NHTSA Complaint #11219238 — 2006 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT

ON AUGUST 18, 2017, I LEASED-TO-OWN A 2006 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER FROM ACTION AUTO OF TUPELO, MS. AROUND THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER OF 2018, I HAD LEND SAID VEHICLE TO MY SISTER. SHE CONTACTED ME SAYING THAT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE, AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO ME, WHERE I INSPECTED IT WHILE IT WAS STATIONARY. TO RULE OUT EVERYTHING ELSE BEFORE I ACKNOWLEDGED THE SOUND OF THE KNOCK BEING A SEVERE MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE, I CONNECTED A DIAGNOSTIC SCANNER TO THE CAN DATA CONNECTOR ON THE 2006 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. IN SECONDS THE SCREEN ON THE SCANNER WAS FLOODED WITH FAULTS, BUT THEN THE SCANNER STARTED BEEPING, SAYING THAT THE SRS (SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM) HAD BEEN ACTIVATED. LOOKING AROUND THE VEHICLE I DIDN'T SEE ANY SIGN OF ANY AIRBAG BEING DEPLOYED, OR ANY SEATBELT MISSING. IT WASN'T UNTIL I CHECKED THE CONNECTORS COMING OUT OF THE AIRBAG MODULE THAT I SAW FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT THE AIRBAGS WERE MISSING. I INFORMED MY INSURANCE PROVIDER REGARDING THE ISSUE, WHICH THEY ASSUMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN A CURRENT ACCIDENT. IN WHICH IT WAS NOT. AFTER FURTHER EXPLANATION, THEY CANCELLED THE INSURANCE AS AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT ARE ONE OF THE CRITICAL KEY FACTORS THAT INSURANCE PROVIDERS USE TO DETERMINE WHETHER A VECHICLE IS TOTALED OR NOT. I CONTACTED ACTION AUTO OF OXFORD, MS, THEIR MAIN BRANCH I PRESUME, AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND TO COME AND RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE AS DRIVING IT WITHOUT INSURANCE IS A VIOLATION OF MISSISSIPPI'S STATE'S LAW, AND THE ENGINE HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERE MECHANICAL FAILURE WHICH MADE IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. ACTION AUTO RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE, BUT STATED THAT I HAD BROKE PROMISES IN OUR AGREEMENT, AND THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE AUCTIONED OFF THIS YEAR, IN WHICH THEY DID. FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES ALL VEHICLES MADE AFTER 1997 ARE EQUIPPED WITH AIRBAGS AND TITLE 49 30112 FORBIDS THE SELL OF A NON-CONFORMING VEHICLE.