NHTSA Complaint #10497591 — 2013 CADILLAC XTS

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WILL NOT ACTIVATE. SHE WEIGHS 115 LBS, IS 5'1". SHE SITS ON 3 INCH MEMORY FOAM CUSHION FOR BACK FOR EIGHT YEARS, NO STRUCTURE, ONLY FOAM. IN EIGHT YEARS SHE HAS USED CUSHION, WE HAVE OWNED 5 CARS AND HAVE RENTED OVER 40 CARS AND SHE HAS NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAG ACTIVATION. CADILLAC SAYS THE SYSTEM IS OK. I ASKED TO TRY ON ANOTHER XTS AND IT STILL DID NOT ACTIVATE. THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME CUSHIONS MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, BUT THIS THIN CUSHION DOES NOT. I SHOULD SAY IT WORKS IN CORVETTES AND WORKED IN THE LOANER 2013 CTS CADILLAC. THE SEAT IN THE XTS IS A NEW DESIGN AND I BELIEVE IT IS DEFECTIVE. THE SEAT IS NOT FLAT AND REQUIRES A MUCH HEAVIER PERSON TO ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG. I BELIEVE THIS IS UNSAFE. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT MANY OLDER PEOPLE, SUCH AS WOULD PURCHASE A CADILLAC, DO USE CUSHIONS AND WILL EITHER NOT BE AWARE OF OR WILL IGNORE THE FACT THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT WORK. I RETURNED MY CADILLAC (AND LOST $14,000) AS I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MY WIFE OR THE CAR. I PURCHASED A LEXUS LS460 AND THE AIRBAG WORKED PERFECTLY WITH HER CUSHION. *TR