Air Bag did NOT deploy

[Daubs]

My Dad drives a 1998 GMC 2500 HD 4x4 standard cab. It is his work truck. He was involved in an accident...ran a red light and t-boned a car. Did almost $7,000 damage to his truck...and the AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY!

 

Any idea who he should contact about this? I thought about starting with his dealer, or calling one of my hunting buddies who is a service manager at GM dealership.

 

Anyone else have this issue? Suggestions? Thanks...

[GM-Tech]

My Dad drives a 1998 GMC 2500 HD 4x4 standard cab.  It is his work truck.  He was involved in an accident...ran a red light and t-boned a car.  Did almost $7,000 damage to his truck...and the AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY!

 

Start with customer assistance. They take product liability claims pretty seriously. 1-800-222-1020. If your service manager friend is smart, he won't do anything without Chevrolet being involved when it comes to something like this.

 

Understand that it requires a hit within a pretty narrow range of directly head on for the air bags to deploy.

[Greg]

I read somewhere that due to injuries caused by airbag deployments in minor fender-benders, automakers recalibrated their bag deployment logic to fire only when frontal head and chest protection are needed.

 

The wife of one of my co-workers was hit head-on by a drunk driver. The airbag saved her from a head injury, but the deployment probably caused a wrist injury that has kept her out of work for a couple of years.

[Daubs]

Spoke to my dealer today. He said same thing. Air bag going off depends on inertia (how hard hit something, if that other car spun away, glancing blow, etc.)

 

It was probably good it didn't go off...insurance adjuster said she probably would have totaled his truck if it did. Would have cost him serious $$$ to get a new one.

[asilverblazer]

I've heard the trucks airbags are especially tough due to the nature of a trucks use. Off road adventures, pulling/towing items.

[MS3DALE]

This may be a stupid question but are you sure it has air bags? The only reason I'm asking is because we had a '98 2500HD (8600 LB. GVWR) for a parts truck and it didn't have air bags,If I'm not mistaken the OBS trucks over 8600 LBS. didn't have air bags at all.

[Metz Motorsports]

in response to that, I thought it was mandatory that car makers to have dual air bags in ALL cars by 1998....just what I have heard, and every car that I have seen '98 and newer, this has held true. just my thoughts.....

[blue2kzr2]

in response to that, I thought it was mandatory that car makers to have dual air bags in ALL cars by 1998....just what I have heard, and every car that I have seen '98 and newer, this has held true. just my thoughts.....

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

All CARS maybe. Trucks could be a different story. Keep in mind, a truck's MPG does NOT currently factor into the CAFE rating for the company. This MAY carry over to safety as well, not sure...

[MS3DALE]

Trucks over 8500lbs. GVWR are not required to have air bags,Just as they are not required to post the MPG ratings on the window sticker,But only on the trucks over 8500lbs. GVWR.

Anything under that and air bags and MPG ratings are required.

Trucks under 8600lbs. are factored into the CAFE ratings thats one of the reasons GM is now putting 3.42 rear axle ratios back in there 1/2 ton 4x4's,There getting one more MPG on the highway (19 versues 18 on trucks w/3.73)