2000 Mazda MPV Air Bags & Restraints Problems

APPROXIMATELY SIX BLOCKS FROM HIS HOME, THE OWNER OF A 2000 MAZDA MPV MINIVAN WAS IN THE LEFT TURN LANE OF A HIGHWAY WAITING TO TURN LEFT. WHILE STOPPED AND WITH NO IMPACT, THE SIDE AIRBAGS SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE STRIKING THE DRIVER. THERE WERE TWO CHILDREN SEATED IN THE REAR. AS REPRESENTED IN THE ATTACHED PHOTOGRAPHS, THERE IS NO BODY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THIS AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT CAUSED SEVERE INJURIES TO THE DRIVER AND NECESSITATED HIS TRANSPORT VIA AIR AMBULANCE TO A LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER. THESE INJURIES NECESSITATED SURGERY TO REPAIR A LACERATED SPLEEN AND ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN $88,537.00 IN MEDICAL BILLS. THE CLAIM WAS PRESENTED TO MAZDA, HOWEVER NORTH CAROLINA'S STATUTE OF REPOSE WOULD HAVE LIKELY PREVENTED A SUCCESSFUL SUIT. MAZDA, HOWEVER, DID CONDITION A CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT OFFER TO THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE ON THE DESTRUCTION OF THE VEHICLE. PLAINTIFF REQUESTED THAT PROPER NOTIFICATION BE MADE TO NHTSA AND NO REASSURANCE WAS GIVEN THAT SUCH REPORT WAS MADE. IN LIGHT OF THE INJURIES TO THE DRIVER AND THE DEMAND MADE BY MAZDA TO DESTROY THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER, BY COUNSEL, CONSIDERS NOTIFICATION TO NHTSA APPROPRIATE. CLAIMANT WILL NOT ENGAGE IN SPOLIATION OF THE VEHICLE UNTIL NHTSA DETERMINES IF EXAMINATION OR INVESTIGATION IS NECESSARY. THE VEHICLE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AND WILL BE UNTIL NOTIFICATION FROM NHTSA IS RECEIVED BY THE UNDERSIGNED.

I GOT INTO MY CAR AND PLACE MY SEAT BELTS ON. I SHIFTED THE CAR IN REVERSE GEAR AND STARTED REVERSING FOR 3 SECONDS AND WITHOUT ANY IMPACT OR COLLISION TO THE CAR, THE SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND EXPLODED ON MY WHOLE LEFT CHEST WALL, ARM AND SHOULDER THROWING ME TO THE RIGHT. I WAS IN SHOCK AND DIDN'T REALIZED WHAT HAPPEN. I SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION 3 TIMES AT THE HOSPITAL AND WENT TO MAKE A COMPLAINT TO THE MAZDA DEALER WHERE I PURCHASE THE CAR AT AND CHECK A CAR FAX REPORT ON THE HISTORY OF THE CAR. THERE ARE NO REPORTED ACCIDENTS ON THE CAR OR AIRBAG RECALL LETTERS SENT TO ME OR ON THE RECALL LIST. THE DEALER WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND I WAS DISSATISFIED AND THEN I CALLED THE CORPORATE MANUFACTURERS AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT EITHER BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT'S A TAKATA AIRBAG THAT PARTICULAR TAKATA AIRBAG IS NOT ON THEIR RECALL LIST. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT AIRBAG INFLATED FOR NO REASON AT ALL. EMERGENCY CARE WAS REQUIRED. CAUSED A CRACKED RIB AND SEVERE PAN. *TR

I WAS TRYING TO START MY "NEW" USED MAZDA MPV USING ETHER SPRAYED INTO THE AIR FILTER-BOX THROUGH A SMALL HOLE, AND MY DRIVER'S-SIDE -IMPACT AIRBAG WENT OFF WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY. I WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AT THE TIME. I HAD BEEN TRYING TO START THE CAR FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, AND HAD SPRAYED "STARTING FLUID" INTO THE BOX ONE OTHER TIME SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE. THIS PROCESS HAD WORKED FOR ME TWO TIMES IN THE PAST WITH NO PROBLEM. THE STARTING FLUID WAS SPRAYED THROUGH A 1/4" HOLE I HAD DRILLED ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF THE AIR FILTER, BECAUSE I WAS HAVING STARTING PROBLEMS AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO OPEN THE FILTER BOX IN THIS CAR. I INSPECTED THE FILTER BOX FOR SIGNS OF AN EXPLOSION INSIDE, THINKING THAT MIGHT HAVE TRIGGERED THE AIRBAG, AND IT WAS INTACT; THE RETAINING CLIPS ARE NOT DISTORTED, AND THE FILTER (BRAND NEW) WAS NOT DISPLACED OR DAMAGED IN ANY WAY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE DEPLOYMENT, BUT I MENTION IT FOR THE SAKE OF COMPLETENESS; I THINK THAT THE PARTICULAR SEQUENCE OF KEY CYCLES I USED IN TRYING TO START THE CAR SOMEHOW TRIGGERED THE AIRBAG. *TR

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON INSTRUMENT PANEL CAME ON AND STAYS ON INTERMITTENTLY FLASHING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MAZDA MPV. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH,THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SKID. SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND STRUCK THE CENTER DIVIDER. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A CHIPPED TOOTH AND BOTH SHOULDERS WERE INJURED. SHE ALSO HAS PAIN IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF HER CHEST AND RIGHT HIP. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS INFORMED TO CONTACT HER INSURANCE COMPANY. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 98,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MAZDA MPV. THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END, THREE CAR CRASH. HER VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND SHE CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE AT 25 MPH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT HAS PHOTOS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 81,000.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE LATCH SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. HE TOOK THE CAR TO A CERTIFIED INSPECTION STATION IN HIS CITY ON 11-02-05 TO HAVE THE SAFETY SEAT INSPECTED AND TURNED TO FACE FORWARD. THEY TOLD HIM THEY WOULD NOT TURN THE SAFETY SEAT BECAUSE THE LATCH SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT WORK PROPERLY WITH A FORWARD FACING CHILD SEAT. THE CLIP BETWEEN THE SEATS WAS FACING FORWARD, INSTEAD OF VERTICAL, CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO GET TWISTED AND BUNCHED UP. THIS CAUSED THE SAFETY SEAT TO LURCH FORWARD WHEN INSTALLED IN A FORWARD FACING POSITION. THE LATCH SYSTEM WILL ALLOW PROPER INSTALLATION OF A REAR FACING INFANT SEAT.*AK 11/15/05. *JB

MAZDA MVP 2000 MINI VAN AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE CONSUMER HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE.

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN PUTTING ON THE REAR SEAT BELT IT WOULD NOT BE TIGHT ENOUGH FOR IT TO FIT THE CONSUMER PROPERLY. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED. TS

FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT WORK AT ALL. BACK RIGHT SEATBELT SHOULDER HARNESS DID NOT WORK. VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AND THEN PUSHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS IN FRONT. THE VEHICLE THAT HIT MY VAN WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR WHEN MY VEHICLE WAS HIT MY DAUGHTER WHO WAS SITTING IN THE 3RD ROW SEAT WEARING A LAP/SHOULDERBELT FLEW FORWARD ENOUGH TO HIT HER HEAD AND FACE ON THE BACK OF THE SECOND ROW SEAT. IT SEEMS THAT THE SHOULDER PART OF THE SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK AT ALL DURING IMPACT WHICH ALLOWED HER THAT MUCH MOVEMENT. IN ADDITION, THE PASSENGER AND DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE FRONTAL IMPACT WHEN MY VEHICLE WAS PUSHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WHICH PUSHED THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE VAN INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

WHILE TRAVLING AT ABOUT 50 MPH AND WHILE MAKING A U-TURN CONSUMER WAS HIT ON THE SIDE OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH SIDE AIR BAGS, BUT THEY DID NOT DEPLOY. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

DRIVER'S AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY IN CRASH. *AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 35 MPH. UPON IMAPCT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN INJURY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

CAR SAFETY SEAT WAS STRAPPED IN MIDDLE ROW ON PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT. WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A PASSENGER SIDE COLLISION IT CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLL, AND SEAT BELT, THAT HELD CAR SAFETY SEAT, UNBUCKLED WHILE VEHICLE WAS ROLLING OVER.*AK THE TWO YEAR TODDLER WAS INJURED DURING THE ACCIDENT. *YH

FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBELT TIGHTENS WITH MINIMAL MOVEMENT, RETRACTS, LOCKS UP AND WILL NOT RELEASE. PASSENGER MUST UNBUCKLE SEAT BELT DUE TO EXTREME DISCOMFORT.*AK

PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT LOCKS UP AND BECOMES EXTREMELY TIGHT WHEN VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN OR WHEN PASSENGER SLIGHTLY MOVES. *AK THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED IT, BUT THE PROBLEM REOCCURED. *YH

THIS IS OF UTMOST CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN IN CAR-SEATS OR BOOSTER SEATS. THE SEAT BELT ANCHORS FOR THE 2ND AND 3RD ROW SEATS ARE OF SOLID, INFLEXIBLE CONSTRUCTION. THIS INFLEXIBLE CONSTRUCTION COMBINED WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE ANCHORS DOES NOT ALLOW THE SAFE INSTALLATION OF MOST INFANT CAR SEATS AND TODDLER BOOSTER SEATS. OUT OF SEVEN INFANT AND BOOSTER SEATS TRIED, ONLY ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO BE INSTALLED SOMEWHAT CORRECTLY. THE PLACEMENT AND INFLEXIBILITY OF THE ANCHORS REQUIRES THAT THE LAP PORTION OF THE SEATBELT BE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 7 INCHES AWAY FROM THE INTERSECTION OF THE SEAT FACE AND BACK. THIS ACUTALLY PULLS A TYPICAL CAR SEAT AWAY FROM THE SEAT BACK AND DOES NOT WORK SAFELY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON A RURAL ROUTE CAME TO A STOP AND WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY A DODGE RAM, TRAVELLING 60MPH WHICH HIT THE REAR HATCHDOOR AND FLEW OPEN. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK