NHTSA Complaint #11433685 — 1996 FORD CONTOUR

The contact owned a 1996 Ford Contour. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, going downhill, the vehicle hit black ice, then crashed into a parked vehicle. The air bags deployed and detached upon impact, slicing the contact's head open, snapped his fifth and sixth vertebrae, and the seatbelt fractured his ribs. The police were called to the scene of the collision. The police officer informed the contact that the air bag had detached from the steering wheel and was in the rear passenger seat. A police report was filed. The contact was transported to the hospital for injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.