2012 CHEVROLET VOLT Air Bagssensoroccupant Classificationfront Passenger Problems

In mid 2020 I began to get an intermittent warning of a problem with the passenger side, front seat occupant sensor. The problem has become much more frequent. The GM service department was familiar with the problem in 2020, but said there was no recall. If the passenger moves around the sensor will activate or deactivate. I assume that the airbag would not dependably deploy in an accident. Today I discovered a discussion of this problem in the GM-Volt Forum. The forum mentions the same problem with other GM models. This is obviously a safety and manufacturing issue. Repairs are quoted in the $800 to $1,000+ range with no guarantee the problem won't reoccur.

My 2012 Chevrolet Volt has had a failure with the passenger air bag presence sensor. As a result, the passenger air bag indicator has been going on and off intermittently while someone is riding in the passenger seat. This has been happening since 2017. It has gotten worse over time and is usually off when it should be on. My passengers no longer feel safe. This is a failure that could result in the passenger’s death if the air bag fails to deploy in a crash. The repair cost from the dealer is also unreasonably expensive at over $1,000. The part alone costs $400 and requires proprietary dealer programming equipment for installation. A critical safety failure like this should be immediately recalled and fixed at no cost to the owner. This is not an isolated incident and has been widely reported across the internet.