NHTSA complaint #11643749

Owner complaint summary

I was driving straight when a vehicle coming from the opposite direction made a left turn without yielding, crossing into my lane. As a result, my vehicle collided with the other car at full speed. However, the airbag in my steering wheel did not deploy upon impact, as it should have. My injuries have been significantly more severe than they would have been had the airbag functioned properly. I reported this issue to the vehicle manufacturer, and they opened a case and conducted an inspection. During their inspection, they found that the airbag had since deployed. However, my vehicle was transported off a steep hill and moved to multiple lots before the inspection, any of which could have triggered a delayed deployment. Despite this, the manufacturer has refused to accept liability. Because the airbag failed to deploy at the time of impact, there was no buffer between me and the steering wheel. This resulted in excessive force against my chest from the seatbelt and direct impact with the steering wheel, leading to more severe injuries. There were no warning lights on in the vehicle before the crash, nor were there any recalls related to this issue at the time of the incident.