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Pontiac Grand Am Electrical System Safety Report | Oct 18, 2005
Reported on Oct 18, 2005
| ON OCTOBER 18, 2005 WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH IN FAIR WEATHER, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG UNEXPECTEDLY DEPLOYED, THOUGH NO CONTACT WAS MADE WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE OR STATIONARY OBJECT. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT CAUSED EXTREME IRRITATION VIA FRICTION BURN TO RIGHT FOREARM OF DRIVER, TEMPORARY HEARING DISTRESS TO DRIVER AND PASSENGER AND NEAR LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE DUE TO SHOCK OF THIS DEPLOYMENT. INVESTIGATION OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS SHOWS THAT LIKELY CAUSE IS SHORT IN AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE UNDER PASSENGER SEAT DUE TO PRESENCE OF WATER ON THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE. WATER ON FLOOR HAS BEEN A PERENNIAL PROBLEM IN MY VEHICLE AND MANY ATTEMPTS TO ASCERTAIN THE CAUSE (ATTRIBUTE TO LEAKY MOLDING, POOR FITTING WINDOW TRIM, ETC.), WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. PERUSAL OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE SHOW A CLEAR PATTERN OF SIMILAR EVENTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT (PER TECH ISSUE MEMO ISSUED BY GM IN 1998) RELATED TO INFERIOR ADHESIVE USED DURING ASSEMBLY OF TOP VENT GRILLE. EXCESSIVE RAIN TYPICALLY RESULTS IN WATER ON FLOOR OF PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND HAS CAUSED THIS SAME UNEXPECTED DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS IN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS. LIKELIHOOD OF GM ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT AND REPAIRING THE PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY SLIM (PER OTHER COMPLAINANTS REPORTS) DUE TO AGE OF VEHICLE AND THE FACT THAT IT HAS TAKEN YEARS TO PRESENT ITSELF, MEANING NO RECALL WAS ISSUED BY PONTIAC. I WOULD RECOMMEND ALL OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE WHO EXPERIENCE THIS WATER PROBLEM REPORT IT THEIR GM DEALERSHIP PRIOR TO EXPERIENCING THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, AS IT COULD HAVE HAD MUCH MORE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IF TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEEDS IN LESS THAN IDEAL CONDITIONS!!!*JB | |
| Make: | Pontiac |
| Model: | Grand Am |
| Manufactured by: | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| Year: | 1996 |
| Was a crash reported? | N |
| Was an injury reported? | 1 person(s) were injured. |
| Was a death reported? | 0 person(s) died. |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | WORCESTER MA |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | |
| Mileage: | 102988 miles. |
| Speed: | 30 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | 4 |
| Vehicle type: | FWD |
| Vehicle fuel: | GAS Fuel injection. |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
| Previous Report:Electrical System | Next Report:Air Bags Frontal |