2008 SATURN SKY Complaints

PASSENGER AIRBAG SEAT SENSOR HAS FAILED. AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH IS ON, AND THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER READS "SERVICE AIRBAG".

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING AN ISSUE WITH THE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SYSTEM. I HAD THE CAR EXAMINED BY THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SYSTEM. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 46K MILES AND AT THE TIME OF THE LIGHT ILLUMINATING HAD APPROXIMATELY 38K MILES. THE DEALER STATED THAT BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR. I ELEVATED THE ISSUE TO GM CORPORATE WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THEIR COST BUT OFFERED ME A $1000 GM LOYALTY CREDIT TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PPS DEFECT DISABLES THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT MAY RESULT IN A SERIOUS INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE SHOULD THE AIRBAG NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL FOR SIMILAR RISKS. AT THIS POINT, I HAVE INSTRUCTED MY FAMILY TO NOT ALLOW ANYONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AS WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY PROTECT A PASSENGER IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS CREATING A LOSS OF USE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.

MY WIFE AND I HAD PICKED UP OUR 2008 SATURN SKY FROM THE DEALER AND WERE ABOUT HALF WAY HOME , A 28 MILE TRIP EACH WAY, WHEN A CHIME WENT OFF AND SAID THAT THE PASSENGER'S AIR BAG HAD BEEN TURNED OFF AND MY INFO SCREEN THAT HAD BEEN SHOWING ME THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE WAS NOW SAYING ''SERVICE AIRBAG'' . LONG STORY SHORT , GM DEALER WANTS OVER $1,00.00 TO FIX. OVER $500.00 OF THAT IS JUST FOR THE SWITCH ! AFTER SPENDING OVER 6 HOURS RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET IT SEEMS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THOUSANDS OF SKY AND SOLSTICE CAR OWNERS PLUS ALL KINDS OF OTHER MODELS AND BRANDS , A LOT OF THEM FIXED FREE OF CHARGE AFTER A RECALL WAS ISSUED. RECALL FOR THE 2003-2007 CADILLAC CTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE... NISSAN MURANO AND THE LIST GOES ON. LOOKS LIKE MOST SKY AND SOLSTICE OWNERS ARE NOT HAVING THE AIR BAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT FIXED DUE TO THE HIGH COST AND THE LIKELY HOOD THAT IT IS JUST GOING TO BREAK AGAIN,

I FORMALLY REQUEST THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM FOR AIR BAGS IN THE 2007 TO 2010 MODEL YEAR SATURN SKY, AS WELL AS ITS PLATFORM TWIN, THE PONTIAC SOLSTICE. AS YOU WILL NOTICE IN THE WHITE PAPER ATTACHED TO THIS COMPLAINT, THERE IS CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS A SYSTEMIC DEFECT IN THE PSS, THAT CAUSES THEM TO FAIL. GENERAL MOTORS HAS ADMITTED THAT SIMILAR PROBLEMS EXIST IN OTHER GM CARS OF THIS ERA, BUT HAS REFUSED TO PUBLICLY INVESTIGATE THIS SERIES OF CARS. IN A ROADSTER, THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THESE CARS LACK A BACK SEAT. WHEN THE PSS FAILS, THE ONLY PLACE A PASSENGER CAN GO IS INTO A SEAT - A SEAT WHICH NOW HAS THE AIRBAG DISABLED, AFTER THE PSS FAILS. AS THE WHITE PAPER NOTES, THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE JUST AS PRONE TO FAIL AS THE ONES BEING INSTALLED TODAY. I IMPLORE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE AND ACT ON THIS MATTER, AS APPROXIMATELY 100,000 OF THESE CARS WERE PRODUCED - AND ALL OF THEM ARE LIKELY TO EVENTUALLY SUFFER FROM THIS DEFECT, BASED ON THE TECHNICAL DATA COLLECTED BY THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.

WAS REAR ENDED AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED THEN HARD IMPACT ON FRONT END WHILE I WAS STOPPED--NO DEPLOYMENT OF MY AIR BAGS--5 CAR ACCIDENT OTHER CAR AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, WAS ON A HIGHWAY. IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED PRIOR TO ACCIDENT PER RECALL. ACCIDENT AND POLICE REPORTS WERE FILED,

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS COME ON IN MY SATURN SKY AND STAYS ON. I DRIVE A 2008 SKY SO THE VEHICLE IS NOT EVEN 10 YEARS OLD AND SHOULD NOT BE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH AIRBAGS. A "SERVICE AIRBAG" MESSAGE APPEARS ON CENTER CONSOLE. FROM RESEARCH I'VE DONE THIS IS VERY COMMON ON THE SATURN SKY MODEL AND CAN BE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IF CAR IS IN AN ACCIDENT. THE ESTIMATED COST TO FIX THE SENSOR IS ABOUT $1,000. THIS IS A HUGE CONSUMER SAFETY ISSUE AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL TO FIX THIS ISSUE.

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SEAT SENSOR DOES NOT WORK. THE CAR ONLY HAS 39,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN EXTREMELY WELL MAINTAINED. GM IS CHARGING $$900-$1000 TO REPAIR THE BROKEN SENSOR. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY AND INVITES INJURY. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY.

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON AT ALL TIMES AND "SERVICE AIR BAG" APPEARS IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER AND MUST BE CLEARED AFTER EACH START. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE A FAULTY PASSENGER PRESENCE SENSOR LOCATED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS HAS NOW RENDERED THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INOPERATIVE AT ALL TIMES AND POSSIBLY AFFECTS THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE ENTIRE SRS SYSTEM. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, THIS IS A VERY, VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SATURN SKYS AND PONTIAC SOLSTICES. IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX (AROUND $800-$1000 FOR PARTS AND LABOR) AND APPARENTLY THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS AN EQUALLY SHORT LIFE EXPECTANCY AND SEEMS TO DEVELOP THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM FOR MOST OF THOSE THAT HAVE REPLACED IT THUS FAR (ACCORDING TO RESEARCH DONE ONLINE). THIS CREATES A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION PARTICULARLY SINCE THESE 2 SEAT CARS ARE QUITE SMALL WITH PLASTIC BODY COMPONENTS THEREFORE MAKING THE AIRBAGS A NECESSITY IN A COLLISION. GM, AS WELL AS THEIR DEALERS ARE VERY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT APPEAR TO BE DOING NOTHING TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. CLEARLY IT IS NHTSA'S DUTY TO FORCE THEIR HAND AND MAKE THEM RECALL THESE CARS AND REPLACE THESE PARTS WITH A REDESIGNED PART THAT WILL WORK PROPERLY AND THAT HAS AN ACCEPTABLE SERVICE LIFE!

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SEAT SENSOR IS NO LONGER WORKING. THE CAR IS LOW ON MILES AND HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND CARED FOR. GM APPARENTLY HAS A HIGH FAILURE RATE FOR THIS PART AND IS CHARGING $800-$900 FOR THE FIX. I CANNOT AFFORD THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BROKEN SENSOR. IF I HAVE AN ACCIDENT, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY.

WHILE DRIVING ON A TRIP UP NORTH, THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND "SERVICE AIR BAG" APPEARED IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER. AFTER TAKING INTO GET FIXED, THE ISSUE IS A FAULTY SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, RENDERING THE PASSENGER AIRBAG USELESS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, THIS IS HAPPENING A LOT WITH THE SATURN SKYS. IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX (AROUND $1000) AND VERY DANGEROUS, AND SHOULD BE A RECALL.