NHTSA complaint: 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA — AIR BAGS
OUR CAR IS DRIVEN BY 2 DRIVERS- I AM 5 FEET TALL, MY HUSBAND IS 6'1". THE CAR SEAT GETS MOVED BACK AND FORTH A LOT AS WE BOTH DRIVE THE CAR DAILY. IN LATE NOVEMBER MY HUSBAND MOVED THE SEAT ALL THE WAY BACK AND IT MADE A CRACKING NOISE. WE LATER NOTICED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. HE FOUND THE BROKEN WIRE UNDER THE SEAT AND REPAIRED IT, BUT THE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. A CALL TO THE DEALERSHIP REVEALED THEY KNEW ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THE FIX WAS TO "NOT MOVE THE SEAT SO MUCH". THE NEXT WEEK- BEFORE WE HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE THE CAR IN TO GET THE LIGHT CLEARED- THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. I REAR ENDED A CAR IN SLOW-AND-GO TRAFFIC WHEN SHE SWITCHED LANES IN FRONT OF ME WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING. $15,000 IN DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE CAR BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. A WITNESS THAT STOPPED TO HELP HAD TO PRY THE DOOR OPEN TO GET ME OUT. THE FIGHTER FIGHTERS ALL REMARKED THAT THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T GO OFF. NO AIRBAGS COULD HAVE BEEN A HUGE ISSUE IF THE ACCIDENT WAS WORSE. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation