1996 Pontiac Bonneville Airbags Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A CRASH. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,474.

NHTSA ID

10823959

Incident

Jan 28, 2016

Mileage

151,474 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THE IMPACT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG CAUSED THE WINDSHIELD TO SHATTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. UPDATED 1/28/15*CN UPDATED 9/6/2017*CN

NHTSA ID

10658926

Incident

Nov 14, 2014

Mileage

110,000 mi

I LEFT MY HOUSE ON 9/10/2011 AND WENT TO GAS STATION. AFTER FUELING UP I NOTICED THAT MY AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. I DID NOT PULL OVER BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A SENSOR PROBLEM AND I HAD NEVER HEARD OF ANYONE HAVING TO PULL OVER FOR THE AIRBAG LIGHT. I PROCEEDED TO THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN I REACHED 57 MPH I PUT ON MY CRUISE CONTROL. IN ABOUT 2 MINUTES BOTH OF MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND MY VISIBILITY WAS 0%. IF I HAD NOT HAD BOTH OF MY FRONT WINDOWS DOWN, THE POWDER THAT ENGULFED MY CAR COULD HAVE SUFFOCATED ME. I AM ON BREATHING MEDICINE FOR COPD. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS UP THERE IN YEARS IT IS NOT UP THERE IN MILEAGE. I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM SOMEONE 4 YEARS AGO, WHO ONLY USED THE CAR ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR IT HAD 58,000 MILES ON IT AND ONLY HAS 91,500 TODAY. THIS WHOLE PROCESS TOOK ABOUT 15 MINUTES FROM START TO FINISH.

NHTSA ID

10426111

Incident

Sep 10, 2011

Mileage

91,500 mi

I LEFT MY HOUSE & STOPPED FOR GAS. AFTER GETTING GAS I NOTICED MY AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. I DID NOT PULL OVER THINKING IT WAS A SENSOR PROBLEM. I PROCEEDED TO THE HIGHWAY & WHEN I REACHED 57MPH I PUT ON MY CRUISE CONTROL. IN ABOUT 2 MINUTES MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED & MY ABILITY TO SEE WAS 0%. THE ENTIRE INCIDENT TOOK ABOUT 15 MINUTES FROM HOUSE TO DEPLOYMENT. THE POWDER/SMOKE ENGULFED MY CAR. IF I HAD NOT HAD BOTH MY FRONT WINDOWS DOWN I THINK I COULD HAVE SUFFOCATED. I AM CURRENTLY ON BREATHING MEDS FOR COPD. THE VEHICLE IS OLD IN YEARS BUT NOT IN MILEAGE. I BOUGHT IT FROM SOMEONE THAT ONLY USED THE CAR FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS, 4 YRS AGO, IT HAD 58,000 MILES ON IT. IT RUNS GREAT BUT NOW I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10425167

Incident

Sep 10, 2011

Mileage

91,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN 15 MPH WHEN THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INVOLUNTARILY. ONE OF THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE DEPLOYMENT. THE MANUFACTURER SENT AN INSPECTOR TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT WATER HAD ENTERED THE AIR BAG MODULE AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. DUE TO THE WATER DAMAGE, THE AIR BAG MODULE WAS CORRODED AND CAUSED THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

NHTSA ID

10403842

Incident

Apr 19, 2011

Mileage

130,000 mi

MY SON WAS AT A STOP SIGN IN HIS 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE, JUST AS HIS WAS GETTING READY TO PROCEED, BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, HE HADN'T EVEN PUT HIS FOOT ON THE GAS, INSURANCE APPRAISER, APPRAISED THE DAMAGE IN EXCESS OF $2000 AND COME TO FIND OUT THEY WON'T COVER IT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CAR WASN'T IN AN ACCIDENT, THEY SAY IT'S A MANUFACTURERS ISSUE, HE RECEIVED A MINOR BURN ON HIS ARM FROM THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING. *LN

NHTSA ID

10372273

Incident

Oct 16, 2010

Mileage

99,999 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE. THE AIR BAG EXPLODED AND SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS CALLED AND THEY DECLARED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

NHTSA ID

10268518

Incident

Apr 5, 2009

Mileage

200,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING HOME ONE NIGHT AND MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND ABOUT TEN SECONDS LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. I HAD HIT NOTHING, AND WAS DRIVING ON A NEWLY PAVED ROAD. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND IN THE PROCESS BROKE THE WINDSHIELD AND THE DASH. PONTIAC HAS BEEN CALLED AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME IN TWO DAYS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10229417

Incident

May 29, 2008

THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND ABOUT AN HOUR LATER WE WERE DRIVING ABOUT 10 MILES AN HOUR AND THE DRIVER AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON, NO IMPACT OF ANY KIND. THE DRIVER BROKE 2 OF HER TEETH, DRIVER AND PASSENGER GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO LET THE SMOKE FROM THE AIRBAG CLEAR AND ASSESS THE DAMAGE OF THE TEETH AND ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND NOBODY WAS IN EVEN IN THE CAR, THAT DEPLOYMENT DESTROYED THE DASH AND WINDSHIELD. WE CALLED PONTIAC ON MONDAY OCT. 22 THEY SAID SOMEONE WOULD CALL BACK WITHIN A DAY OR TWO AND THEY DID CALL BACK THIS MORNING OCT. 24TH BUT SHE JUST ASKED ALL THE SAME QUESTIONS THEY ASKED ON MONDAY AND SAID IT WOULD TAKE 7-10 DAYS TO GET BACK TO US. *TR

NHTSA ID

10206781

Incident

Oct 19, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BURN ON HER FOREARM. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PONTIAC DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSORS CORRODED. THE DEALER HAS NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER MADE AN OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 118,000.

NHTSA ID

10191578

Incident

May 9, 2007

Mileage

118,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON THE INTERSTATE IN RAINY WEATHER, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED PRIOR TO THE DEPLOYMENT. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE AIRBAG SENSOR UNDERNEATH THE SEAT WAS CORRODED WHICH CAUSED THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED.

NHTSA ID

10164166

Incident

May 18, 2006

Mileage

102,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AN HOUR LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 15-20 MPH. THIS OCCURRED WITHOUT AN IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE. THE DEPLOYMENT BROKE THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A MECHANIC.

NHTSA ID

10149815

Incident

Feb 8, 2006

Mileage

136,000 mi

ON THE EVENING THIS HAPPEN I WAS TRAVELING HOME FROM WORK. ABOUT ONE MINUTE BEFORE THE DRIVERS AIRBAG DEPLOYED THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. THEN WENT OUT ... THEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED IN MY FACE AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 60 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ... AFTER CLEARING THE SMOKE FROM THE DEPLOYMENT I CHECKED THE CAR AND ALL SEEMED OK. I STARTED AGAIN FOR HOME WHICH AT THIS TIME WAS ABOUT 5 MILES. THE AIRBAG LIGHT DID THE SAME THING AGAIN AND BEFORE I COULD STOP THE CAR THE PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED .. SMASHING THE WINDSHIELD AND DASH. AT THIS TIME I HAVE TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AND DASH AT MY OWN EXPENSE ..WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE DONE OVER A LITTLE TIME .. I RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND AT LEAST 10 OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

NHTSA ID

10139830

Incident

Oct 13, 2005

Mileage

163,570 mi

WHILE IN PARK POSITION IGNITION KEY TURNED ON AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITH CAUSE. WINDSHIELD HAD TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. GENERAL MOTORS HAS NOW HAD THE CAR IN TESTING FOR TWO DAYS WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO CONDUCT THE ACTUAL TEST. THEY HAVE TRANSFERRED OUT FILE TO THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT. COST OF THE AIR BAG IS APPROXIMATELY $850.00. CONTROLS $870.00 PLUS DAMAGE TO THE DASHBOARD. COST TO EMERGENCY REPLACEMENT THE WINDSHIELD WAS APPROXIMATELY $400.00. WE APPARENTLY SHOULD HEAR FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IN TWO DAYS. TIME TO ORDER THE AIRBAG IS 3-5 DAYS. NO ESTABLISHED TIME TO ACTUALLY DO THE REPAIRS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10116902

Incident

Apr 7, 2005

WHILE IN PARK DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING BROKEN WINDSHIELD AND ELECTRICAL FAILURE OF SOME SYSTEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10116659

Incident

Apr 8, 2005

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10107163

Incident

Dec 8, 2004

BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED WHILE COMING TO A STOP AND ROLLING DOWN THE POWER WINDOW ON DRIVER'S SIDE. DEALER NOT NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10094070

Incident

Sep 18, 2004

Mileage

127,562 mi

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON WHILE TRAVELING 25 TO 30 MPH. DAMAGE TO WINDSHIELD (BROKEN GLASS) AND NEAR INJURY TO PASSENGER. VEHICLE MAKE 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE VIN = [XXX]. CONTACTED INSURANCE COMPANY AND ADVISE NOT COVERED BY POLICY, CONTACTED PONTIAC CONSUMER COMPLAINT DEPT. IN DALLAS TX. VIA PHONE. AWAITING DISPOSITION.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10083104

Incident

Jul 29, 2004

Mileage

125,566 mi

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IDLING. *NM

NHTSA ID

10057395

Mileage

150,000 mi

INADVERTENT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *CB

NHTSA ID

10054447

Incident

Dec 23, 2003

Mileage

104,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT. *NLM THEN 20 FEET DOWN THE ROAD THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED, TEARING APART THE DASHBOARD AND WINDSHIELD. GM DIDN'T SEEM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND THEIR INSPECTOR SUGGESTED THAT THERE WERE PINE NEEDLES ON THE WINDSHIELD THAT CAUSED WATER NOT TO FLOW PROPERLY. THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR FULL OF WATER FROM FRONT TO BACK. THE SDM MODULE HAD CORROSION AND WATER DAMAGE WHICH POSSIBLY CAUSED THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10025072

Incident

Jun 20, 2003

Mileage

135,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45 MPH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. *AK

NHTSA ID

10026939

Incident

Jun 20, 2003

PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED INVOLUNTARILY WHILE VEHICLE WAS GOING 55MPH. AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE ON DASHBOARD. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *MJ

NHTSA ID

8013425

Incident

Jul 3, 2002

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 15 MPH LOW IMPACT COLLISION IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSING DAMAGES TO THE WINDSHIELD AND THE DASH AREA. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

835518

CONSUMER WAS INVOVLED IN A 35 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER THE COMPUTER SYSTEM INDICATED THE AIR BAGS HAD DEPLOYED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

829258