Premature Side curtain airbag deployment

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Waldo
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Premature Side curtain airbag deployment

Post by Waldo »

Friday night on my way to the cabin at the lake, I was driving on a famously horrendous Saskatchewan road, Hwy21, I hit a BAD patch of washboards. Nothing I haven't driven before mind you but still up in the top 10. After coasting across, off throttle, my Alpha settled out and as I was getting back on the gas *BOOM* My side curtain airbags deployed, seatbelts locked up tight, I had enough wits about me to keep control and coast onto an approach and check out my truck. I didn't hit anything & nothing had hit me but now I had my side curtain airbags deployed, seatbelts unable to loosen, a broken driver's side visor and my sunroof won't close.


The truck is in at a GM stealership now, they're ripping out all the sensors and the airbag control module to send to the engineering department in Ontario.

Now I'm fine, I have no bumps or bruises to speak of aside from getting the sh!t scared outta me that night. I've heard of a few people having this happen to them in H3's but not yet in an H3T. Just wondering of anyone on here has had a similar issue with a premature airbag inflation?

I love my truck to death, but after this I think she's trying to kill me! I drive roads a million times worse and much faster than I was on this highway Friday night, I'm scared GM is going to run me up sh!ts creek with the bill on this for airbags, seatbelts, sunroof repair, headliner, sun visor and labor.


Any help, advice or moral support from the Canadian Hummer club could really be helpful right about now.


Waldo

2009 Gray H3T Alpha 71,000kms
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normsadler
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Re: Premature Side curtain airbag deployment

Post by normsadler »

Wow, no haven't had that happen thank goodness!  But the hardess think I've even hit was a rail road crossing.  Glad you weren't injured and hopefully warranty or insurance will cover the costs.
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Khamul
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Re: Premature Side curtain airbag deployment

Post by Khamul »

Sorry to hear man.... GM electrical is a joke unfortunately....
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Archngel
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Re: Premature Side curtain airbag deployment

Post by Archngel »

Sorry to hear about this
 
I have an H3 Alpha 2010 never happend to me and i've been on rough roads.
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johnnyspikesH3
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Re: Premature Side curtain airbag deployment

Post by johnnyspikesH3 »

Yes there was reports on another forum of this occurring . The good news was GM covered it .  :right_on: The only alternative for safe guarding this type of incident from happening again. Is pulling the fuse when off the pavement . Glad your ok and good luck bro . 
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shotgun-cam
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Re: Premature Side curtain airbag deployment

Post by shotgun-cam »

Another case of GM mis engineering. Just ask about volt's from a GM Grand Technician, away from
the dealership..  
Last edited by shotgun-cam on Sun Aug 18, 2013 11:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Waldo
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Re: Premature Side curtain airbag deployment

Post by Waldo »

No kidding on the GM missed engineering design first the ancient as stone single overhead cam in every V8 & the Duramax (I would've thought Izuzu was smart enough do abandon SOHC) then airbags spontaneously exploding in everything from rough terrain, hard g's and even a few JUST IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC! but I still say the worst is torsion bars: I hate them with a passion, the ride is horrible, they make noise and just suck.


While searching for other info on my accidental deployment I found this add that GM put out a notice to dealers that this may happen. My local service writer let it slip that GM locally has had a problem with this; a 2014 Sierra Denali just had this happen after the owner had it for a week and a BRAND NEW, as in single digit mileage, GMC Terrain Crossover had the curtains pop when the delivery driver was backing it off the transport truck.

MSN Article & video of GM Camaro demo by Edmunds testing on a skid pad and popping the curtain airbags:

<a href="http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/au ... b8f1706</a>
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Waldo
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Re: Premature Side curtain airbag deployment

Post by Waldo »

Woohoo! I finally received word this afternoon that GM WILL be covering the costs of repairs on my T!


Their reasoning being that because the airbags deployed and there was no external or physical damage to the truck aside from the airbags deploying, even though the airbag control system apparently worked within it's designed parameters.
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Waldo
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Re: Premature Side curtain airbag deployment

Post by Waldo »

A very ANGRY update today on the progress of my truck.

Day#39 I have officially lost $7,000 +/- as of today due to me not having a vehicle and not being able to work on the road.

I received a call at 4:30 this afternoon saying the headliner ordered for my truck is wrong. It sat the last 3 days waiting to get into the bodyshop to get the back window cut out to put this headliner in without damaging it.

This part was a 10 day wait, special order and I know first hand it arrived last Thursday morning......IT TOOK SEVEN DAYS to open it up and look at it to see if it was right?!?!?! I am so beyond livid I can't explain. I'm here being told "It will be ready Friday" for three weeks. I've had calm yet stern words with both the service manager and parts manager I will be contacting GM again tomorrow about this and sending them a bill for my lost income for the last 6 weeks.

I'm at a complete loss I was patient when it took GM a week to approve the removal and shipping of the airbag modules, I remained calm when it took the engineers 3 weeks to diagnose the issue and approve them paying the repair bill to only find out it only took 8 working days and my contact at GM "just forgot about it" I started to get frustrated when it took my dealer an extra 3 days order my headliner because "he wrote it down but forgot about it" I was severely annoyed when every single part was there for 5 days and they JUST removed the back window to install the headliner, I'm now livid to the point of heart palpitations at only 24yrs old.

No advice needed, no recommends desired just my .02, never buy a GM again!
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