1997 Chevrolet Malibu Airbags Problems

While making a low-speed U-turn onto a dirt easement at less than 5 mph, both your airbags deployed even though you didn't hit anything. The airbag deployment caused chemical burns on your neck, chest, ear, and wrist, and also damaged items in your car including a camera and sent a fan clip into your head. This suggests the airbag system may be deploying inappropriately during steering maneuvers. The fix may involve diagnosing the airbag sensor system and potentially replacing faulty impact sensors or the airbag control module.

Your car was involved in a head-on crash with a guard rail after swerving to avoid a deer. Both the airbags and seat belt failed to work properly—the airbags didn't deploy at all, and the seat belt didn't lock up, allowing too much body movement. Your daughter suffered a concussion, a deep scalp laceration requiring 17 stitches, and severe bruising, likely from her head striking the steering wheel or rear view mirror. Addressing this issue would require inspection and potential replacement of the airbag system, seat belt tensioner, and impact sensors.

SITTING AT A RED LIGHT IN A COMPLETE STOPPED POSITION THE CAR ROLLED FORWARD WITH THE BRAKE STILL BEING DEPRESSED AND COMPLETELY WENT TO THE FLOOR AS I QUICKLY TRIED TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO STOP AND AN ONCOMING VEHICLE STRUCK ME. TROOPERS AND OTHER PERSONAL CHECKED MY BRAKES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND SAID THAT THERE WASN'T ANY BRAKES. NO BRAKE PROBLEMS HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED PRIOR TO THIS. I WAS SEVERELY STRUCK BY THE OTHER VEHICLE WHICH COMPLETELY TURNED THE DIRECTION OF MY VEHICLE AND CAUSED TOTAL DAMAGE RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS. THE IMPACT WAS SO HARD, THE OTHER DRIVE WAS CITED FOR HIS HIGH-SPEED HIT TO MY VEHICLE. THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED AND IS A GREAT CONCERN OF MINE AT THIS POINT IN TIME AS WELL AS THE BRAKE FAILURE. I RECEIVED NOTICE IN DECEMBER 2007 FROM GM THAT THERE WAS A SETTLEMENT OF A PENDING DISTRICT COURT CASE (DELMAS FORD, EL AL. V. GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, CASE NO. CJ-2002-424) WHICH MEANT THAT MY VEHICLE HAD TO BE SEAN BY A AUTHORIZED CHEVY DEALER TO HAVE THE 1997 CHEVY MALIBU'S SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE REPROGRAMMED. THIS REFERRED TO TSB #07-09-41-006 DATED AUGUST 2007. I HAD THE VEHICLE SEEN AS SOON AS THERE WAS AN OPEN APPOINTMENT ON JANUARY 7, 2008 AT RANDY MARION CHEVROLET PONTIAC BUICK. SO, UPON THIS ACCIDENT TODAY, I AM WITHOUT A VEHICLE DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE AFTER ALREADY HAVE THEM REPLACED WITHIN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS AS WELL AS FAILURE OF THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. I AM ALSO CONTACTING AN ATTORNEY IN REGARD TO THIS MATTER. I UNDERSTAND THERE WERE OTHER ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THIS ISSUE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYING AT ODD TIMES. AFTER A NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT OF THIS CASE AND HAVING THE VEHICLE AIRBAGS CHECKED AND FIXED AS INDICATED, I AM A FEARFUL AND CONCERNED CONSUMER OF THIS INCIDENT AS I HAVE TOTAL VEHICLE LOSS AND SUFFICIENT DAMAGES. YOU WOULD THINK THAT THE AIRBAGS WOULD DEFINITELY WORK.......THEY DIDN'T DEPLOY AT ALL AS WELL AS THE BRAKES LETTING GO MID STOPLIGHT. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONTAL AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE PULLING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT 5MPH. THERE WAS NO IMPACT OR WARNING PRIOR TO THE DEPLOYMENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED AND MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.

DT: ON 07/19/2005 THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND WHICH CAUSED IT TO NOSE DIVE INTO A DITCH. UPON IMPACT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW HOW FAST THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH BENT THE VEHICLE'S DOORS AND BUSTED HE WINDSHIELD. *AK *NM

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT AN AIR BAG PROBLEM. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER REPLACED THE SENSORS, AND AIR BAGS WON'T DEPLOY. DEALER WAS CHARGING $425.00 TO REPAIR THE AIR BAGS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 20 CONSUMER CRASHED HEAD ON INTO A POLE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE CONSUMER HIT A POT HOLE AND THEN SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE IMPACTED A DITCH AND THEN THE VEHICLE BOUNCED ONTO A FIELD. NONE OF THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. CONSUMER FRACTURED HER BACK. *AK *SCC

NO SUMMARY. DT

WHILE TRAVELING ON A SIDE ROAD WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE VEHICLE DRIVERSIDE AIRBAGS WENT OFF WITHOUT PHYSICAL CONTACT. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. MR

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING, VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT TO DEPLOY AND DRIVER SUSTAINED MAJOR BODY INJURIES. ALSO, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK *TT

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION, UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINEDE MAJOR BODY INJURIES. ALSO, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK

DURING A HEAD-ON COLLISION AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUSTAINED SOME WHIPLASH THAT HURT REAL BADLY. *AK

PREMATURE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT WITH SLIGHT IMPACT TO FRONT UNDERCARRIAGE. *AK

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

WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10MPH, ATTEMPTED TO TURN OFF THE ROAD INTO A GAS STATION. UPON APPROACHING THE ENTRANCE TO GAS STATION, BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH AND FOR NO REASON DRIVER'S SIDE AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *AK

INADVERTENT DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT.

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING AT 45-50 MPH BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBELTS UNBUCKLED WHEN VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. ALSO THEIR WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSEGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

CONSUMER BOUGHT THE VEHICLE TWO WEEKS AGO. AND HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE THAT WAS ISSUED IN JULY. *AK