Got rear ended :( no bags deployed but SRS airbag light on

Hello,

Yesterday I got rear ended by another car , good thing no one got hurt. As you can see my taco didn't suffer much of a problem (that hitch really helped).

I have a question, my air bags didn't deploy? Why?!
I am guessing because there was a problem/malfunction on the system because I have the srs light on, and the little light in the middle under the stereo is flashing seat belt and stays Off while I have a passenger with her seat belt on.

Should I go and complain at the dealer and fight something out? Because she (my passenger) did hit her face into the dashboard. Or is it normal for the airbags to not deployed? But why did I get that srs airbag malfunction message? I am just guessing that it tried to deploy, but it fail.

 

Yeow, looks like the Taco was a clear winner in that one. Glad everybodys OK. I keep reading the air bags didn't deploy in several accident posts. Maybe Toyota should take a good look at this.

 

where you sitting still when it happened?
if so they would have to hit you very hard to make the sensors trip.
the sensor has a ball stuck to a strong magnet and if you get hard enough to move that ball then the bags will go off. the crash sensors are in the front by the headlights and on the side of the truck but none in the rear of the truck

 

Air bag systems are designed for front & side impacts. Not very many (if any) manufacturers have designed anything beyond active head restraints for rear impacts- this is because the seat is already cradling you, so you move with it as opposed to getting hit by it.
I'd bet one of the seatbelts went off. Take a look and see if you have one that is either pulled out and won't retract, or one that's retracted super tight

 

Also, with someone sitting in the seat but it still saying "off" the weight sensor in the seat may need recalibrated/replaced. This will also trip a trouble code

 

X2 Seat belt pre tensioner is a definite possiblity

 

Yes I was sitting still, I was at a red light.

All seat belts are working just fine.

Yes I had someone sitting on the passenger seat when it happened, and still says "off". If it needs replacement? Will that be covered under warranty at the dealer? Is that a malfunction to fight over at the dealer?

Thx!

 

if it were my vehicle i would probably be more concerned with insurance repairing my truck rather than warranty. pick one fight at a time and ask questions to your adjuster would be my advice.

 

X2.
Anything wrong will be covered by an insurance claim. The truck did exactly what it was designed to do- no need to blame Toyota for anything

 

Airbags are not designed to deploy in every accident. Insurance costs would really skyrocket higher than they are now if they did. Since it was a rear end collision they would not have protected you from anything so they didn't deploy. If they force of the collision had shoved you into a stationary object with enough force they would have. Make sure the adjuster knows that the SRS is showing a fault now and it will be covered and repaired by the insurance company.

 

Ummm, there's been some bad T-bones in here and a rollover where the bags didn't deploy, and a recall for about 495,000 Tacos from 2005 to 2009 for the spiral cable.

 

The seat weight system and seat belt pre tensioners just need to be re-calibrated. Possibly the zero point as well. Normal when the vehicle gets impacted for this to happen. As far as the bags...it depends on the point of impact and the force of impact for them to go off...or a combination of the 2.

Have the dealer re-calibrate all the systems and it'll be back to normal.

 

Yes, I already send them some pictures of the incident, as well of the srs light. I should be receiving a response back from them next week. An insurance agent is going to come to my house to check on my car on the upcoming days.

I haven't had any accidents, so I might sound dumb right here.. This doesn't make my vehicle salvage, right?

So, it is normal that things got out of calibration, right?
Nothing to blame the dealer?
I just have to get with my insurance, and they to cover all cost of the calibration etc...

 

Nope. A salvage is deemed a total or maybe a flooded out vehicle that has been reconstructed for sale. Your truck is no where near that kind of damage.

 

Yep as rob stated they will fix it and it will be as good as new with no title alterations. If you are unhappy with the repairs you have the right to demand it refixed to original condition. Also another topic that has had been talked about a lot is " demolished value ". Some people have gotten it and some haven't. Seminished value is the theory that your vehicle now has an accident on its car fax record with could lower your resale value. Al long as the accedent isn't your fault you can request a deminished value payment. They may laugh at you they may pay you who knows. As far as the amount as the shop fixing the truck their opinion on how the accident could affect your resale value.

 

Woa I need to read better before I post, it's supost to be deminished value, not demolished value.

 

T-bone would only activate the side curtain airbag not front and with a roll over there is still forward movement.



This also resulted in no airbag deployment. But when I researched I found out that if the vehicle still shows forward movement they aren't designed to deploy. They are designed for sudden stoppage where the occupants can continue moving where the vehicle doesn't. In this instance I was glad they didn't. I was traveling at 65 mph and hit a deer. I was able to keep control of the car and keep it out of the oncoming lane of traffic, which had a semi coming at me, and out of the ditch which was a 40 to 50 ft drop off onto railroad tracks. Had the airbag deployed I would not have been able to maintain steering control.

 

Deminished value, I didn't know about that. I was researching on Google, and they say I need to submit the claim to the faults driver insurance (statefarm).

I might do that I don't know. And that it has to be repaired before submitting the claim.

So, I shouldn't go to the dealer and complain about the srs, right?

A3umph, true glad those didn't deployed on you. :/

 

One thing to check that I haven't seen mentioned is is there damage to the trailer hitch, even bent rear frame from impact to the ball hitch. There has been references to the hitch acting as a lever and causing major frame damage. Check it out or have it checked out before accepting recovery. Looks like time for a aftermarket rear bumper.

 

I am going to check that, is there an option where you can accept money instead of them fixing the problem?