1996 Pontiac Grand Am

I WAS DRIVING IN MY SUBDIVISION ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, WHEN SUDDENLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG IN MY 1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM WENT OFF. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, TURNED ON THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS, AND MY FIANCE AND I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG GOES OFF. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT OCCUR ON A MAIN ROAD OR ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT. MY FIANCE'S MOTHER AND I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH GENERAL MOTORS FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS NOW. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN VERY HELPFUL WITH MY SITUATION, AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, AND I AM NOT TO BLAME FOR THIS. I HAVE READ SIMILAR CASES ON THE INTERNET, AND THIS MAY BE DUE TO A CORRODED WIRE IN THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. GM SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER CALLING A RECALL ON THESE AIRBAG SYSTEMS BEFORE THEIR CUSTOMERS GET SERIOUSLY HURT OR WORSE AS A RESULT OF GM'S NEGLIGENCE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON SLIPPERY ROADS BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS NO CRASH OR ROAD DEBRIS. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING THEIR SEAT BELTS. BOTH OCCUPANTS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE DEPLOYMENT. *NM UPDATED 02/21/06. *JB

DT:THE CONTACT STATED WHEN PLACING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SMOKE POURED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SMOKE QUICKLY ERUPTED INTO FLAMES. BOTH THE FIRE AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS RESPONDED TO THE SCENE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE DASHBOARD PANEL AREA AND STEERING COLUMN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SUGGESTED THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRING FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, BUT NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

ON OCTOBER 18, 2005 WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH IN FAIR WEATHER, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG UNEXPECTEDLY DEPLOYED, THOUGH NO CONTACT WAS MADE WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE OR STATIONARY OBJECT. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT CAUSED EXTREME IRRITATION VIA FRICTION BURN TO RIGHT FOREARM OF DRIVER, TEMPORARY HEARING DISTRESS TO DRIVER AND PASSENGER AND NEAR LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE DUE TO SHOCK OF THIS DEPLOYMENT. INVESTIGATION OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS SHOWS THAT LIKELY CAUSE IS SHORT IN AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE UNDER PASSENGER SEAT DUE TO PRESENCE OF WATER ON THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE. WATER ON FLOOR HAS BEEN A PERENNIAL PROBLEM IN MY VEHICLE AND MANY ATTEMPTS TO ASCERTAIN THE CAUSE (ATTRIBUTE TO LEAKY MOLDING, POOR FITTING WINDOW TRIM, ETC.), WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. PERUSAL OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE SHOW A CLEAR PATTERN OF SIMILAR EVENTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT (PER TECH ISSUE MEMO ISSUED BY GM IN 1998) RELATED TO INFERIOR ADHESIVE USED DURING ASSEMBLY OF TOP VENT GRILLE. EXCESSIVE RAIN TYPICALLY RESULTS IN WATER ON FLOOR OF PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND HAS CAUSED THIS SAME UNEXPECTED DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS IN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS. LIKELIHOOD OF GM ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT AND REPAIRING THE PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY SLIM (PER OTHER COMPLAINANTS REPORTS) DUE TO AGE OF VEHICLE AND THE FACT THAT IT HAS TAKEN YEARS TO PRESENT ITSELF, MEANING NO RECALL WAS ISSUED BY PONTIAC. I WOULD RECOMMEND ALL OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE WHO EXPERIENCE THIS WATER PROBLEM REPORT IT THEIR GM DEALERSHIP PRIOR TO EXPERIENCING THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, AS IT COULD HAVE HAD MUCH MORE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IF TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEEDS IN LESS THAN IDEAL CONDITIONS!!!*JB

I AM CURRENTLY FINANCING A CAR FROM RPM WHOLESALE IN FLINT, I GOT THIS CAR MARCH 29, 2005. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FIXED MORE THAN 6 TIMES. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN WORKING FOR 2 WEEKS. THE CAR WAS OVER HEATING, AND THEN IT WOULD NOT START UP. I TOOK IT BACK TO RPM AND THEY SAID THEY FIXED IT. AGAIN THIS WEEK I TOOK IT BACK, AND THEY ARE SAYING ITS A ELECTRICAL NIGHTMARE, AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING IT BACK, BUT I CAN DRIVE IT UNTIL THEN. *JB

A TECH ISSUE MEMO ISSUED FROM PONTIAC/GM DATED APRIL, 1998 STATED THAT OWNERS MAY CLAIM WATER LEAKING INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE CAR DUE TO AN INFERIOR ADHESIVE USED DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS ON THE TOP VENT GRILLE... WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY MECHANIC, AFTER I DISVOERED WATER LEAKAGE ON MY PASSENGER AREA FLOOR FOR 2 YEARS (WHICH I ATTRIBUTED TO MY NEGLIGENCE ONLY) UNTIL THIS WATER LEAKAGE FINALLY CAUSED A SHORT IN MY AIR BAG MODULE (LOCATED UNDER THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) WHICH CAUSED ALL OF THE OTHER CAR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS TO SHORT OUT. SEAL TO THE TOP VENT GRILLE WAS REPLACED, SHORT REPAIRED, AIRBAG MODULE WAS DISCONNECTED AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THE AIRBAG MODULE WILL BE REPLACED AT A LATER DATE WHEN I CAN AFFORD IT. THIS TOTALS $956.99 (INCLUDING NY SALES TAX) WHICH I REQUESTED PONTIAC REIMBURSE ME FOR. THEY STEADFASTEDLY REFUSE TO REIMBURSE ME DUE TO BASICALLY 4 THINGS: (1) THE WARRANTY TIME EXPIRED ON THE CAR, (2) THE AGE OF THE CAR, (3) THE FACT THAT I DIDN'T BRING IT DIRECTLY TO PONTIAC TO FIX IT (4) THE FACT THAT IT WASN'T A RECALL... MY ARGUEMENT IS: (1) THE WARRANTY EXPIRING SHOULDN'T ABSOLVE GM/PONTIAC OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEFECT, (2) THE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON THIS CAR (IN SPITE OF IT'S AGE) WOULDN'T HAVE PRODUCED THIS WATER DAMAGE IF THE TOP VENT GRILLE WAS PROPERLY SEALED IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS BY PONTIAC IN THE FIRST PLACE (3) I DIDN'T KNOW THAT PONTIAC CAUSED THIS PROBLEM UNTIL AFTER THE DAMAGE WAS DONE AND MY MECHANIC TOLD ME ABOUT THE TECH ISSUE MEMO (I HAVE A COPY) AND (4) WHY WASN'T THIS A RECALL? I SENT A LETTER TO PONTIAC'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER IN DETROIT, MI ON OR ABOUT JUNE 27, 2005 WITH ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTATION BACKING UP MY CLAIM (YOURS FOR THE ASKING), WHO CALLED ME BACK TODAY, REFUSING TO REIMBURSE ME ON THIS CLAIM. I KNOW THAT NEGLIGENCE BY PONTIAC CAUSED SOME MAJOR DAMAGE TO MY CAR OF WHICH I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR.