NHTSA Complaint #712879 — 1992 GEO METRO

HOOD LATCH SEPARATED FROM BODY (STILL LATCHED); SUDDENLY FLEW OPEN, SMASHED THE WINDSHIELD AND MANGLED THE HOOD. I NOTICE, NOW, THAT THE CAR WAS RECALLED 6 YEARS AGO FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM. WHY WASN'T I NOTIFIED BY MAIL OR THE MANY TIMES THE CAR WAS SERVICED BY DEALERS SINCE THE RECALL???? THIS EVENT OCCURED AT 2:30 PM ON A BUSY SO. CALIFORNIA FWY - IT IS A MIRACLE THAT I AND SEVERAL OTHER CARLOADS OF PEOPLE WEREN'T KILLED AS I BLINDLY DEACCELERATED FROM 70MPH ONTO THE MEDIAN. PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SEE UNDER THE UPRAISED HOOD. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCASION THAT THE BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY; APPROX 3 YRS AGO IT DIDN'T DEPLOY DURING A 20MPH FRONT-END COLLISION WITH 4000.00 DAMAGE (REPAIRED BY DEALER IN YORBA LINDA, CA). I WOULD THINK THAT DURING THE 4000.00 REPAIR OF THE FRONT END, THEY WOULD HAVE FIXED THE RECALLED PART!!! I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO CREST IN SAN BERNARDINO MANY TIMES; TWICE STAND OUT - ONCE TO FIX THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER (JUST INSIDE WARRANTY) AND ANOTHER TO FIX THE CHIP THEY INSERTED INTO THE ALARM SYSTEM TO DISABLE IT WHEN I TOLD THE INITIAL DEALER I DIDN'T WANT TO PURCHASE IT (OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY; ONLY DEALER CAN REPAIR; CHARGED ME $30.00). SHOULDN'T I HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL; SHOULDN'T THE DEALERS CHECK CARS THEY SERVICE FOR RECALL COMPLIANCE? I THINK SO; I WILL ASSERT THAT POSITION TO THE FOLKS AT CREST TOMORROW ALONG WITH THE STANCE THAT THEY FIX THE HOOD, LATCH AND WINDSHIELD.