FaultScore

1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo airbag problems

15 of the 218 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo are about the airbag system — 7% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 97,000 miles.

F

15

Complaints

9

Crashes

0

Fires

5

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Frontal 6 40.0%
AIR Bags 6 40.0%
Sensor/Control Module 2 13.3%
Side/Window 1 6.7%

Airbags across every Chevrolet Monte Carlo year

1995 13 12.0%
1997 15 13.9%
2000 13 12.0%
2001 26 24.1%
2002 20 18.5%
2003 11 10.2%
2006 10 9.3%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Stanford, KY Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. CONSUMER TRIED TO UNLOCK IT BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND HIT A MEDIAN STEEL BARRIER. THEN, VEHICLE ROLLED THREE TIMES AND LANDED UPSIDE DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE, TO THE HOSPITAL. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.

NHTSA complaint #10067494 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 94,000 miles Marion, VA Crash 2 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH VEHICLE SKIDDED ON AN ICY PATCH ON THE ROAD, DRIVER LOST CONTROL, AND VEHICLE HIT AN EMBANKMENT HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES TO THE FACE AND NECK, AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION AND A BLACK EYE. DUE TO SEVERE DAMAGE THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

NHTSA complaint #10065434 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 100,000 miles Novelty, OH Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. AS A RESULT, THE ACCELERATOR THROTTLE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JUMP A CURB AND LAND IN A DITCH. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES TO HIS NECK AND BACK AND WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. *AK *SC

NHTSA complaint #10044835 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 67,158 miles Mcfarland, CA

AIR BAGS

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE THE AUTOMOBILE WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE AIR BAG BEGAN TO INFLATE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. HOWEVER, ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE IT DID NOT INFLATE, IT IS STILL INTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THEY HAD NO ANSWER AS WHAT MADE THE AIR BAG INFLATE.*AK *TS

NHTSA complaint #10032287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 132,013 miles N. Townawanda, NY Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

DURING A SNOW STORM I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT WHERE THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME ABRUPTLY STOPPED AND BECAUSE OF THE ROAD CONDITIONS I WAS UNABLE TO DECELERATE FAST ENOUGH AND I TRIED TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO AVOID HITTING THE OTHER CAR BUT I STILL SLID INTO THE OTHER CAR AND THEN HIT A TREE. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE(APPROX $5,000) DONE TO THE FRONT END OF MY CAR AND MY AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED.

NHTSA complaint #10003502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Arlington, VA Crash

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE VEERED INTO CONSUMER'S LANE. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #897521 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stoughton, MA Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION OF 20-25 MPH WITH A STONE WALL. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER.

NHTSA complaint #881877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Suisun City, CA

AIR BAGS

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN APPLIES:# 98839010/ SEQ# 228/ NHTSA ITEM # SB602269///WOODARD CHEVROLET; IN FAIRFIELD, CA. (707) 4227777 ( WHERE I TOOK IT FOR REPAIR ) REPORTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS A FAILED AIR BAG HARNESS.

NHTSA complaint #728112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Diego, CA

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

AIR BAG LIGHT MALFUNCTIONING.

NHTSA complaint #607110 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

London, KY

AIR BAGS

AT 36,000 MILE THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND CONSUMER PULLED THE FUSE AND CHECKED FOR BLOWN FUSES. ONCE HE PUT FUSES BACK THE LIGHT WENT OFF. .AGAIN AT 37,000 MILES THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND STAYED ON.

NHTSA complaint #838227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rogers, AR Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE TRAVELLING ABOUT 25 MPH, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND THE CAR TURNED OVER. VEHICLE TOTALLED. DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #828214 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orem, UT

AIR BAGS

VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG CAUSED VEHICLE DAMAGE. DUP OF 809298, ADDED ON 25-FEB-98.

NHTSA complaint #517398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orem, UT Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG BLEW APART UPON IMPACT, RESULTING IN CHEMICAL BURNS. DUP OF 517398, ADDED ON 25-FEB-98.

NHTSA complaint #517193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orem, UT Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

INVOLVED IN A COLLISION AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED BUT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG EXPLODED AND THE CHEMICALS IN THE AIR BAG BURNED THE FACE AND NECK OF THE DRIVER.

NHTSA complaint #809298 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Spencerpor, NY

AIR BAGS

REQUEST INFORMATION REQUIRED HAVE AIR BAGS DISCONNECTED.

NHTSA complaint #522306 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo problems

← Full 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo report