Chrysler is recalling 4,336 model year 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Commander and Jeep Wrangler vehicles. Wiring may be reversed on the steering column control module driver airbag squib connector. (The squib is the component within the air bag inflator that begins the deployment process.) The driver’s airbag may not deploy as intended. In the event of a crash, the driver’s airbag will not deploy and will not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries.

On February 25, 2009 a defective Steering Column Control Module (SCCM) was found at a Chrysler instrument panel supplier. Analysis determined that wiring was reversed on the driver air bag squib connector. Investigation determined that the SCCM supplier manufacturing process locates the driver air bag squib wires into a fixture by hand and a vision system checks for correct wire color and position prior to soldering. It was also determined that if the fixture is in program mode, the squib wires can be soldered even if not correctly positioned.

The affected vehicles all utilize multi-stage driver airbags, and reversed squib wires may result in improper driver air bag deployment performance as the inflator stages fire in reverse order. This condition is not detectable by vehicle on-board diagnostics, and no malfunction indicator lamp will illuminate. The component was supplied by TRW Automotive Electronics Group. The recall is expected to begin during May 2009. 09V-118.

This recall illustrates two main problems with airbag recalls.  First, the quality control can sometimes be lacking, and allows defective components to slip through the production system and into unsuspecting consumers’ hands.  Second, the airbag warning lamp does not detect all defects, including this one.  This means you may not know that you have a defective airbag until it’s too late and you’re involved in a crash where you needed your airbag.

General Motors announced a recall of more than 675,000 Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire vehicles from the 1996 and 1997 model years for an airbag sensor defect.  Those vehicles use a Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM) that also serves as a “black box” for the airbag system.  Unfortunately, GM did not calibrate the software inside the SDM properly.

This safety sensor defect could result in the airbag sensor interpreting non-accident events as crashes requiring deployment.  In this kind of failure, even an impact to the underside of the car (such as from a rock) can fool the air bag sensor into thinking it was a serious crash and deploying the airbags.  There have also been reports of the airbags deploying without any significant impact at all.  If the airbag deploys while you are driving, it can shock you and even knock you out, causing an accident.  Of course, since the airbag already deployed, it is not there to protect you when you get into that accident.  The result can be serious personal injury or a wrongful death.

In such a case, you have to be prepared for GM’s argument that the air bag deployed during the accident, rather than before the accident.  There are ways to determine this by analyzing the internal (hexadecimal) data within the crash sensor and forensic marks from the accident, but it is a complicated process requiring engineering skills.  If this happened to you or a loved one, it would be helpful to hire an airbag lawyer who also has airbag engineering experience.  You need someone who can understand the complex issues in interpreting the black box data in General Motors vehicles, including the Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire.

The government’s recall number is 98V-146.

Chrysler is recalling nearly a million minivans from the 1998 to 2000 model years sold as the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan, Dodge Grand Caravan, Plymouth Voyager and Plymouth Grand Voyager.  A defect inside the clockspring can cause the driver airbag to fail to deploy during a crash.  This could lead lead to serious person injuries or wrongful death from the accident.  However, Chrysler limited mandatory replacement of the clockspring only to those vehicles having 70,000 miles; owners of vehicles having more miles than that receive only an extended warranty, unless the clockspring fails.  Of course, if it fails during a crash, then it will be too late.

The government’s recall number is 04V-480.

While all new vehicles sold today must have frontal airbags, many also have rollover airbags designed to protect you during rollover accidents. Unfortunately, these airbags don’t always perform properly.

The most frequent criticism of rollover airbags is their failure to deploy. This is often happens when an airbag system doesn’t have a rollover sensor.

Failure to equip a vehicle with a rollover airbag can itself be a defect. This is particularly true for vehicles with a higher risk of rolling over, such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and vans.

Unfortunately, some people are told their vehicles have side curtain airbags or see the “airbag” logo on the interior trim, without realizing not all of those curtain airbags will deploy in a rollover accident.

Keep in mind, salespeople at dealerships may tell customers side impact airbags will deploy in rollover crashes, even when it is not true. That kind of statement can cause the salespeople and the dealer to be held responsible for misrepresentation or fraud when the airbags don’t deploy in a rollover accident. This remains true even if the car company is at fault for failing to install a rollover airbag.

In addition to crash safety sensors, other defects include rollover airbags that “catch” on a piece of plastic trim, causing them to fail to deploy completely or properly. Some rollover airbags also include “pockets” that are not well-pressurized, allowing you to suffer severe head injuries in those locations.

In some cases, rollover airbags failed to deploy because internal components came apart during the rollover, causing the inflation gas to escape rather than inflate the airbag. This can result in you being partially or completely ejected, or being injured from hitting the inside of your car.

All vehicles do not have side airbags.  In fact, two common defects in airbag systems are the lack of a side airbag and the installation of only a torso airbag (which may not protect your head and neck during an accident).  Some car companies make side airbags optional even in very expensive cars, even when we know that safety should never be an option.

Even if a side airbag is installed, it doesn’t always function properly.  When a side airbag doesn’t deploy during a side impact crash, the cause is often defective crash sensor placement or software algorithms in electronic sensors that don’t detect the crash severity.

These problems can stem from negligent testing programs that don’t address real-world crashes into poles and trees, even where they should have protected the consumer.

Some side airbags hang up on the seat or trim panels, causing them to deploy incompletely or improperly.  Also, a few side airbag systems were defectively designed to be so forceful they can unnecessarily inflict serious or even fatal injuries when they inflate.  Such “aggressive” side airbags are particularly dangerous for children and infants.

These defects can cause severe personal injuries, including head trauma; traumatic brain injuries (TBI); skull fractures; facial injuries; spinal cord injuries; cervical spine fractures or dislocations; paralysis (paraplegia, quadraplegia); arm and hand injuries, including traumatic amputation; chest injuries; flail chest; heart injuries; pelvic injuries; bone fractures/orthopedic injuries; as well as numerous other injuries.

In some cases, defects in your side airbags can cause wrongful death.