Consumer Complaint Detail

PONTIAC / GRAND AM / 1997

Recalls
0 Injured
Investigations
0 Death
Complaints
No Fire
Components - Details
NHTSA Complaint Number: 003277586 Incident Date: Jul, 14 2003
Consumer's City: TOLEDO Consumer's State: OH
Vehicle Transmission Type: AUTO Manufacturers Name: General Motors, LLC
Model Name: GRAND AM Model Year: 1997
Vehicle Involved in a Crash: Yes Component's Description: Air bags
Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No Persons Injured: 0
Vehicle's VIN#: 1G2NE12M8VC Date added to File: May, 25 2021
Date Complaint Received: Jan, 14 2004 Complaint Type: CAG
Incident Reported To Police: No Purchase Date: -
Was Original Owner: No Anti-lock Brakes: No
Number of Cylinders: 0 Date of Manufacturer: -
Was Vehicle Towed: - Description of the Complaints: My son's grand am driver's side airbag deployed after the car was driven through a puddle hiding a pot hole. he sustained burns on his right arm and had to stop the car and exit in order to stop coughing from the airbag powder. pontiac customer service was contacted, informed about the incident, digital pictures taken by the repairing pontiac dealer were inspected and, based on paint flaking from the underside of the bumper cover and a dent in the crossmember, they concluded this damage caused the airbag to deploy. however, the service manager to the repairing dealer was very skeptical of this conclusion since this kind of damage should not deploy the airbag and, based on the design of this car, both front airbags should have deployed. further, there have been complaints lodged against this vehicle for the same situation (nhsta web site) and gm of canada has issued a recall for improper airbag deployment. i believe gm is reponsible for payment of the repairs to this vehicle because this is clearly a safety-related defect.