Side/window Air Bag Problems of Volkswagen New Beetle

The contact owns a 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle. While driving at an unknown speed the vehicle was involved in a head on collision in which the passenger side air bag deployed but the drivers side air bag didn't deploy. The driver was injured. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and has not been examined for the cause of failure. The failure and current mileages were 115,000.

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Sab deployed while driving on an expressway.

Air bag default, light indicator on shows that there is an air bag malfunction in the passenger side air bag. Vw dealership suggested replacement of the air bag for $800. Car is only 6 years old, 65,000km, no accidents. This should be included under warranty.

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My wife was involved in an accident in our 2002 vw New Beetle. She was hit in the driver's door. Her head was thrown against the driver's window and her hip was hurt from the door intruding into the cabin. Her neck was hurt also. She was transported to va beach gen. Hospital and given x-rays, a CT scan and a physical exam. Her transport was via ambulance and she was extricated through the passenger door on a backboard with a neck brace. We believe her injuries are at least in part due to her side airbag not deploying. We have contacted vw of America and provided them information and photos of the automobile. Vw has informed us that vw's stand is that it accepts no responsibility because the damage did not fall within their specs per the diagram in the owners manual. Our position is it absolutely does fall within their guidelines as witnessed by the photos. We also offered them a 30 day period that the insurance company would hold the vehicle for inspection and they said they were not interested in examining the car and as far as vw America was concerned the matter was closed. We believe vw should be help liable for my wife's medical bills at a minimum and that they should inspect the vehicle for defects in the airbag system. The automobile was a total loss and will not be repaired.

Airbag system malfunction: airbag (srs) system warning light illuminated in the instrumental panel, originally on 9/24/2001. Vw dealer stated driver's seat side airbag needed replacement due to an internal cause and was replaced on 10/2/2001 at 15365 miles. Airbag light illuminated again and system was serviced on 4/8/2003 where vw dealer repaired connection under driver's seat at 36405 miles. Recently, airbag light illuminated again and was serviced on 10/13/2008. The driver's seat was removed and dealer repaired connection to driver's seat side airbag at 111370 miles. If this problem were not repaired, the driver's seat side airbag would not have deployed in the event of a side collision. Vw dealer stated that numerous vw New Beetles have had air bag connection repairs for the driver's seat side airbag. Vw dealer stated they put an "extension" on the connecting wire and this problem shouldn't occur again. Again, vw dealer stated the air bag system connection under the driver's side front seat appears to be a recurring problem. This concerns me because there is a recurring connection problem with the airbag system, which diminishes the air bag system?s safety and reliability during a collision. Vw should recall and repair New Beetles with this airbag connection problem so that the airbag system will no longer malfunction due to a faulty wire connection. My local vw dealer stated the problem was remedied with a new ?extension? part and the problem should no longer occur. If I had three malfunctions with my vehicle?s airbag system and my local dealer recognized this is a problem in my area, this may be a widespread, recurring problem among New Beetles. Vw New Beetle owners should be officially notified of this potential safety problem with the airbag system so that the proper repair can be made to the airbag system to ensure the safety of the driver in the event of a side collision.

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- the contact's air bag warning light turned on after the vehicle reached 51,000 miles. The contact took vehicle to a Volkswagen dealer and was told that the computer controller for the air bag system needed to be replaced by the owner at a cost of $1000. The contact stated that on December 27, 2006, while driving at 55 mph ,the right side passenger's air bag / curtain deployed for no reason, bruising a passenger in the car. The weather at the time the air bag deployed was nice. The contact stated that he wanted to pursue Volkswagen to get air bag repaired and working properly. The contact stated that Volkswagen should pay for the repair.

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While driving at 20 mph consumer's vehicle crashed into the rear end of another vehicle. Consumer was wearing a seat belt that did not lock up. Also, passenger's side airbag deployed, but driver's side air bag did not. Consumer sustained minor bruises to the chest and head.

Driver-side side airbag deployed on my 1998 vw beetle for no apparent reason causing loss of vehicle control and accident.

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While driving on an icy road at 20 mph my car skidded of the road and hit a tree head on. The car will be most likely totaled, and I received injuries to my leg, back, shoulder and neck. Although my car is equipped with both front and side air bags, not one of them deployed. I mentioned the car received massive damage, yet the air bag system did nothing to lessen my injuries because they didn't work as I hoped. I purchased my vw beetle with the safety features in mind, but I now have learned that numerous complaints about the non deployment of air bags is common. I feel fortunate that my injuries were not life threatening, yet feel cheated that my vehilcle's safety features did not work when I needed them most. Dt.

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Hit, while stopping for stopped traffic on freeway, in the rear by a car traveling at high rate of speed. Extensive damage ($7800+) done to rear and side of car. Side airbag curtain deployed, but did not inflate. Front drivers airbag also did not inflate. Driver suffered back and neck injuries. Photos are available.

No deployment of both drivers and passenger side impact air bags possible resulted in the death of the driver robert mcgary. Nlm.