NHTSA Complaint #728058 — 1999 SATURN SW

MY HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER (AGE 4) WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON JULY 27, 2000 IN OUR 1999 SATURN SW1. THEY WERE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT WHEN THEY WERE REAR ENDED AT APPROXIMATELY 40-45PMH. UPON IMPACT NIETHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO), BUT THE MAJOR CONCERN WAS THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT SPRINGS BROKE COLLAPSING THE DRIVERS SEAT AND LEFT MY HUSBAND LANDING IN THE BACK SEAT, HIS FOOT FALLING FROM THE BRAKE AND ROLLING INTO TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 12-15MPH. MY HUSBAND ENDED UP INJURED WITH A THORACIC STRAIN. MY DAUGHTER (IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) WAS ALSO INJURED. BOTH OF THEM WERE RESTRAINED WITH FULL SEAT BELTS. IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND AT THE SIGHT WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS LUCKY THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE FRONT SEAT THAT DAY OR SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED AND KILLED BY THE SEAT THAT COLLAPSED BEHIND MY HUSBAND. IN ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM WITH SATURN THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEIR SEATS ARE DESIGNED LIKE THAT FOR SAFETY PURPOSES AND THAT "IN A REAR-END COLLISION, A SEATBACK CAN YIELD IF THE FORCES IN THE COLLISION EXCEED THE DESIGN LOAD LIMITS FOR THAT SEATBACK." THEY ALSO REFERRED ME TO THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS FMVSS 207 FOR THE STANDARD. I AM NOT ABLE TO TELL IN READING THE FMVSS 207 IF THE FORCES IN THE COLLISION EXCEEDED THE DESIGN LOAD LIMITS FOR THE SEATBACK AND I AM HOPING THAT YOU CAN HELP ME. MY HUSBAND IS 6 FEET TALL AND WEIGHS 260 POUNDS. SATURN TELLS ME THAT THE SEATS WERE DESIGNED THIS WAY TO HELP PREVENT WHIPLASH. IF THAT IS THE CASE THEY ALMOST KILLED MY CHILD. CAN YOU SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS FOR ME? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER......... SINCERELY, MRS. JULI GORDON. *AK