NHTSA Complaint #10513486 — 2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE

ON THE DATE IN QUESTION MY TEENAGE SON AND GIRLFRIEND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP SIGN WHEN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS OR OTHER WARNING OF ANY KIND, THE OVERHEAD SIDE RAIL AIRBAGS ON BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE DEPLOYMENT SIMULTANEOUSLY AND THE SEATBELTS LOCK UP. FORTUNATELY THE KIDS WERE NOT PHYSICALLY HARMED. GM WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ARRANGED AN INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE INCLUDING RECOVERY OF THE ENCRYPTED BLACK BOX DATA WHICH CONFIRMED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN MOTION AND THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION FOR THE DEPLOYMENT. AFTER ABOUT 2 MONTHS WE WERE FINALLY TOLD THE ENGINEERS HAD CONCLUDED THAT THE SENSORS HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO A LOT OF WATER DAMAGE AND WERE SEVERELY CORRODED. THEY AUTHORIZED A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE SMART MODULE, EVERY AIRBAG SENSOR, SEAT BELT HARDWARE AND ALL INCIDENTAL DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. I SUBSEQUENTLY SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO GM FOR MONEY DAMAGES IN MARCH-APRIL 2013, AND RECEIVED A CALL IN , REGARD TO THIS TWO WEEK AGO. GM OFFERED A FEW MEAGER ITEMS TO TRY AND SETTLE THE DISPUTE, AND IN THE PROCESS OF THIS LATEST DISCUSSION, WE WERE ADVISED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT NOT A SINGLE REPORT MADE MENTION OF ANY WATER OR CORROSION DAMAGE, BUT THE ENGINEERING REPORT FOUND INSTEAD THAT INADEQUATE DOOR PADDING IN ALL FOUR DOORS FROM THE FACTORY ALLOWED THE SENSORS TO VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY, THUS CAUSING THE DEFECTIVE DEPLOYMENT. SHE ADMITTED THAT GM HAD SEVERAL SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH CERTAIN VEHICLES LIKE OURS MADE DURING A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER WE SPOKE WITH OUR ORIGINAL CLAIMS REP WHO DENIED EVER TELLING US THAT WATER DAMAGE AND CORROSION WERE CULPRITS. SHE CLAIMED TO HAVE MADE THE REPAIR DECISION ON HER OWN THE FIRST TIME AND SHE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY ENGINEERING REPORT REGARDING DOOR PADDING. SINCE FEBRUARY MY SON HAS CONTINUED TO DRIVE A VEHICLE WITH A SERIOUSLY DEFECTIVE AIR BAG SYSTEM. *TR