# 2008 LEXUS IS 350 — AIR BAGS
> NHTSA complaint `1451145` · 2018-02-28 · Toyota Motor Corporation
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 1
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** Yes
## Vehicle
- **Make:** LEXUS
- **Model:** IS 350
- **Year:** 2008
- **Manufacturer:** Toyota Motor Corporation
- **Component:** AIR BAGS
- **Miles at failure:** 50,000
- **Speed:** 10 mph
## Narrative
ON NOVEMBER 8, 2017, I WAS INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN SANTA MONICA, CA AS I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN FROM AN ALLEY ONTO A TWO-LANE RESIDENTIAL STREET.  THE OTHER VEHICLE STRUCK ME ON THE LEFT FRONT CORNER OF MY CAR. WHILE THE AIRBAGS OF THE OTHER CAR WERE DEPLOYED , NONE OF MY AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED. FURTHER, MY SHOULDER BELT FAILED TO PROPERLY RESTRAIN ME AND THE TOP OF MY HEAD STRUCK THE LEFT 'A-PILLAR'.  SOON AFTER THE ACCIDENT, I REQUESTED THAT LEXUS DOWNLOAD MY CAR'S EDR( AKA "BLACK BOX" ).  THE INJURY TO THE TOP OF MY HEAD DID NOT TURN OUT TO BE SERIOUS. HOWEVER, ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, I STARTED HAVING PAIN IN MY LOWER RIGHT ABDOMEN. THIS WAS SOON THEREAFTER DIAGNOSED AS A RIGHT SIDE INGUINAL HERNIA. ABOUT THIS SAME TIME, I RECEIVED A DOWNLOAD OF THE RAW DATA FROM MY CAR'S EDR. I WAS ABLE TO COMPUTE THAT I EXPERIENCED A 20 G FORCE TOWARDS THE LEFT FRONT CORNER OF MY VEHICLE. MY CONCLUSION IS THAT MY BODY WAS  FORCED UPWARDS AND TORQUED TO THE LEFT DURING THE ACCIDENT WITH A FORCE EQUAL TO 20 TIMES MY BODY WEIGHT. I CONCLUDE THAT THIS CAUSED THE INJURY LEADING TO THE HERNIA.   WHEN I FIRST CONTACTED LEXUS LAST NOVEMBER, I INDICATED THAT I BELIEVED THERE WAS A "SAFETY GAP" IN MY VEHICLE. WHILE I ACCEPT THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE SHOULDER BELT SHOULD HAVE PRECLUDED  MY HEAD HITTING THE "A-PILLAR' AND THE INJURY TO MY LOWER RIGHT ABDOMEN. AFTER MUCH DELAY, I FINALLY RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA ON FEBRUARY 8, 2018. 
---
*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*