General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2014-2015 Chevrolet and GMC trucks and SUVs. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, these vehicles may have an ignition lock actuator manufactured out of specifications. The problem, combined with warm ambient temperatures, could make turning the ignition key difficult and/or the ignition key could get stuck in the start position. If the vehicle is driven with the key stuck in the start position a significant jarring event or cooling of the ambient temperature could result in the ignition snapping back into the accessory position, shutting off the engine, power steering, power brakes, and airbags. Continue reading
Tag Archives: air bag safety problem
GM Seat Mounted Side Impact Airbags Could Rupture
General Motors will be asking a small number of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC owners to return to their dealership for a safety problem affecting the front seat mounted side impact airbags. During an accident necessitating the deployment of the side impact air bags, the inflator may not properly inflate and could rupture and throw metal fragments that could injure occupants. Continue reading
2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala Seat Belt Occupant Sensing Problem
General Motors have announced a problem affecting the automatic occupant sensing (AOS) system in certain 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles equipped with front vented-heated passenger seats. According to reports, the AOS calibration process may not effectively account for humidity and build material variation and could fail to suppress the front passenger air bag if a child seat is in the front passenger seat. If the airbag deploys with a child seat in the front passenger seat it could increase the risk of injury to the child. The front-passenger airbag status light will indicate that the airbag is “on” when the passenger seat is not occupied or is occupied by an infant. Additionally, the front-passenger seat’s safety-belt warning light and chime may turn on when the passenger seat is not occupied and the seatbelt is not buckled. Continue reading
2014-2015 RAM 1500 Airbag Safety Problem
Chrysler has announced that certain 2014-2015 RAM 1500 Quad Cab trucks may not comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for airbag safety. According to reports, the affected vehicles are equipped with side air bag inflatable curtains (SABIC) that may not fully overlap the C-pillars. In the event of an accident, the SABIC may not inflate as intended, increasing the risk of injury to the rear seat occupant.
2010 Chevy Cobalt Airbag Could Disable
GM has decided that a defect relating to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt sedans and they will be asking approximately sixty thousand owners to return to their dealership for repairs. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the side-impact sensor wire harness in the driver-side front door may have been improperly routed. The window regulator could contact the harness when the window is fully lowered and, over time, chafe the harness insulation. The problem could result in a short in the side-impact sensor circuit that will prevent the driver-side roof-rail airbag from deploying during a crash. Drivers will be alerted with an airbag warning light. Continue reading
Volkswagen Airbags Could Disable
Owners of certain 2010-2014 Volkswagen vehicles will be receiving safety notices for a problem affecting the air bag system. According to reports listed on the NHTSA website, the steering wheel clock spring could become contaminated with debris causing a displacement of the internal guide loops and tension to the internal flat cable. If the cable tears, loss of electrical connection to the driver’s front airbag will disable the airbag and cause the airbag monitoring indicator light to illuminate. Continue reading
Multiple Airbag Defects Affect RAM Trucks
Chrysler will be asking the owners of certain 2012-2015 RAM trucks to return to their dealerships for repairs to the airbag system, under two separate safety defects.
- The first recall affects certain 2012-2014 RAM 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) option. In the affected vehicles, the steering wheel wiring harness may rub against the driver air bag module retainer spring. The problem could result in an electrical short that could cause the driver’s frontal air bag to unexpectedly deploy. Chrysler’s number for this recall is R36 and the NHTSA Campaign number is 15V-459.
2015 Ferrari Airbag Safety Defect
A safety defect affecting certain 2015 Ferrari sports cars will have owners returning to their dealership for repairs.
According to reports on the NHTSA website, a combination of insufficient gluing of the leather skin of the driver’s air bag module cover to the plastic base and an improper orientation of the air bag cushion could result in the airbag deploying in a rotated orientation. This safety defect could increase the risk of occupant injuries or death in the event of front or rear collision. Continue reading