← NHTSA complaints

2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE — AIR BAGS

1 injured · 1229259 · 2015-10-16

Vehicle

Make
MAZDA
Model
TRIBUTE
Year
2002
Manufacturer
Mazda Motor Corp.
Component
AIR BAGS
Miles at failure
163,555
Speed
5 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
1
Fire
No
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

I HAD BEEN DRIVING MY MAZDA FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES ON A 75 DEGREE DAY IN SOUTH TEXAS WHEN TURNING ONTO A FLAT, UNOBSTRUCTED, SMOOTH PAVED ROAD THROUGH A KOA PARK. AFTER TURNING, I WAS ONLY DRIVING THE 5 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT THROUGH THIS PARK, WHEN SUDDENLY THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG EXPLODED IN MY FACE WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHATSOEVER . THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD HAVE EVEN SLIGHTLY INDICATED A COLLISION -- NOT A SPEED BUMP, NOT A BIRD OR ANIMAL, OR ANYTHING. IT WAS JUST A SMOOTH, SLOW DRIVE AT 5 MILES AN HOUR ON A SUNNY DAY. THERE WAS 60% HUMIDITY FROM PRIOR DAYS RAIN. I HAD MY ARM UP TO MY FACE ALREADY WHEN IT HAPPENED, WHICH TOOK THE BRUNT OF THE HIT TO MY WRIST AND FOREARM. WITHIN LESS THAN 5 SECONDS THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG EXPLODED ALSO. BOTH RANG OUT A SHOT LIKE A PISTOL IN THE CLOSED WINDOW CAR. SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL STARTED FILLING THE CAR, AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP SINCE ONLY GOING 5 MILES AN HOUR, AND GET MYSELF OUT OF THE CAR QUICKLY. MY ARM SUSTAINED HUGE WELTS FROM THE IMPACT AND WRIST FELT EXTREMELY HURT AND BRUISED AND BECAME VERY STIFF AND HARD TO BEND. THIS WAS ALL WITNESSED BY AN RV CAMPER AT THE KOA PARK WHO WAS SITTING 15 FEET AWAY AND WAS STARTLED BY THE PISTOL FIRE SOUND OF THE EXPLODING BAGS. HE CAME OVER TO HELP, WHILE I LET THE SMOKE AIR OUT OF THE CAR. THE DRIVER'S SIDE EXPLOSION DESTROYED THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL, AND A LARGE CHUNK OF 3"X5" PLASTIC HAD BEEN TORN LOSE AND PROPELLED DURING THE EXPLOSION. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT IS WHAT P

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10782824
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown