The driver of a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck was involved in a single-vehicle accident.  The front of the Dodge pickup struck a large tree, causing significant damage to the vehicle. 

Dodge Pickup Airbag Failure

However, the driver airbag failed to deploy.  As a result of the airbag non-deployment, the driver suffered fatal blunt chest trauma injuries.

Our investigation also revealed that Chrysler had received hundreds and hundreds of complaints from other consumers indicating that the airbags had failed to deploy in their pickup trucks too.  This case focused on the lack of an air bag sensor at the front of the pickup, even though previous models of the pickup had used such a front sensor.  Our research also revealed that the Dodge pickup truck’s existing sensor was not calibrated properly for the vehicle’s structure, allowing it to be “fooled” especially in crashes involving trees and utility poles.