well. Looks like it could have been a LOT worse.

 

seatbelt pretensioner did activate! I’m bruised hip to hip but I’m not complaining!

 

Generally steering wheel and dash airbags will not deploy unless the airbag control module senses a negative accel/change of speed in the longitudinal axis. Lateral Accel and Roll Angle will deploy side curtian airbags if you have them.

I have seen alot of rear impact wrecks where the drive is pushed back into the seat. The wheel airbag never goes off as it wouldn't help anything, your body is accelerating in the opposite direction. .

 

This is a rollover. The lack of damage to your front bumper would indicate minimal decelerative force in the X-axis. Airbags probably are working as designed.

 

Wow, hell of a crash. Glad you’re ok.

 

Hell thats 5 times more than me, was it all "slow Mo"it was for me. Glad your alive.

 

Damn bro, thats a hell of a crash, good to hear you are still around. I'm with the peanut gallery on this one, the front end looks, relatively, untouched. I doubt the G forces in the direction needed to fire the airbags was enough.

 

Good to hear. Definitely could've been worse.

 

Glad to hear that you are OK!
The front airbags use crumple sensors on these trucks it is about how far the front end deflects. They had some problems with G-force sensors on 4x4 vehicles early on.
Be gad you were not driving a Ford. This was my brother in law. He did walk away but that cab sure didn't hold up!

 

Drivers and passenger airbags didn't deploy on this 2003 Tacoma either.

 

For the airbags to deploy there has to be enough of a direct impact on the front bumper (assuming an older Tundra does not have any side airbags), as the sensors detect both speed of impact and direction. There is a risk to airbag deployment, as they can cause injury, especially if you don't have your seatbelt on or a smaller person is in the passenger seat, thus they only deploy when the sensor receives an impact that indicates there is more benefit than risk if you get what I mean. If the Tundra had side curtain airbags they would have deployed because that's where a majority of the high speed direct impact was. When you get into an accident your body impacts the side of the vehicle that is making contact with another vehicle or object, thus a front airbag deploying would be of no benefit, and could cause more injury, if the side of your vehicle is what is being impacted. Glad you are doing ok!



-T

 

Tay, Glad your still with us! Good luck on your recovery. Please look into getting a good attorney as well.

 

Sorry for your loss, damn 6 flips!

 

I don't see zones with impact sensors behind them being crippled.

Maybe you got lucky, those Takata airbags didn't deploy, so you're still in one piece.

The safest vehicle is Volvo, they are a step ahead of industry, but they don't make trucks.