1997 Dodge Dakota Airbags Problems

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE IN A WRECK 01/02/06 WITH HIS 97 DODGE DAKOTA SLT CLUB CAB, WE HIT 2 DEER AT 50-55 MPH HEAD ON. OUR AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE NOTIFIED CHRYSLER ABOUT THIS MATTER. THEY SENT OUT A SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR TO GO OVER THE TRUCK TO SEE WHY THEY DID NOT DEPLOY, WE WERE ADVISED BY MY HUSBANDS INSURANCE COMPANY TO BE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION, WE TOLD THIS TO CHRYSLERS SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR. MY HUSBAND WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE TRUCK WAS TO BE TAKEN TO THE SI DIDN'T SHOW UP MY HUSBAND CAME HOME, I CALLED THE BODY SHOP THAT HAD THE TRUCK AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE SI HAD COME AND LOOKED AT THE TRUCK THERE AND THEN WAS WANTING IT TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I TOLD THE BODY SHOP NOT TO ALLOW THE TRUCK TO BE MOVED WITHOUT US PRESENT, THEY WENT AHEAD AND DID IT ANYWAY. ALONG WITH CONTACT OVER THE AIRBAGS WITH CHRYSLER I WAS MADE AWARE OF 1 RECALL, THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF. NOW IN MY RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND 5 RECALLS THAT WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF. I WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING, I AM STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. WE HAVE NO VEHICLE AT ALL, CHRYSLER IS DRAGGING THEIR FEET ABOUT DOING ANYTHING AS FAR AS TELLING US ANY DETAILS OF THE INVESTIGATION. WE ARE THINKING ABOUT POSSIBLY REPAIRING THE TRUCK, THIS WILL TAKE MONEY THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO FIX, THE TRUCK HAD LIABILITY ONLY INSURANCE. WE LIVE ON A FIXED INCOME, MY HUSBAND IS DISABLED, I AM CURRENTLY NOT WORKING AND IF I WERE I WOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO GET TO WORK. DUE TO ALL THE RECALLS ON THIS TRUCK THAT WE HAVE JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT AND THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING AND THIS BEING OUR ONLY TRANSPORTATION, WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE THE VEHICLE REPLACED, BUT NOT WITH CHRYSLER WITH A COMPETITOR, WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR A BRAND NEW VEHICLE AND ALSO TO HAVE MY MEDICAL BILLS PAID. *JB

NHTSA ID

10147506

Incident

Jan 2, 2006

Mileage

104,000 mi

WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 485 AT CHARLOTTE, NC AND AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO COLLSION. WENT TO DEALER AND ALL THEY WANTED TO DO WAS CHARGE ME 2700.00 TO FIX THE AIRBAGS

NHTSA ID

10126409

Incident

Jun 21, 2005

Mileage

121,980 mi

WHILE DRIVING ANOTHER VEHICLE VEERED INTO CONSUMER'S VEHICLE LANE, DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES, THEY DID NOT WORK AND CONSUMER'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE LEFT SIDE SEAT BELT CAME APART. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD AND NECK, AND KNEE INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO A HOSPITAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED BY INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK...DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION NOTIFIED CONSUMER THAT THEY COULD NOT VERIFY ANY TYPE OF SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE AND DENIED CONSUMER'S CLAIM. A POLICE REPORT WAS ON FILE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10117490

Incident

Apr 5, 2005

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND TRYING TO AVOID A DEER CONSUMER SWERVED AND VEHICLE ENDING UP CRASHING INTO A FENCE. UPON IM[PACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAUSE WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10113848

Incident

Mar 8, 2005

CAN NOT GET CONFORMATION FROM DODGE FOR AIRBAGE RECALL FOR 1997 DODGE DAKOTA VIN #[XXX] AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON WHICH WAS TYPICAL OF DAKOTAS AIRBAG RECALLS, BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ADVICE OF RECALL. *AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

10080968

Incident

Jan 1, 2001

WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS AT A DEAD STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *AK *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10029575

Incident

Mar 15, 2003

Mileage

125,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH IN THE RAIN DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND HIT A UTILITY POLE HEAD ON. FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. THE DRIVERS NOSE WAS BRUISED. PASSENGER'S HEAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD. PASSENGER'S FACE WAS BRUISED AND WINDSHIELD CRACKED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10033727

Incident

Aug 2, 2003

Mileage

67,182 mi

WHEN DRIVING AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATE AND THEN GO OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. ALSO, AIR BAG LIGHT WILL TURN OFF IF TURN SIGNALS ARE ENGAGED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10026244

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE AIR BAG MODULE HAD POPPED, CAUSING THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO STAY ON. TS

NHTSA ID

10004439

Incident

Dec 2, 2002

THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND THE SPEEDOMETER WAS ACTING ERRATICALLY, TE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACE 3 COMPUTER MODULES (CENTER TIMER MODULE, PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD MODULE AND AIRBAG MODULE), THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THROUGH THE INTERNET THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR HIS VEHICLE BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE CURRENT RECALL DID NOT FIT THE MECHANICAL SYMPTOMS HIS TRUCK WAS EXPERIENCING. *JG *NLM

NHTSA ID

568315

Incident

Aug 30, 2002

Mileage

48,065 mi

IN A REAR END COLLISON NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON IMPACT. IMPACT WAS SO SEVERE THAT IT CRACKED RADIATOR.*AK

NHTSA ID

8015987

Incident

Aug 11, 2002

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUTOUT PRIOR WARNING A DEER RAN ACROSS THE STREET AND WAS HIT BY CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

8012580

Incident

Jun 25, 2002

WHILE DRIVING 65-70 MPH BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.*AK

NHTSA ID

8012254

Incident

May 27, 2002

WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN VEHICLE DID NOT HIT ANY OBJECT(S). DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *CONSUMER INFORMED HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY RECALL CAMPAIGN 97V080000.*AK *YH

NHTSA ID

8001398

Incident

Nov 24, 2001

CONSUMER WAS AT AN INTERSECTION WAITING FOR LIGHT TO CHANGE AND ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN RED LIGHT TO SWITCH LANES WITHOUT LOOKING, AND RAN INTO CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

895548

Incident

Aug 22, 2001

AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITH NO CAUSE, INJURING PASSENGER WITH UP TO 2ND DEGREE BURNS AND CRACKING WINDSHIELD. TEMPE DODGE, TEMPE AZ WAS CONTACTED AND TECHNICIANS RAN DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND NO CAUSE FOR DEPLOYMENT. DODGE HOWEVER IS NOT ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIR.*AK

NHTSA ID

748830

Incident

Jun 30, 2001

AIRBAG SENSOR WEAKLY ILLUMINATES WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

872784

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 5 MPH OVER A STEEL PLATE DEFECTIVE AIRBAG SYSTEM (DRIVER AND PASSENGER ) DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND SUSTAINED INJURIES. DEALER SAID THERE WAS AN UNDER CARRIAGE IMPACT WHICH CAUSED THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. CONSUMER INDICATED THERE WAS NO UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACT. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

865554

Incident

Jun 26, 2000

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AT 25 MPH, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER 'S SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER RECEIVED MINOR CHEST INJURIES FROM HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL AFTER IMPACT. *AK

NHTSA ID

864429

Incident

Feb 16, 2000

PASSENGER'S AIR BAG NEEDS AN ON/OFF SWITCH. SMALL CHILDREN WILL HAVE TO BE TRANSPORTED IN FRONT SEAT FROM TIME TO TIME. DEALER SAID SWITCH WAS AVAILABLE, BUT I NEEDED A PERMIT FROM NHTSA TO HAVE INSTALLED. *AK

NHTSA ID

722299

SITTING AT A STOP SIGN ANOTHER VEHICLE MADE A WIDE TURN AND HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ON DRIVER'S SIDE. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS. DIDN'T CONTACT DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER.*AK

NHTSA ID

856960

Incident

Jan 31, 2000

WHEN TRAVELING 35 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLSION IN WHICH NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, MANUFACTURER STATED THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATION. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

851585

Incident

Jul 1, 1999

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON AN ICY ROAD CONDITION, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO IMPACT AT A POST AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, AND BOTH AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID

835675

Incident

Feb 11, 1999

CHILD SAFETY SEAT DOES NOT FIT IN REAR SECTION - NEED ON/OFF AIRBAG SWITCH

NHTSA ID

704078

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING COLLISION RESULTING IN INJURY TO FACE AND BODY WHEN HITTING STEERING WHEEL.(ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER)

NHTSA ID

537520

Incident

Apr 20, 1998