1998 Chevrolet Malibu Airbags Problems

Your passenger airbag deployed unexpectedly while driving without any collision or impact, causing a loud explosion and shattering the windshield. The airbag went off for no apparent reason — your daughter wasn't involved in any crash, didn't hit bumps or potholes. This type of sudden airbag failure could be related to a Takata recall and poses a serious safety risk. The repair will likely involve replacing the airbag inflator and possibly the entire airbag assembly.

Your front passenger and driver side airbags deployed suddenly while your car was completely stopped, without any warning or accident. The airbag deployment shattered your front windshield on the passenger side. This happened at about 113,751 miles on your vehicle. The airbags may need to be replaced and the windshield will need to be replaced.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. AT 40 MPH THE VEHICLE STRUCK A DEER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. HOWEVER, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154000.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT IMPACT CRASH, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, AND THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY FRACTURED UPON INITIAL IMPACT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. THE POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE, AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

I WAS DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON STATE RD. 1 AFTER WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 10:15 P.M. I CROSSED RAILROAD TRACKS AT ABOUT 32 MPH AND BOTH OF MY AIRBAGS INADVERTENTLY DISCHARGED. THIS FORCED MY REAR VIEW MIRROR INTO THE WINDSHIELD AND CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD. ALSO MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS ARE NOW ACTING ERRATICALLY AND FUNCTIONS FAIL TO WORK PROPERLY. THE SHOCK OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS IS MUCH LESS THAN THAT OF A SPEED BUMP AT 3 MPH. G.M. HAS FAILED TO SEND ANYONE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE EVEN AFTER LETTING IT SIT AT A DEALERSHIP FOR 7 DAYS BECAUSE THEY ORIGINALLY STATED THEY WOULD. G.M. TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS HAVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE EXTENSIVELY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND BOTH WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE DEPLOYMENT. I HAVE CONTACTED G.M. SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY ARE BRUSHING THIS OFF LIKE IT IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. *NM

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A HORN PROBLEM. CONTACTED THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, AND NEITHER WAS WILLING TO ASSIST. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE HORN WAS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE OF THE AIR BAG COMPONENTS BEING PRESSED AGAINST THE WIRING OF THE HORN. VEHICLE WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

VEHICLE WAS IN A LOW SPEED, LOW IMPACT COLLISION. HOWEVER, THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS MOVING ABOUT 10 MPH. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD. *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINT CONCERNING UNSATISFACTORY TRANSACTION WITH GMC, CRUISE CONTROL FAILED THEN AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE SHOULD BE FULLY COMPENSATED FOR HER REPAIRS AND A RECALL SHOULD BE SENT OUT. *TC

UPON SETTING UP CRUISE CONTROL IT FAILED TO SET, AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE AIR BAG WARNING HARNESS CONNECTION. THESE PARTS WERE CURRENTLY ON BACK ORDER.*AK WRONG PART SENT. *TC

MY GRANDSON WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND HE HEARD A HIGH PITCHED SOUND. A FEW SECONDS LATE BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE OCEAN CITY CHEVROLET I WAS TOLD THAT SOMETHING HAD TO HAVE BEEN HIT FOR AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN WRECK OF HIT. GM WAS NOTIFIED AND TEST WERE RUN ON THE CAR. I CONTACTED GM TO FIND OUT IF THEY WERE GOING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY RESPONDED WITH A RUN AROUND SAYING THAT THE BLACK BOX SHOWS AN IMPACT IN THE FRONT AND BACK. THEN I TOLD HIM THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN WRECKED OR HIT. HE THEN RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT THE AIRBAGS COULD HAVE DEPLOYED BECAUSE MY GRANDSON SLOWED DOWN 6 MPH IN UNDER A SECOND, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE GM MAN IS NOT POSSIBLE BY BRAKES. IF THAT WAS THE CASE MY GRANDSONS FRIEND THAT WAS FOLLWING HIM WOULD HAVE REAR-ENDED HIM IF HE HAD SLOWED DOWN THAT RAPIDLY. FINALY THE GM MAN TOLD ME THAT THE CAR COULD HAVE BEEN BUMPED JUST RIGHT AND THAT WAS THAT CAUSE OF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. GM REFUSED TO REPAIR MY AIRBAG SAYING THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR FAULT. HOWEVER IT WAS A CAR DEFECT.*AK

VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND HIT A DUMP TRUCK IN FRONT. VEHICLE WAS NOT IN MOTION, HOWEVER, UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK

I WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR LOW IMPACT COLLISION AND THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT INFLATING WHICH OFFERED ABSOLUTELY NO PROTECTION. *NM

MY 1998 CHEVROLET METRO LSI WAS TOTALLED YESTERDAY IN AN ACCIDENT WITH A SCHOOL BUS. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEFLATE, AND JUDGING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE ACCIDENT, I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR MUTILATED. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE. *AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN MAKING A TURN FRONT AIR BAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO IMPACT. *NLM

CONSUMER PURCHASED VEHICLE FROM DEALER, AND VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE WORKING AIRBAGS. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY IF INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. DEALER NEVER ADVISED CONSUMER THAT AIRBAGS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY DEPLOYED AND WERE NOT RECONSTRUCTED.*AK

WHILE RUNNING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AT ABOUT 2-5 MPH FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CUT THE GLASS, AND HIT CONSUMER.*AK

MY WIFE HAD JUST PULLED OUT OF A DRIVEWAY ON TO A HIGHWAY WHEN A TRUCK PULLED IN FRONT OF HER. SHE HIT HEADON INTO THE SIDE OF HIM. AFTER HE CLEARED THE AREA SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ACROSS 4 LANES OF ROAD AND INTO A PARKING LOT ACROSS THE STREET, AS SHE ENTERED THE LOT BOTH AIR BAGRS DEPLOYED VERY SLOWLY NEVER TOUCHING HER. THE SPEED CONTROL HAS BEEN REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES AND STILL CONTINUES TO DEACATIVE WHILE DRIVING, SOME TIMES MANY TIMES IN A ROW OTHER TRIPS NOT AT ALL.

WENT TO SATURN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED AND THEY SAID IT (AIRBAGS) WAS NOT COVERED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. AND THEY FELT THAT IT WAS THE MANUFACTURER DEFAULT. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AT A FULL STOP. NO ACCIDENT HAPPENED. CALLED GM COMPANY AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOTIFY ME IN 48 HRS. I CONTACTED THEM AND THEY (GM) SAID THEY NEED MORE TIME TO CONTACT THE SATURN TECH. MNG. THEY (GM) ARE SUPPOSED TO CALL ME TUESDAY AND TELL ME IF THEY CAN REPAIR MY CAR. THEY ARE GIVING ME THE RUN-AROUND. I FEEL THAT I DID NOT DO ANYTHING TO CAUSE MY AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY AND THAT GM IS FULLY RESPONSIBLE SINCE I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 5 MTHS, AND THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT.*AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE AND CONSUMER THOUGHT VEHICLE WAS MOVING. SHE LIFTED FEET OFF BRAKES, HITTING VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID DEPLOY, BUT HALFWAY. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM AIR BAGS. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AFTER PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. DRIVER DID NOT HIT ANYTHING.*AK

VEHICLE REAR-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 35 MPH IN WHICH NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DRIVER'S SEAT CAME UNLATCHED & DRIVER RECEIVED INJURY TO RIGHT HAND & RIGHT BREAST. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

WENT OVER DIP IN ROAD ABOUT 2.5 INCHES .WENT ABOUT 4 FEET, FRAME UNDER CAR HIT A MANHOLE COVER STICKING UP ABOUT 2INCHES. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ,BREAKING DRIVERS ARM THE PASSENGER ONLY HAD BURING IN HER EYES. *AK

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND HIT A PHONE POLE, AND ROLLED OVER. BOTH AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT MALFUNCTIONED, AND ALL DOORS JAMMED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

HORN INOPERABLE. ENTIRE AIRBAG ASSEMBLY REPLACED AND HORN STILL HAS PROBLEMS.

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE ACTING ERRATICALLY. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK.

VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TRUCK. SEVERE DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. OWNER HAS NO MEANS OF VERIFYING DEALER'S CLAIM THAT THE AIR BAG PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED.

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING VEHICLE COLLISION (FRONT END).