NHTSA Complaint #11376110 — 2012 GMC YUKON

WHILE WORKING ON AN AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT I ENCOUNTERED 2 DISTINCT PROBLEMS WITH MY AIRBAG AND VEHICLE SYSTEM. 1. THE MAIN UNDERHOOD FUSE PANEL ON MY VEHICLE HAS PORTION OF OXIDATION ON THE FUSES THEMSELVES. THIS OXIDATION IS CAUSING FUSES TO APPEAR INTACT BUT ARE CAUSING THE CIRCUIT TO OPEN. THIS WAS THE ROOT CAUSE OF MY AIRBAG SYSTEM TO NOT BE OPERATING PROPERLY. 2. WHILE DIAGNOSING THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, I WAS CAUTIOUS ABOUT UNPLUGGIN THE BATTERY DURING ANY TROUBLESHOOTING THAT I WAS PERFORMING. BUT, AT THE END OF THE DIAGNOSIS PERIOD AND ALL MODULES/SYSTEM WERE RECONNECTED TO ELECTRICAL MATING CONNECTORS I RECONNECTED THE BATTERY AND STARTED THE VEHICLE TO COOL THE INTERIOR. THE CENTRAL AIRBAG MODULE WHICH IS LOCATED IN CENTER CONSOLE WAS ALREADY ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED BUT NOT MOUNTED. WHEN THE MODULE WAS MOVED INTO POSITION AND THE MOUNTING POINTS OF THE MODULE TOUCHED CHASSIS GROUND OF THE VEHICLE THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS AND FRONT SEAT BELT SQUIBS DEPLOYED. IT APPERAS TO ME THAT THE GROUND OF THE MODULE AND THE VEHICLE COMMON WIRE ARE NOT INTERNALLY CONNECTED. THIS APPARENTLY MAY CAUSE A FLOATING CIRCUIT IN THE AIRBAG MODULE THAT WHEN CHASSIS GROUND (EXTERIOR MOUNTING SURFACE OF THE MODULE) HAS A POTENTIAL CHANGE, THE AIRBAGS MAY GO OFF INADVERTENTLY. THE CONCERN HERE IS THAT CORROSION ON OLDER VEHICLES MAY CAUSE THIS CHASSIS GROUND TO BE COMPROMISED AND CAUSE RANDOM AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTS TO OCCUR. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. BODILY INJURY COULD HAVE OCCURRED IF OCCUPANT WAS POSITIONED DIFFERENTLY.