There are 14 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2003 Toyota RAV4in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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 THE SEAT SHOULDER STRAP STARTED TO SHRED AND PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
SINCE LAST SUMMER OF 2015, MY DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT HAS BEEN FRAYING. THE FRAY IS OVER A FOOT LONG AND A 1/2" INCH OF SEATBELT IS FRAYED. I WILL ATTEMPT TO SEND PICS ALONG WITH THIS FORM. IT IS A HABIT WITH ME TO ALWAYS WEAR MY SEATBELT, AND OF ALL THE OTHER VEHICLES I HAVE OWN THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. I DO HOPE THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS MAY BE AN UNUSUAL ISSUE, I TRUST YOU WILL CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND ONE THAT SHOULD BE DEALT WITH PROMPTLY, FOR IT DOES CAUSE ME TO HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS EACH TIME I DRIVE WITH THIS FRAYED SEATBELT ON. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION ON THIS MATTER. SAFETY IS TOP PRIORITY WITH ME, AS I AM SURE IT IS WITH YOU AS WELL. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PROMPT ATTENTION. FYI: IF MY 2 PICTURES JUST SO HAPPEN TO NOT BE WITH THIS FORM, PLEASE CONTACT ME BY E-MAIL AND I WILL TRY TO SENT THEM TO YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WAS FRAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.
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
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
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
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. OVER TIME, THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED. THE BUCKLE DOES NOT LATCH WHEN ATTEMPTING TO FASTEN THE SEAT BELT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 184,000.
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHETR VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAINT THE DRIVER, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
WHEN THE CONSUMER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 25 MPH THE FRONT AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, NOR DID THE SEAT BELT RESTRAIN THE CONSUMER. VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
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
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026