← NHTSA complaints

1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

1 fatalcrash3 injured · 401333 · 2003-04-04

Vehicle

Make
CHEVROLET
Model
CAVALIER
Year
1997
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Miles at failure
3,000
Speed
65 mph

Severity

Deaths
1
Injured
3
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

INADVERTENT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT KILLED DRIVER BY CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. WHILE TRAVELING THE SPEED LIMIT IN THE CENTER LANE OF THE INTERSTATE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR SLID SIDEWAYS THROUGH THE MEDIAN AND WAS STRUCK ON THE BROADSIDE BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC KILLING THE DRIVER AND INJURING THREE OCCUPANTS OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW THREE MONTHS EARLIER AND HAD BEEN DRIVEN LESS THAN 3000 MILES. *JB THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT IN THE INITAL RECALL ACCORDING TO CONSUMER BUT DID RECEIVE NOTIFICATION AFTER THE ALLEGATION OF THE FRONT BAGS DEPLOYED AND THE DRIVER CROSSED THE PATH OF TRAFFIC RESULTING IN A CRASH. ACCODRING TO THE COMPLAINANT, THE VEHICLE WAS IMPACTED ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INTERNAL HEAD TRAMA RESULTING IN DEATH. IT IS ALLEGED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAD HIT THE WINDOW OR THE ROOF. THE DRIVER WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN WEARING HIS SEAT BELT. BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED BACK IN 1997.CW

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10013973
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown