NHTSA Complaint #10231284 — 1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM

THERE IS WATER ON ALL FOUR FLOORS OF MY CAR (FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER/BACK SEAT TWO BOTH PASSENGER SIDES). THE REAR LEFT FLOOR HAS PARTICULARLY HEAVY WATER SATURATION. MY AIR BAG LIGHT HAS ALSO STAYED ON FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS. YESTERDAY, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAG CONTROLLER ON THE 1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM IS MOUNTED ABOVE THE FLOOR PAN BENEATH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, AND THAT IF THE VEHICLE IS EXPOSED TO SIGNIFICANT WATER ENTERING THE INTERIOR AND SOAKING THE CARPET, THE AIR BAG CONTROLLER CAN BE SOAKED AND DAMAGED. THE DAMAGED CONTROLLER CAN MAKE THE AIR BAGS DEFLATE, EVEN WITHOUT IMPACT OR CRASH. CONVERSELY, THE AIR BAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY AT ALL BECAUSE OF THE CONTROLLER DAMAGE. THIS LETTER WAS SENT BY GM AS AN OWNER MANUAL SUPPLEMENT AND THEY WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM. AT THIS POINT, NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. BECAUSE I AM UNEMPLOYED, I HAVE NO MONEY TO REPAIR THE CAR, AND AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT. HENCE, I NOW HAVE NO TRANSPORTATION AS WELL AS NO MONEY OR JOB. GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. IF THEY ARE AWARE ENOUGH OF A PROBLEM AS TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF THIS CAR, THEY SHOULD BE PAYING FOR REPAIRS TO A CAR THAT IS SATURATED WITH WATER. *TR