Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Airbags reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Jul 20, 2013
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
31%
of 36 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
5
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
3
What this page shows
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Chevrolet Prizm submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Owner reports naming airbag
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
AirbagsBody & structureExterior lighting
Filed Jul 20, 2013
Crash reported
I WAS DRIVING TO HELP A FRIEND MOVE ABOUT 4 BLOCK FROM MY APARTMENT COMPLEX ON THURSDAY 18TH JULY AT APPROXIMATELY 12:20PM. ABOUT TWO BLOCKS FROM MY APARTMENT, I LOOKED OVER TO MY RIGHT SHOULDER TO CHECK MY BLIND SPOT TO MERGE INTO THE NEXT LANE AND WHEN I TURNED BACK THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES AND STOPPED SUDDENLY. BY THIS TIME I WAS WITHIN TWO CAR LENGTHS AWAY AND SLAMMED MY BRAKES. MY CAR BEGAN SLOWING DOWN BUT SLID STRAIGHT INTO THE BACK OF HER VEHICLE. AFTER I REAR ENDED HER I LOOK AHEAD AND NOTICE A 4 CAR BUILD UP WITH THE 5TH CAR AHEAD MAKING AN ILLEGAL U TURN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. MY ENTIRE FRONT OF MY CAR WAS PRETTY MUCH DESTROYED WITH ALL NEW PARTS HAVING TO BE BOUGHT. BECAUSE MY CAR IS FRONT WELL DRIVE THE FRONT DIPPED AND DID NOT DO MUCH DAMAGE TO THE OTHER PERSONS VEHICLE (1999 HONDA ACCORD COPE) EXCEPT SCRATCHED HER BUMPER. I ONLY HAVE LIABILITY SO HER CAR IS BEING FIXED AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR MINE OUT OF POCKET. BECAUSE THE LEFT FENDER WAS BADLY DENTED, IT HINDERED THE FRONT DOOR FROM BEING ABLE TO OPEN AND I REMAINED PINNED INTO MY CAR FOR A WHILE. I NOTICED THAT MY AIR BAGS NEVER EVEN WENT OFF WHICH COULD HAVE PREVENT THE LITTLE WHIP LASH I RECEIVED. I AM CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING SLIGHT PAINS BEHIND MY NECK. *TR
NHTSA ID
10525904
Incident
Jul 18, 2013
Mileage
70,000 mi
Airbags
Filed May 23, 2005
AIRBAG LIGHT ON AND HORN NOT WORKING
NHTSA ID
10121889
Incident
May 12, 2005
Airbags
Filed Feb 6, 2004
THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN FLASHING INTERMITTENTLY SINCE PURCHASE OF THE (NEW) VEHICLE. I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT AT BEST THE PROBLEM WILL GO AWAY FOR A FEW MONTHS AND THEN RECUR. NOW THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, GM REFUSES TO COVER THE COST OF DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM.*AK
NHTSA ID
10056689
Incident
Jan 1, 1999
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Dec 4, 2003
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHILE DRIVING ON ICY ROADS, THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED INTO A EMBANKMENT AND HIT A TREE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE CONSUMER. UPON IMPACT, THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER'S HEAD WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND THE CONSUMERS CHEST HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED SPINAL/FACIAL, AND HEAD INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED, IT WAS NOTED THAT FRONTAL AIR BAG SENSORS HAD BEEN DAMAGED IN THE CRASH. *AK *SCC *JB
NHTSA ID
10046395
Incident
Feb 20, 2003
Mileage
51,000 mi
Airbags
Filed May 14, 2003
Crash reported1 injury reported
MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING MY MVA,CAUSING ME EXTENSIVE PROBLEMS. *NLM
NHTSA ID
10018721
Incident
Mar 5, 2003
Mileage
100,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Mar 30, 2001
Crash reported1 injury reported
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURY. *AK
NHTSA ID
884681
Incident
Mar 6, 2001
Airbags
Filed Feb 3, 2000
AIRBAG LIGHT WAS BLINKING AND DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED. IT TOOK SEVERAL MONTHS FOR THE PART TO COME. DEALERSHIP TOLD CONSUMER WHEN THE LIGHT WAS BLINKING THE AIRBAG WASN'T WORKING. THE PART CAME, AND TWO DAYS LATER, AIRBAG LIGHT WAS STILL BLINKING. *AK
NHTSA ID
856204
Incident
Jan 22, 2000
Airbags
Filed Dec 14, 1999
AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON, INDICTATING A DEFECT. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE. *AK
NHTSA ID
854046
Airbags
Filed Aug 4, 1999
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. NLM
NHTSA ID
547731
Incident
Mar 23, 1999
Airbags
Filed Jun 1, 1999
Crash reported
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WEST WHEN THE OTHER CAR WAS GOING EAST. THE OTHER CAR TURNED IN FRONT OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, CONSUMER HIT OTHE RVEHICLE AND STARTED TO SPIN AROUND ,COULDN'T STOP, RESULTING IN A CRASH. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
NHTSA ID
838717
Incident
May 14, 1999
Airbags
Filed May 20, 1999
AUR BAG WARNING LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. HAD IT REPAIRED TWICE AT DEALERSHIP. WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THA T DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED, CAUSING LIGHT TO COME ON. POSSIBLY AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN MODULE. *AK
NHTSA ID
838263
Incident
Mar 3, 1999
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.