NHTSA complaint: 2008 FORD MUSTANG — AIR BAGS
I PURCHASE THE VEHICLE FROM MCREE FORD IN DICKINSON, TEXAS IN 2008 AS A GIFT TO MY WIFE. THE PROBLEM ALL STARTED AFTER SHE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN OCTOBER 2010. DURING THAT ACCIDENT SHE WAS T-BONED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE PERSON WHO HIT MY WIFE WAS TICKETED AS IT WAS THEIR FAULT FOR RUNNING THE RED LIGHT. THE CAR SUSTAINED APPROXIMATELY $6900 WORTH OF DAMAGE. WE HAD THE CAR REPAIRED AT MCREE FORD'S COLLISION CENTER. BEFORE THE DEALERSHIP GAVE US THE CAR BACK, THEY TOLD US THAT THEY COULD NOT GET THE ERROR LIGHT FOR THE AIRBAGS TO GO OFF AND THAT IT WOULD BE A SHORT DELAY IN GIVING US THE CAR BACK. IT TOOK THEM APPROXIMATELY 3 DAYS TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG AND THEY ASSURED US THAT IT WAS FIXED. NOW, ON MAY 2011, SHE WAS AGAIN INVOLVED IN ANOTHER ACCIDENT IN WHICH SHE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 -50 MPH WHEN MY WIFE "T-BONED" A TRUCK WHO RAN THE STOP SIGN AND GOT INTO HER LANE. SHE HAD NO CHANCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE SO SHE ENDED UP HITTING THE TRUCK. BECAUSE THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK, THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK WAS TICKETED. THE FRONT OF THE MUSTANG SUSTAINED APPROXIMATELY $9900 WORTH OF DAMAGE. MY WIFE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES (MINOR WHIPLASH AND A BRUISE ON HER LEG). THE REASON FOR MY LETTER IS THAT MY WIFE'S INJURIES COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER DURING BOTH ACCIDENTS DID NOT DEPLOY. NOW, WE DO NOT KNOW IF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE FROM MANUFACTURING OR IF MCREE
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation