33 of the
417 complaints filed about the Oldsmobile 98
are about the airbag system —
8% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1994.
The contact owns a 1996 Oldsmobile 98. The contact stated while driving at 10-15 MPH, the driver's side air bag deployed inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was drivable; however, the contact's boyfriend pushed the vehicle in the nearby parking lot with assistance of a bystander. The vehicle was towed to the residence of the contact's friend. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.
NHTSA complaint #11461221 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
INAPPROPRIATE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. AUTO MOVING AT 5 TO 10 MILES PER HOUR, NO COLLISION WITH ANYTHING AND THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. UPPER BODY INJURIES, WENT TO HOSPITAL. AUTO TOTALED BY INSURANCE COMPANY.
NHTSA complaint #10335366 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 OLDSMOBILE 98 ROYAL. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO HOLD THE AIR BAG DOWN AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO PREVENT A CRASH. THE CONTACT SUFFERED SORENESS IN HIS NECK AND RIBS. HE ALSO HAS AN ABRASION ON HIS ARM FROM THE FAILURE. HE NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WAS CAUSED BY THE MOISTURE IN THE COMPONENT. THEY OFFERED HIM A SETTLEMENT TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE AIR BAGS OR GIVE HIM A NEW VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 184,716.
NHTSA complaint #10197376 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED ON 06/20/06 WHILE THE IGNITION WAS ON BUT IN PARK. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG ALSO DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON 06/21/06. THE WAS NO IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE DURING BOTH INCIDENTS. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FIRST INCIDENT HOWEVER THE CONTACT OBSERVED THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE 2ND INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED NOR LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ON 06/22/06 WHO DETERMINED THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 06/23/06 FOR A REPAIR ESTIMATE HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DUE TO THE COST. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG.
NHTSA complaint #10162094 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DT: 1996 OLDSMOBILE 98 ELITE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HIT A DEER, AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID DEPLOY. THIS AIR BAG HAD A BIG HOLE IN IT, ALMOST 6-7 INCHES LONG AND 2-3 INCHES WIDE. ALSO IT HAD A BURNED LOOK TO IT. NO ONE INVESTIGATED TO SEE WHY IT HAD A HOLE. THE WAS TOTALED. THE CONSUMER'S GRANDDAUGHTER SUSTAINED A DEVIATED SEPTUM. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN.
NHTSA complaint #10133570 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I SMELLED WHAT SEEMED TO BE BURNING WIRE COMING FROM INSIDE MY VEHICLE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE I WAS OPERATING THE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #10114724 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT REASON UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS CAUSING WINDSHIELD TO BREAK AND DUE TO COST TO REPAIR DASH AND AIRBAGS CAUSED CAR TO BE A TOTAL LOSS.
NHTSA complaint #10068229 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THE STEERING WHEEL, DURING AN ACCIDENT IT VIOLENTLY DEPLOYED AND BLEW THE CONSUMERS HAND OFF THE WHEEL WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT BROKE HER WRIST (RIGHT) AND RESULTED IN 3RD DEGREE BURNS TO THE LEFT ARM, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY TOWARDS THE PASSENGER BUT WENT UP THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THESE AIR BAGS ARE OLD AND OUTDATED AND BELIEVES THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED. NLM
NHTSA complaint #785612 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 60 NEAR DUDLEY, MO @ 65 MPH, WHEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE NEARBY EXIT AND STOPPED AT A CONVENIENCE STORE. FILLED GAS TANK, EVERYTHING SEEMD TO BE WORKING FINE, SO I PULLED BACK ONTO ROAD, SOON AFTER THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, AND HORN STARTED HONKING. I STOPPED, DISCONNECTED HORN, CUT AWAY BAG AND DROVE HOME. NOTIFIED COMPANY, AND PER THEIR REQUEST HAD DIAGNOSTICS TEST RUN AT BLACKWELL-BALDWIN OLDS IN POPLAR BLUFF, MO; NO CODES FOUND, MECHANIC SAID A SHORT IN THE STEERING COLUMN CAUSED THE DEPLOYMENT. MECHANIC SAID COLUMN WAS TIGHT, AND NO SIGN IT HAD EVER BEEN OPENED, BUT A WIRE WAS STRETCHED. HE SAID APPARENTLY THE STEERING WHEEL SNAGGED THE WIRE. OLDSMOBILE WILL ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR THIS DUE TO AGE AND MILEAGE ON CAR, AND SAY I MUST BEAR ENTIRE COST OF TEST, REPLACEMENT, AND RESULTING EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS. SUGGESTED I CONTACT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU IF I DIDN'T LIKE THEIR FINDINGS. SINCE WHEN DID AIRBAGS COME WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
NHTSA complaint #750255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH VEHICLE HIT A SMALL TREE, BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER RECEIVED BURNS TO RIGHT SIDE OF FACE/ BLEEDING BEHIND RIGHT EYE, AND A FRACTURED NOSE. STILL UNDER MEDICAL ATTENTION. *AK
NHTSA complaint #887905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40MPH ON HIGHWAY AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG WENT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND CONTROL HIS VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #886325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY, BUT THE FUMES CAME OUT OF IT. CONSUMER WAS ON THE HIGHWAY & HAD TO LEAVE VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. CONSUMER'S HUSBAND MOVED THE VEHICLE, AND THE AIRBAG POPPED OUT, ALMOST CAUSING VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO BUILDING. DEALER REPAIRED PROBLEM AT NO CHARGE.
NHTSA complaint #859986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT ABOUT 2-3MPH, DRIVER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY WITHOUT A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SOLENOID SENSOR IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON JUST BEFORE THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR THE OCCUPANT TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #835203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.