My airbag light came on and I received a letter saying there was a recall but unfortunately I threw out the letter and when I called Toyota said there was a recall but it was fixed in 2012 when I didn’t own the vehicle and it seems like it didn’t last long because my airbags are not working so this will be the last time I buy a Toyota!! Thanks for Nothing
2008 Toyota RAV4: airbag warning light
27 of the 575 complaints about the 2008 Toyota RAV4 describe airbag warning light.
- owner complaints
- 27
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical mileage
- 80,000
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 8 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Airbag warning light by model year
What owners say
2021 I was involved in a collision on the highway and my airbag did not deploy but airbag light remained on dash board even after repairing clockspring and attempting to reset airbag.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota rav4. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v168000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to j.wolf toyota where they diagnosed the failure as a part of the recall however the updated remedy was unavailable. The technician replaced the original spiral cable with a spiral cable of the same design and advised that the recall would still need to be addressed. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that due to the work being performed during the interim notice they removed the contact's vehicle from the recall. The failure mileage was 86,330.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota rav4. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated and remained on. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v166000 (air bags). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.
I was driving on the west virginia turnpike when the airbag light came on. The bag didn't open, but it scared me. There is no shoulder on the turnpike to get over and there is lots of truckers. The airbag light stayed on until I got off the turnpike and pulled over to a rest stop. I turned off the car and my son and I rested for about 30 minutes before starting the car again to drive home. When I turned on the car the light was off. It comes on every once in a while. Not sure why and not sure what is causing it to come on?
Was parked at a rest stop, when I restarted the car, airbag light went on and has never turned off. Have not received a letter which was supposed to be sent in april, 2014 for the most recent recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota rav4. The contact stated that the air bag light illuminated when there was no passenger in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the technician was unable to find a failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,140 and the current mileage was unknown.
Air bag indicator light on when car started. Multiple attempts to get indicator light off failed. Contacted dealer for appointment and was told that it could take all day to resolve the issue. But it appears this is frequent failure with rav4's and I now question sales person reliability at dealer. Will update this after dealer appointment.
Air bag warning light came on at approximately 71000 miles. This is a safety issue and should be corrected by a recall.
The airbag light came on and stayed on. Owner took car to dealer and was told that the spiral cable was defective. Also, the water pump is leaking. The rav4 only has 86,000 miles. Owner has noticed there are multiple reported complaints on the airbag spiral cable defect. How many more "defects" have not been reported? This issue should be a recall. The repairs are very expensive. Owner used to think toyota made a reliable car!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota rav4. The contact stated the vehicle was included in and repaired under the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v245000 (air bags). After the recall repair was performed, the air bag warning light continued to illuminate. The technician stated that the spiral cable would have to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
Airbag warning light has come on and scan shows that it is a "spiral cable" that needs to be replaced. Unknown to me was that airbag wouldn't deploy while this light is on. Car hasn't been in any accident and this appears to be low mileage to have this event. This is a major safety issue and due to high frequency of this event being reported...it should be a recall!
Service bulletins that may apply
- Condition in which a musty smell is present
- Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign
- Revision notice
- Region Letter: Toyota will be sending Safety Recall Follow-Up Notices to remind owners whose vehicles have...
- Dealer Letter: Toyota will be sending Safety Recall Follow-Up Notices to remind owners whose vehicles have...
- Toyota vehicles are equipped with Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS), including various airbags and in...
- Toyota vehicles are equipped with SRS, including various airbags and in some models, seat belt...
- Toyota: information provided for replacing the seat covers for vehicles equipped with side airbags.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, 2008-2010 Highlander, and 2009-2010 Tacoma, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and General Motors Pontiac Vibe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical connections to the driver's airbag module housed in a spiral cable assembly, which includes a Flexible Flat Cable (FFC). Due to the shape and location of the FFC's retainer, the FFC could become damaged when the steering wheel is turned.
- Risk
- If the FFC is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated. The failure of the driver's air bag to deploy in the event of a crash that typically necessitates deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify the Toyota vehicle owners, and General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Toyota sent owners an interim notification letter in May 2014 to advise owners of the recall. Toyota will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available. General Motors sent Pontiac Vibe owners an Interim letter on June 20, 2014 notifying them that parts are currently unavailable. General Motors sent notices to the Pontiac Vibe owners on September 15, 2014, that a remedy is available. The recall began on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Owners may contact General Motors at 1‑800‑762‑2737.
Recall number 14V168000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 highlander, highlander hybrid, and model year 2007-2008 rav4 vehicles. In the curtain shield airbag (csa) system, there are two sensors in the airbag sensor assembly which are designed to detect vehicle roll angle. If one of these sensors malfunctions, the airbag warning light (malfunction indicator light: mil) will illuminate and the roll detection system will be suspended; however, the airbag csa remains available in the event of a side crash. If both sensors fail nearly simultaneously after initial airbag system check, the csa and the seat belt pretensioner could be inadvertently activated.
- Risk
- Inadvertent activation of the csa and/or the seat belt pretensioner can cause injury to a vehicle occupant.
- Remedy
- Toyota will replace the airbag sensor assembly with a new one containing improved roll rate sensors, free of charge. Toyota intends to send an interim owner notification to owners early to mid-may, 2011 when sufficient parts and remedy becomes available. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 11V245000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2008 Toyota RAV4 airbag light
Is airbag warning light a common problem on the 2008 Toyota RAV4?
27 of 575 owner complaints about the 2008 Toyota RAV4 (5%) mention airbag warning light. The model year with the most reports is 2007.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 Toyota RAV4?
There are 2 recalls and 8 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2008 Toyota RAV4
Oil consumption 90Sudden acceleration 33Harsh shifting 21Engine failure 17Check engine light 16Ball joint 15Jerking 14Steering noise 13Fire or smoke 12ABS 11Adaptive cruise 10No deployment 10Stalling 9Knocking 8Won't start 8Grinding brakes 6Power steering loss 6Warning lights 5
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