NHTSA Investigation PE05061

FRONT AIR BAG CRASH SENSOR FAILURE

THE MODEL YEAR (MY) 2005 DAIMLERCHRYSLER (DC) MINIVANS HAVE THE NEW ADVANCED FRONTAL AIR BAG SYSTEMS WITH TWO FRONT CRASH SENSORS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME RAILS BEHIND THE FRONT BUMPER AND A MAIN CRASH SENSOR INSIDE THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE MOUNTED IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.ACCORDING TO DC, THE FRONT CRASH SENSORS ARE DESIGNED TO OPTIMIZE DETECTION OF FRONTAL OFFSET AND ANGULAR CRASHES.THE ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM OFFERS DIFFERENT LEVELS OF AIR BAG INFLATION BASED ON INPUT FROM THE CRASH SENSORS.THIS INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FRONT CRASH SENSORS CAN CORRODE FROM WATER ENTERING THE SENSOR ASSEMBLY.DC IS STILL INVESTIGATING ALL POTENTIAL ROOT CAUSES OF SENSOR FAILURES.A CORRODED SENSOR CAN SET A FAULT CODE, ILLUMINATE THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP, AND BECOME DISABLED.IT APPEARS THAT FAILURE OF ONE OR BOTH FRONT CRASH SENSORS CAN POTENTIALLY RESULT IN NO/LATE DEPLOYMENT OF FRONTAL AIR BAGS AND NON-DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S HIGHER INFLATION LEVELS IN CERTAIN FRONTAL CRASHES.IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OCCUPANTS OF VEHICLES INVOLVED IN A CRASH MAY NOT BE AWARE OF LATE OR IMPROPERLY REDUCED LEVEL OF AIR BAG INFLATION AND THUS FIELD REPORTING OF SUCH EVENTS MAY BE SUPPRESSED.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA06-003) FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF MY 2005 (AND 2006) DC MINIVANS.NOTE: TOTAL NUMBER OF ODI AND MANUFACTURER COMPLAINTS INCLUDES SOME DUPLICATE REPORTS.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.