NHTSA Complaint #10204388 — 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE

PURCHASED NEW 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE ON MAY 24, 2007. WE IMMEDIATELY NOTED THE "ON/OFF" FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH WAS INCONSISTENT WHEN MY 5' 7" 118 LB. WIFE SAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. ABOUT 40% OF THE TIME THE LIGHT INDICATES THAT THE AIR BAG IS OFF, BUT SPORADICALLY IT SHOWS THAT THE SYSTEM IS ON. JUNE 1ST, ON MY FIRST DEALER VISIT WITH THIS VEHICLE, I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM AND WAS ADVISED THAT THIS WAS POSSIBLE AND WE SHOULD VIEW A SEAT SENSING VIDEO. AFTER SEVERAL PHONE CALLS AND VISITS TO MY DEALER, ROYAL BUICK OF TUCSON (WHO HAVE BEEN MORE THAN HELPFUL AND CONCERNED) THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED BUICK AND WAS TOLD THAT WE WERE THE ONLY ONE IN THE US HAVING THAT PROBLEM AND THE BUICK DISTRICT MANAGER SAID THE SYSTEM CHECKED OUT OKAY BUT MY WIFE'S BUILD WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR THAT CAR. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE SYSTEM WAS OPERATING WITHIN THE "PARAMETERS" SET BY THE MANUFACTURERS FOR PEOPLE OF MY WIFE'S SIZE. ALSO, THEY SAID, THESE "PARAMETERS" WERE ESTABLISHED BY FEDERAL LAW. FAST FORWARD TO 9-25-07, THE SENSOR MANUFACTURER SENT AN ENGINEER TO TUCSON AND SPENT 2 HOURS HAVING MY WIFE GET IN AND OUT OF THE FRONT SEAT TO ESTABLISH A MORE REALISTIC DATABASE OR ALGORITHM FOR PEOPLE HER SIZE. BUICK OR THE SEAT MANUFACTURER SENT ANOTHER SEAT RIGHT FROM THE ASSEMBLY LINE TO REPLACE OUR SEAT FOR THEIR ANALYSIS. AS OF TODAY 9-27-07 THIS NEW SEAT HAS A FAILURE MODE OF 60% IN THE LAST THREE DAYS (15 SEAT ENTRIES AND 9 TIMES THE AIRBAG FAILED TO ARM) WE PAID $40,000 FOR A CAR WITH AN AIR-BAG SAFETY SYSTEM THAT WAS DESIGNED TO PROTECT BOTH FRONT AND REAR PASSENGERS, BUT YET IT WOULD NOT PROTECT AN ADULT OF MY WIFE'S SIZE WHEN RIDING AS A FRONT-SEAT PASSENGER. HAD WE KNOWN THIS FACT, WE WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AT ANY PRICE. SAFETY IS OUR BIGGEST CONCERN WHEN BUYING A NEW VEHICLE. THIS COMPLAINT IS THE SAME AS NUMBER 10202517 WITH A FEW ADDED DETAILS. *JB