Component
AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER
21 NHTSA complaints about air bags:knee bolster issues across 10 makes and 15 models.
The air bags:knee bolster is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 21 filings from 10 manufacturers and 15 distinct vehicle models, a footprint large enough that defect engineers can isolate part-family patterns across different platforms that share the same supplier or the same federal motor vehicle safety standard.
Among filings citing this component, owners have reported 14 crashes, 0 fires, 17 injuries, and 0 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the DODGE GRAND CARAVAN with 5 filings, followed by LEXUS IS 350 and DODGE CARAVAN. These severity counters are what separates a nuisance complaint trend from a pattern NHTSA is likely to escalate into a Preliminary Evaluation.
Component-level analysis is how the Office of Defects Investigation spots cross-manufacturer supplier issues — the same airbag inflator, the same takata-style ignition switch, the same brake hose material — before they become industry-wide recalls. When you see a single component accumulating large complaint volume across several unrelated nameplates, that is usually a signature of a shared supplier or a shared federal standard being stressed by real-world conditions. Use the affected-vehicles table below to see whether the pattern is concentrated on a handful of models or distributed evenly, and cross-reference each model's full recall and investigation history before drawing conclusions about any one nameplate.
Most Affected Vehicles
| # | Vehicle | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DODGE GRAND CARAVAN | 5 |
| 2 | LEXUS IS 350 | 2 |
| 3 | DODGE CARAVAN | 2 |
| 4 | TOYOTA AVALON | 1 |
| 5 | TESLA MODEL S | 1 |
| 6 | LEXUS IS 250 | 1 |
| 7 | LEXUS ES350 | 1 |
| 8 | KIA SPORTAGE | 1 |
| 9 | JEEP WRANGLER | 1 |
| 10 | JEEP RENEGADE | 1 |
| 11 | DODGE CALIBER | 1 |
| 12 | CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY | 1 |
| 13 | CHEVROLET COBALT | 1 |
| 14 | CADILLAC DEVILLE | 1 |
| 15 | ACURA RDX | 1 |
Recent Complaints
The contact owns a 2022 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, a deer unexpectedly crashed into the middle of the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that after the
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center where it was diagnosed that t
IN THE EVENT OF MY FRONTAL COLLISION, MY PATELLAR TENDON ON MY RIGHT LEG WAS RUPTURED AFTER MY KNEE IMPACTED THE PLASTIC STEERING COLUMN COVER WHICH HOUSES THE WINDSHEILD WIPER SWITCH, IGNTION SWITCH
WIRING HARNESS DEFECT RENDERS SRS/SEATBELT PRETENSION SYSTEM INOPERABLE. LEXUS REFUSES TO REPLACE WIRING HARNESS WITHOUT CHARGING $3,000. THE ISSUE IS LISTED UNDER A TSB BY LEXUS AND WAS KNOWN TO THEM
TAKATA RECALL - AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON. THEY REPLACED RECALLED INFLATOR. LIGHT IS STILL ON. DEALER NOW SAYS IT'S A WIRING HARNESS. ABOUT $2500 TO REPLACE. AFTER RESEARCHING ON INTERNET, MANY PEOPLE
TAKATA RECALL. AFTER LETTING THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP DO THE RECALL ON MY AIRBAGS, I RECEIVED A AIRBAG LIGHT SHORTLY AFTER AND LET THEM KNOW I DIDN'T HAVE THE ISSUE UNTIL AFTER THEY SERVICED THE AIRBAG. T
DRIVER SIDE KNEE AIRBAG CAUSED HEMATOMA, SECOND DEGREE BURN ON L. LEG, RESULTING IN 2 SURGERIES, USE OF WOUND VAC FOR 2 1/2 MONTHS, AND PERMANENT LYMPEDEMA AND SCARRING ON L. CALF. DRIVER HAS REPLAC
WAS TRAVELING 30 TO 35 MPH WEST ON HIGHWAY APPROACHING INTERSECTION WITH GREEN LIGHT, ANOTHER 4 DOOR SEDAN TRAVELING EAST MADE LEFT HAND TURN IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS DIRECTLY IN
I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WITH MY 2007 CHYRSLER TOWN * COUNTRY MINI VAN. I REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. ALL OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AS THEY SHOULD. THE LOWER AIRBAG THAT HAS JUST BEEN RECENTLY INSTALLED IN
THE VEHICLE WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 55MPH WHEN IT COLLIDED HEAD ON WITH A COW. THE DRIVER SIDE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER'S LEGS WERE INJURED BY THE COVER OF THE LOWER AIR BAG. *TR
THE KNEE BLOCKER AIRBAG IN MY 05 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN OPENED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. THE AIRBAG IS BEHIND A STEEL PLATE HINGED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DASH. ATTACHED TO THIS PLATE IS THE HARD PLASTIC PANE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DODGE CARAVAN. THE CONTACTS WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. THE AIR BAGS IN THE STEERING COLUMN DEPLOYED PROPERLY; HOWEVER, THE AIR BAGS UNDERNEATH THE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 JEEP WRANGLER. AN ALARM TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE AIR BAG KNEE BOLSTERS WERE NOT INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OWNER'S MANUAL INDICA
IN THE 05 AND NEWER DODGE/CHRYSLER CARS AND MINIVANS, THERE IS A "KNEE BLOCKER" AIRBAG SYSTEM INSTALLED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BELOW THE STEERING COLUMN, THAT IS DEFECTIVE IN DESIGN AND IN IT'S INTENDED
I WAS AT A RED LIGHT, THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I STARTED TO GO AND THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME IN A PT CRUISER STOPPED SHORT AND I HIT HIM IN THE REAR CAUSING SO MUCH DAMAGE TO MY FRONT END. HOW ON EARTH
REQUEST TO REMOVE THE KNEE LEVEL AIR BAG FROM THE 2006 TOYOTA AVALON**CC THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS IN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE KNEE BOLSTER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. SHE SUSTAINED FRACTURES TO BOT
DURING A RECENT ACCIDENT IN MY 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE KNEE AIRBAG CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL BRUISING AND ABRASIONS TO MY SHINS, AND I EXPECT TO BE PERMANENTLY SCARRED AS A RESULT. W
THIS IS A COPY OF AN EMAIL I SENT TO CHRYSLER CONCERNING AN ACCIDENT ON 2-3-06 MY WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN. CHRYSLER HELD UP REPAIRS AND SENT A "SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR" TO LOOK AT THE VAN. TO MAKE A LONG ST
MY MOTHER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, DRIVING AT 23 MPH IN A CHRYSLER MINIVAN. SHE HIT A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD ON. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT TOUCH MY MOTHER, SHE WAS WEARING HER SEA
WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN THIS HAPPENED CONSUMER LOST POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES , AND THE TRANSMISSION WENT HAYWIRE. DEALER INFORMED THE C
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Sources
Vehicle complaint data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database. Includes consumer-reported safety issues filed with NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Severity counts cross-reference NHTSA FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) for fatal incidents where a corresponding FARS record exists.
Component categories are standardized by NHTSA. Crash-test ratings where shown are drawn from the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Complaint counts, crash reports, fire reports, and fatality data reflect consumer-submitted reports and may not represent all incidents.
Disclaimer: This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for vehicle purchase decisions. NHTSA complaint data is self-reported by consumers and has not been verified or investigated. A high complaint count does not necessarily indicate a defect. Always consult a qualified mechanic and check official NHTSA recall notices before making safety-related decisions.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.