NHTSA Complaint #10112342 — 2004 SATURN ION

THE DRIVER OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED SUDDENLY TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER, AND I REAR ENDED HER. IT WAS A MINOR ACCIDENT - ONLY GOING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH - SO MINOR THAT THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. BOTH OF MY REAR SEATS, HOWEVER, CAME UNLATCHED AND FLEW FORWARD, PUSHING MY DAUGHTER'S CAR SEAT INTO THE REAR OF THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT, EVEN WITH THE SEAT BELT BEING LOOPED THROUGH THE SHOULDER HARNESS OF THE CAR SEAT. THANKFULLY, SHE WAS NOT IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. I CALLED SATURN TO REPORT IT. THEY SPOKE WITH THE COLLISION CENTER WHERE MY CAR IS BEING REPAIRED, AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING BROKEN THAT COULD BE FIXED. THE COLLISION CENTER ALSO TOLD THEM THAT THEY TRIED TO GET THE SEATS UNLATCHED BY PULLING ON THEM FROM THE FRONT AND BY TRYING TO KICK THEM FROM INSIDE THE TRUNK, NEITHER OF WHICH SIMULATES WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN AN ACTUAL CAR ACCIDENT, WITH THAT KIND OF INERTIA. THE PERSON WHO INSPECTED MY CAR TOLD ME THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT SOMETHING IN THE TRUNK UNLATCHED THE LOCKS DURING THE ACCIDENT. SATURN TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I EVEN SPOKE WITH A SUPERVISOR. I EVEN ASKED IF THEY COULD SOMEHOW INSTALL A BETTER LOCK TO MAKE SURE THE SEATS WOULDN'T UNLATCH. THEY TOLD ME OVER AND OVER THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE NOTHING IS BROKEN. BUT SOMETHING IS OBVIOUSLY WRONG FOR THE SEATS TO HAVE COME UNLATCHED. AT THIS TIME, I STILL FEEL THAT MY REAR SEATS ARE UNSAFE AND HAVE NOT GOTTEN MY CAR BACK FROM THE COLLISION CENTER. *JB