NHTSA Complaint #10574287 — 2013 GMC SIERRA

WHILE DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS, I SWERVED TO MISS AN ANIMAL, TOOK THE DITCH, HIT TWO TREES, SOME BOULDERS AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 47 MPH. THE ACCIDENT REPORT SHOWED DAMAGES TO EVERY PART OF THE TRUCK EXCEPT THE ROOF AND TAILGATE. WE HAD A GRILL GUARD INSTALLED AT A GMC DEALERSHIP UPON PURCHASE, AND HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THAT GUARD, THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN OUR LAPS. THE TRUCK SUSTAINED 20,000 DOLLARS IN DAMAGES, YET ALL GM HAD TO SAY WAS THAT THE AIRBAGS OPERATED AS DESIGNED. I SAY THAT THE DESIGN IS FATALLY FLAWED IF A CRASH OF THIS MAGNITUDE DOES NOT CAUSE THIS VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE TO OPERATE. THE FOLKS WHO TOWED THE VEHICLE HAD SOME VERY STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT THIS FAILURE, AND SAID THAT THE GRILL GUARD WAS THE ONLY THING WHICH SAVED US, AND THAT HAVING IT INSTALLED SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD ANY EFFECT ON THE FUNCTION OF THE AIRBAGS. *TR