Lemmings that they are, the MSM are marching in lockstep concerning the braking problems with the Toyota Prius. Have they looked any further? Have they considered the possibility that some Prius models have an airbag deployment problem? Probably not – that would involve journalistic digging.
Here’s a 2004 Prius that was involved in an accident in February 2009. (My neighbor was the driver.)
The driver suffered a broken sternum and heavy bruising from the seat belt. The car was declared a total wreck. Here’s a photo displaying the operation of the airbags:
The airbags didn’t deploy.
The regional distributor of Toyotas was contacted. Their experts examined the vehicle. Their response was that the airbags functioned as designed. The 45 mph impact, they said, came at an angle (right front) that did not activate the airbags. Consequently, the driver’s injuries were in no way their fault.
Here’s what the front of the vehicle looked like.
Has this problem appeared elsewhere? The answer is yes, as noted here and here. Plus, go here and do a search of the word “airbags.”
Is this evidence of a problem? Not necessarily so. But isn’t that a question the MSM should ask?