NHTSA Complaint #10622016 — 2012 CHEVROLET TAHOE

WHILE TURNING LEFT (TAHOE) WITH A PROTECTED GREEN ARROW AT AN X-SHAPED INTERSECTION, VEHICLE (KIA SEDAN) AT FAULT FAILED TO YIELD AND ENTERED THE INTERSECTION AT SPEEDS UPWARDS OF 40 MPH FROM THE LEFT OF THE TAHOE. FRONT-IMPACT COLLISION OCCURRED; DUE TO THE SHAPE OF THE INTERSECTION AND THE VELOCITY OF THE IMPACT, TAHOE STRUCK PASSENGER SIDE OF KIA SEDAN. TRAJECTORY OF IMPACT CAUSED DIRECTIONAL CHANGES IN UPWARDS OF 90* FOR BOTH VEHICLES; THE FORCE OF THE PRIMARY ACCIDENT DESCRIBED ABOVE ALSO CAUSED MENTIONED VEHICLES TO COLLIDE WITH LEFT REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE (HONDA SEDAN), CAUSING NEAR 360* ROTATION OF THE HONDA SEDAN. DUE TO THE FORCE OF IMPACT, FRONT & SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ON BOTH THE KIA SEDAN AND THE HONDA SEDAN, BUT FAILED TO DEPLOY ON THE TAHOE. SCENE INDICATED THAT THE KIA SEDAN MADE NO ATTEMPT TO BRAKE OR DECREASE SPEED PRIOR TO COLLISION; POSTED SPEED LIMIT AT INTERSECTION IS 40 MPH. FORCE WAS SUCH THAT AFTER THE COLLISION, TAHOE TRANSMISSION WAS IN DRIVE, BUT REMAINED AT A COMPLETE STOP. DAMAGE SUSTAINED ON THE TAHOE INCLUDE FRONT-END BODY DAMAGE, ENGINE DAMAGE (VEHICLE REQUIRED TOWING AND WAS INOPERABLE), AND FRAME DAMAGE, AT A MINIMUM. IN ADDITION, ENGINE SERVICE LIGHTS AS WELL AS ONSTAR VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM, AND THE STABILITRAK STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM ALSO SUSTAINED DAMAGE AND REQUIRE ATTENTION. MULTIPLE FIRST-RESPONDERS COMMENTED ON THE ODDITY THAT, GIVEN THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED BY THE TAHOE AND THE VELOCITY AT IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ON ALL VEHICLES BUT THE TAHOE. *TR