NHTSA Complaint #10332569 — 2007 SUZUKI XL7

ON APRIL 18TH, 2010, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON A STRETCH OF FLAT CITY STREET GOING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH. A LOUD BANG WENT OFF IN THE CAR AND WHITE POWDER DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE CAR. HE PULLED OVER AND NOTED THAT ALL THE CURTAIN AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED. UPON INSPECTING THE CAR, NO DAMAGE WAS NOTED. HE DID NOT REMEMBER HITTING A POT HOLE OR CURB. HE DROVE THE CAR TO WHERE WE WERE STAYING (WE WERE VISITING FAMILY IN ANOTHER STATE) AND CALLED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY. GEICO CAME OUT TWO DAYS LATER, TOOK PICS AND DENIED THE CLAIM DUE TO NO IMPACT. HAD NO MONEY TO GET VEHICLE TOWED RIGHT AWAY SO IT SAT FOR A MONTH WHILE WE FILED A COMPLAINT THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE. WHEN WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM INSURANCE STATING THEY WOULD REOPEN THE CLAIM, WE HAD IT TOWED TO A SUZUKI DEALER. DEALER CLAIMS THEY CANNOT PINPOINT AN IMPACT AND INSURANCE JUST DENIED THE CLAIM A SECOND TIME. WE ARE NOW WAITING FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO COME OUT AND TAKE A LOOK. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, AT LEAST 4 OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH THIS SAME THING ON THE SAME MODEL WERE REPORTED. I HAVE ONLY BEEN ONLINE ABOUT 35 MINUTES AND AM APPALLED AT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS. AND WITH ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS, SUZUKI HAS REFUSED TO PAY AS WELL AS INSURANCE. THE TOTAL FOR REPAIR WILL BE AROUND $7000 AND WE ARE INCREDIBLY LUCKY OUR ONE YEAR OLD WAS NOT IN THE CAR WHEN THE AIRBAGS WENT OFF. THIS COULD'VE RESULTED IN A HUGE ACCIDENT OR INJURY. THERE IS NO DOUBT A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED FOR THE SAFETY OF CONSUMERS!! *TR