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.
14
Latest Jan 9, 2014
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.
58%
of 24 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.
8
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
4
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 Geo Prizm submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 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
AirbagsInterior & seats
Filed Jan 9, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET PRIZM. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH AND BECAME INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS PUSHED BACKWARD, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO SUSTAIN INJURIES TO THE BACK. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING THE SEATBELT AT THE TIME OF THE SEAT FAILURE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA ID
10559215
Incident
Dec 7, 2013
Mileage
125,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Nov 27, 2002
Crash reported
CONSUMER STATE WHILE TRAVELING 25-35 MPH IN RESULT OF REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE CONSUMER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ANY TIME. DEALER AND MANUFACTURE HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
NHTSA ID
8023420
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Aug 23, 2001
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHILE DRIVING ON A RAINY DAY THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE AND DRIVER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.*JB
NHTSA ID
895098
Incident
Jul 21, 2001
Airbags
Filed Jul 3, 2001
AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. DEALER CHECKED FLASH CODES. FLASH CODE 44 CONFIRMED. NEW ABS HARNESS ON ORDER.*AK
NHTSA ID
747762
Incident
Jul 2, 2000
Airbags
Filed Jan 8, 2001
WHILE TRAVELING AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD FLASH THROUGH TRAVEL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED FOUR TIMES, BUT PROBLEM RETURNED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NHTSA ID
877613
Airbags
Filed Jan 8, 2001
AIRBAG LIGHT INDICATING DEFECT/FAILURE OF AIRBAGS ILLUMINATES. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. DEALER UNABLE TO DUPLICATE. OCCURRED 12 DIFFERENT TIMES FROM 36,600 TO 36,700. *AK
NHTSA ID
739026
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Oct 13, 2000
Crash reportedFire reported1 injury reported
I WAS REARENDED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 10-11-00 AT A STOP LIGHT, WHICH IN TURN PUSHED ME INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, I WAS HIT AT 45 MILES AN HOUR, MY TRUNK WAS COMPACTED TO 6 INCHES. THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE HAS A 2 FOOT AREA THAT IS MISSING AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND YET MY AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. EITHER THE PASSENGER OR DRIVERS. THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAGS THAT COULD BE SEEN OR CHECKED. THIS IS VERY TRUBBLING TO ME.*AK
NHTSA ID
734225
Incident
Oct 11, 2000
Airbags
Filed Jul 31, 2000
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. DEALER REPLACED THE AIR BAG WIRING AND THE MODULE WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
NHTSA ID
866341
Incident
Jun 1, 2000
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Jun 15, 2000
Crash reported
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK . PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
NHTSA ID
863619
AirbagsSteering
Filed Mar 31, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported
THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING AT 50MPH ALONG A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDDENLY THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED MOVING VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, LEFT THE ROAD AND FLIPPED THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES LANDING UPSIDE DOWN. THE DRIVER REMOVED HER SEATBELT AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THROUGH THE BACK BROKEN WINDOW WHEN THE FRONT AIRBAGS VERY SLOWLY STARTED TO INFLATE. THE AIRBAGS NEVER FULLY INFLATED. THE SIDE AIRBAGS NEVER INFLATED. WE ARE ANXIOUS TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS A WAY TO DETERMINE WHETHER A STEERING DEFECT LEAD TO THE ACCIDENT.
NHTSA ID
720824
Incident
Mar 28, 2000
Airbags
Filed Mar 7, 2000
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FLASHES PERIODICALLY. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NHTSA ID
858065
Incident
Feb 14, 2000
Airbags
Filed Feb 7, 2000
Crash reported
AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY IN ACCIDENT. I HAVE HAD THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR, AND THIS WOULD NOT PREVENT THE FRONT AIRBAGS FROM DEPLOYING. DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE DEFECT, BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT CORRECT THE WARNING LIGHT PROBLEM, AND THEY REMOVED THE SENSOR THAT WAS BAD (FOR THE SIDE AIR BAG), BUT DIDN'T HAVE ONE TO REPLACE IT WITH. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND THEY COULD NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. DANIEL'S TOLD ME THEY HAVE THREE OTHER PRIZMS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THAT THEY CANNOT FIX. I FEEL THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED DUE TO THE NON-FUNCTIONING SAFETY COMPONENT (FRONT AIR BAG) AND THAT OTHER PEOPLE MAY BE INJURED FROM THE SAME PROBLEM. THE POLICEMAN THAT INVESTIGATED THE ACCIDENT ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT I FIND OUT WHY THE AIR-BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
NHTSA ID
718442
Incident
Feb 5, 2000
Airbags
Filed Sep 28, 1999
AIR BAG LIGHT COMES AT ANY RANDOM TIME AND WILL NOT CUT OFF. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND PART WAS REPLACED. *AK
NHTSA ID
845238
Incident
Aug 11, 1999
Airbags
Filed Jun 22, 1999
AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY. NLM
NHTSA ID
546241
Incident
Mar 17, 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.