Potential Airbag Problems Reported in Chevy Impalas
On April 7, 2014, the Center for Auto Safety asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate a potential defect in 2003-2010 model year Chevrolet Impalas.
According to information provided in a letter to the NHTSA, a software flaw could cause the control module to misread a passenger’s weight and cause the front airbags to become ineffective in a crash. More specifically, the letter suggests that a flawed algorithm was used to determine weight and the force with which the front bags are deployed in these vehicles.
To date, the Center for Auto Safety claims that there have been 143 fatalities in Chevy Impalas when the airbags failed to deploy. Ninety-eight of those who died were wearing their seat belts at the time of their accidents. The NHTSA does not keep track of why airbags fail to deploy. Thus, it is not yet possible to determine whether all of these fatalities were due to the potential software flaw.
The NHTSA and General Motors (GM) did not immediately respond to the allegations raised by the Center for Auto Safety.
This Problem May Not Be Only for GM Owners
In the past two years, the federal government has investigated or a recall has been issued due to defective airbags in vehicles by the following automakers: Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, Volvo, and Honda.
Faulty Airbags Are Not Just a National Problem
For the families of the 143 people who died, the problem of faulty airbags is not a national problem—it is personal one. If you have lost a loved one on the Northwest Tollway, or if you have been hurt on the Stevenson Expressway because your Chevy Impala airbag failed to deploy, you deserve to be compensated for your loss.
It is important to understand your rights. Please feel free to peruse related articles on our web site and then contact us directly for more information.
