NHTSA Complaint #10384834 — 2000 FORD RANGER

I WAS EAST BOUND DOING 50 MPH WHEN A WEST BOUND CHEVY MADE A LEFT TURN INTO MY LANE, I PUSHED BRAKES TURNED RIGHT IMPACTING THE CHEVY HEAD ON SPINNING IT 180 DEGREES AND BACK INTO THE WEST BOUND LANE. BOTH THE CHEVY'S AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND IT BROKE IT'S WIND- SHIELD. THE AIR BAGS IN MY TRUCK FAILED TO DEPLOY; I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE RANGER. MY TRUCK AS WELL AS THE CHEVY WERE TOTALED; $8,988. TO FIX MY RANGER. MY WIFE SUFFERED A BROKEN LEFT WRIST AND SHE BROKE A TITANIUM ROD IN HER BACK. SHE HAD TO UNDERGO A SIX HOUR SURGERY TO REMOVE THE BROKEN RODS PARTS IN HER LOWER BACK AND THE SURGEON HAD TO ADD MORE RODS IN HER UPPER BACK TO STABILIZE TWO VERTEBRAE , WHICH WERE DAMAGED IN THE CRASH. I SEND FORD THE ACCIDENT REPORT, BODY SHOP ESTIMATE AND 20+ PICTURES OF THE TRUCK AND ACCIDENT SCENE. FORD SAID THE IMPACT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO SET OFF THE AIR BAGS. BOTH FENDERS WERE BUCKLED, RADIATOR WAS PUSHED INTO THE FAN, FRAME WAS BENT, IT TOOK SEVERAL MINUTES TO OPEN THE PASS. SIDE DOOR TO GET MY WIFE OUT OF THE TRUCK. BUMPER, GRILLE AND HEADLIGHTS WERE TOTALED. FORD OFFERED TO CHECK THE RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE AND REPORT THEIR OWN LAB FINDINGS TO ME, I FELT THIS WAS LIKE HIRING THE FOX TO GUARD MY HEN HOUSE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEND YOU ALL PHOTOS, THE ACCIDENT REPORT, BODY SHOP ESTIMATE AS WELL AS THE BEFORE AND AFTER X-RAYS OF MY WIFE'S BACK. MY SON WORKED AT A FORD DEALER FOR 18 YEARS AS A MECHANIC AND TOLD ASK FORD WHAT WENT WRONG IN THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. I HOPE YOU'LL GET BACK TO ME I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHY THE BAGS FAILED. *TR