Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Pontiac Sunfire submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 33 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.
The 25 most recent of 33, in the owner's own words
MY WRECK HAPPENED IN 2006. THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND CRUSHED MY FACE I HAD TO HAVE TITANIUM PLATES PUT IN MY FACE CRASHED MY LEGS BROKE MANY BONES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THE CONTACT THEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THE CONTACT HAD NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 209,600. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE DRIVER FRONTAL AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARRANT. AS A CONSEQUENCE SHE SUSTAINED BRUISES TO HER FACE AND SHOULDERS. SHE FILED REPORT NUMBER 71762569700 WITH THE MANUFACTURER, AND SHE WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TO TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 180,000.
MY 1996 AIR BAG DEPLOYED, A FEW MONTHS AGO, I RECEIIVED AT NOTICE OF THIS HAPPENING ONCE I CALLED A PONTIAC DEALERSHIP IN AUGUSTA GA. I THAN RECEIVE A NOTIFY OF THIS OCCURING IN THIS MADE AND YEAR OF CAR. GMC CONTACTED ME AND ASK IF THAY COULD REPURCHASE THE CAR. I TOLD THEM AT THAT TIME I WAS INTERESTED. THEY MADE ME AN AFFORD THAT WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR MY VECHICLE. THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEGE THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBE FOR THE VECHICLE. I ASK THAT MY ARE BAG BE REPLACED, DUE TO I THINK AND KNOW MY CAR WAS WORTH MORE THAN THE OFFER. THEY DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT,TELLING ME I CAN TAKE THEIR OFFER ARE NOTHING, I FEEL THAT MY CAR WAS IENGINE AND BODY WAS IN EXACTLY EXCELLENT CONDITION, I KEPT THE CAR TO GIVEN TO MY SON , NOW I FEEL LIKE I AM THE ONE LOSING. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICHE NEW, AND IT WAS NOT MY FAULT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND I HAVE TO TAKE THE LOST. .
DRIVING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY ONTO ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES AN HOUR, SUDDENLY BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AT THE SAME TIME. CALLED GM AND TOOK CAR TO GM DEALER FOR INSPECTION. GM CALLED TO REPORT THAT IT WAS A GM FAILURE AND REQUESTED TO (PRIVATE PARTY) PURCHASE THE CAR BACK FROM US AT A CURRENT VEHICLE VALUE OF AROUND $900. *TR
WHILE TRAVELING AT 5 MPH BARELY BUMPED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME,WHEN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED CAUSING WINDSHIELD TO SHATTER AND DAMAGE TO COMPLETE DASH. *TR TL THE CONTACT OWNS 1996 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER BARELY BUMPED INTO A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE AND BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DRIVERS FINGER WAS INJURED. THE WINDOW SHATTERED AND THE DASHBOARD WAS DESTROYED. SHE NOTICED THERE WAS A RECALL, CALLED PONTIAC AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO EXISTING RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ESTIMATE REPAIR COST WOULD BE $2,100. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS PRESENT ON THE DASHBOARD. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE CRASH.
I WAS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR, SO I DON'T KNOW SPECIFIC MILEAGE, OR VIN NUMBER. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES ON IT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON JULY 5, 2002. IT WAS A FAIRLY LOW SPEED CRASH, MYE ESTIMATE IS WE WERE GOING ABOUT 30 MPH AT IMPACT. WE STRUCK THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED IN MY FACE. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT AND WAS NOT SITTING PARTICULARLY CLOSE TO THE AIRBAG. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT FROM THE AIR BAG, BROKE MY NOSE AND RESULTED IN PERMANENT DAMAGE TO MY EYES. I WAS THE ONLY PERSON INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT.
CONSUMER STATES: WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEED OF 35 MPH WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FEEL FREE TO ADD. MR
WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN INTO AN INTERSECTION. ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT HER HIT ON AND HER DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.
THE AIRBAGS HAVE FAILED TO DEPLOY ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND I HAVE STATEMENTS PROVING THEY SHOULD OF. THE FUEL INJECTORS DAMAGED IN THE ACCIDENT WERE FIXED BY NEWBY AUTO 2 WEEKS LATER THEY WERE BROKEN AGAIN THEY REFUSED TO REDO THEM SAYING IT WASN'T THE SAME ONE THEY FIXED. THEY ALSO REFUSED TO ADD AN AIRBAG CHECK ONTO THE ESTIMATE SAYING THERE WASNT ENOUGH DAMAGE TO DEPLOY THEM I HAVE TWO OTHER ESTIMATES TOTALLING MY CAR THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT THEM AND INSISTED IT WAS OK AND THEY WOULD FIX IT UNFORTUALLY THEY DID NOT AND IT HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS SINCE. NEWBY AUTO A PONTIAC DEALERSHIP WAS LOCATED IN RICHFIELD UTAH AT THE TIME THEY HAD MY CAR THEY ARE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS IN RICHFIELD.
VEHICLE WILL NOT START SOMETIMES, AND SOMETIMES IT DOES. TOOK DEALER, DEALER STATED HAD TO TURN SWITCH OFF AND ON UNTIL IT CATCHED. WHEN HEARING A CLICK VEHICLE STARTED. CURRENTLY, AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND VEHICLE LOSES POWER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 40MPH, UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 40MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK
VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 40MPH IN FOG AND RAN OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH. CRASHED FRONT END FIRST, AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MPH DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT PROVOCATION/CRASH. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE. *AK IT WAS A ROUGH ROAD WITH POT HOLES, AND THE CONSUMER BELIEVES IT WAS A NORMAL ROAD CONDITON WHEN THE AIR BAG EXPLODED. *YH
WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR AIR BAG. DEALER STATED UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS IS. ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE ENTIRE UNIT FOR $1100.
GOING AROUND A CURVE TOO FAST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ROLLED OVER THREE TIMES. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY ON EITHER SIDE. *AK
WE WERE INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THE PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING THE WINSHIELD TO BUST. WHEN LOOKING AT THE CAR THE WINDSHIELD IS PUSHED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE AIRBAG. WHAT CAN BE DONE IN THIS CASE?
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG RESULTING IN INJURY TO FACE AND HAND, RECALL ON COMPONENT HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.(ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ABOUT 45 MPH WHEN HER VEHICLE STRUCK SIX COWS AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS. DURING A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 12MPH, AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH RECALL NUMBER 98V146000. *AK
WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION TRAVELING 45 MPH, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOTALLED. *AK *ML
ANTI LOCK BRAKES ACTIUATE TOO QUICKLY AND EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES ALMOST RESULTING IN ACCIDENTS.
RECALL 98V146000.98026 AIR BAG. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT, BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED 18-AUG-98. DEALER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
RECALL 98V146000.98026. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE PONTIAC MANUFACTURER, AND THE CONTACT PERSON DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE RECALL ON AIRBAGS. SHE STATED THAT SHE DID NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE RECALL, AND SHE COULD NOT HELP HER WITH PROBLEM,SHE ALSO SHE DID NOT KNOW WHERE ANY OF THE INFORMATION CAME FROM REGARDING THE RECALL. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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