NHTSA Complaint #10072571 — 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU

MY GRANDSON WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND HE HEARD A HIGH PITCHED SOUND. A FEW SECONDS LATE BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE OCEAN CITY CHEVROLET I WAS TOLD THAT SOMETHING HAD TO HAVE BEEN HIT FOR AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN WRECK OF HIT. GM WAS NOTIFIED AND TEST WERE RUN ON THE CAR. I CONTACTED GM TO FIND OUT IF THEY WERE GOING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY RESPONDED WITH A RUN AROUND SAYING THAT THE BLACK BOX SHOWS AN IMPACT IN THE FRONT AND BACK. THEN I TOLD HIM THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN WRECKED OR HIT. HE THEN RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT THE AIRBAGS COULD HAVE DEPLOYED BECAUSE MY GRANDSON SLOWED DOWN 6 MPH IN UNDER A SECOND, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE GM MAN IS NOT POSSIBLE BY BRAKES. IF THAT WAS THE CASE MY GRANDSONS FRIEND THAT WAS FOLLWING HIM WOULD HAVE REAR-ENDED HIM IF HE HAD SLOWED DOWN THAT RAPIDLY. FINALY THE GM MAN TOLD ME THAT THE CAR COULD HAVE BEEN BUMPED JUST RIGHT AND THAT WAS THAT CAUSE OF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. GM REFUSED TO REPAIR MY AIRBAG SAYING THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR FAULT. HOWEVER IT WAS A CAR DEFECT.*AK