NHTSA — Air Bags Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
72,867 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Buick Rainier seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2005 Buick Rainier Owner Comments

problem #6

Jun 162023

Rainier

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 16 year old son was making a left hand turn out of a school onto a road with no curve, no hole, no accident but the 4 side air bags deployed for no reason. He was OK and pulled over for safety and got a ride home. We had it towed home and contacted gmac buick and they had it towed to a dealership and had a diagnostic test ran and found no reason for them to deploy but they said the car had been altered because we had put subs and a radio in it through a lisc. Professional but that makes them not liable for anything that would happen. They said putting a radio in can cause the bags to deploy or brakes to fail and it is in their manual and they are not liable for any problem if we alter the car in any way. If this is the case anyone with an aftermarket radio should be warned that their child car anyone can be killed and it will. E no one's fault. I am out a car because insurance said they don't cover it because it wasn't an accident and GMAC says it happens not uncommonly but that they will not help in any way. They told me I was not allowed to talk abijt this to anyone. They read me a statement on the phone which said I can not talk outside of GMAC. They don't want people knowing this is happening. People need to be aware that bags can randomly deploy and if he was in the interstate he could have been killed. I am terrified to get in it and drive. Why do people not know this can happen. Why is gmac not doing anything or putting out psas saying people could die if they out sibs in professionally or otherwise.

- Piqua, OH, USA

problem #5

Feb 172014

Rainier 6-cyl

  • 84,120 miles
Driving on freeway, engaged in normal breaking and wheels locked up and brakes no longer worked. I did not have the ability to brake or steer the SUV. I ultimately hit the center divider nearly head on, mostly middle to passenger side front of car. The air bags did not deploy. Had GM mechanic look at the brakes after the accident to attempt to determine what went wrong with brakes. They stated that the brake module needed to be replaced and that it can cause the "computers to not communicate correctly."' the bad brake module also meant ABS brakes would not work.

- Valley Village, CA, USA

problem #4

Oct 252011

Rainier 6-cyl

  • 109,082 miles
One Sunday morning. Turned car off and heard a humming sound coming from under the hood on the driver side. Friend at church thought it sounded like the ABS module running. Removed the fuse, cutting off ABS module. Was advised by friend to replace fuse when we went to leave church but to take out when we got home or the battery might go dead. He said get it to a dealership asap. I took the Rainier to john newsome superstore in hartsville, South Carolina. I spoke to shop foreman and he agreed it was the ABS module. Cost to replace was $1200 and being unemployed and my wife only one working. A mechanic said it was still ok to drive without anti locking brakes. He was ase certified and told me to stay my distance from other cars in the rain and not to drive on the snow. Nothing about slamming on the brakes. That's just what happen, on October 25/ 2011 I top a hill around 9pm at night running the speed limit. The hill is pointed and as you top the hill you can not see what is in front of you until you start down the hill. Once the Rainier started down the hill, in the middle of the road stood a large deer. I had to make a split decision and that decision was to hold the steering wheel straight at the deer and apply the brakes. When I had applied the brakes the rear end of the Rainier started to go around on the drivers side. I never turned the steering wheel, but as the rear of the car started going around the driver side it force the car to go forward into an embankment, air bag did not deploy. The car flip over and slide upside down, down the road. When the Rainier came to a stop, I unbuckled my seatbelt and feel to what was the roof. Could not open any doors or get any windows down but yet the radio was still playing and the motor was off. I climbed out the passenger side rear window, which broke during the accident.

- Mcbee, SC, USA

problem #3

Oct 302011

Rainier

  • 120,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owned a 2005 Buick ranier. The contact stated that the anti lock brake light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the brakes would perform fine even though the anti lock brake module failed. The contact also stated that the vehicle was later involved in a crash when he lost control of the vehicle attempting to avoid a deer. The air bags did not deploy as the vehicle crashed into a ditch. The failure and current mileages were 120,000.

- Mcbee, SC, USA

problem #2

Oct 252011

Rainier

  • 86,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Buick Rainier. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the side air bags suddenly deployed erroneously. The contact was not injured during the deployment. The contact did not take the vehicle to the dealer or contact the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 86,000.

- Ossian, IA, USA

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problem #1

Jun 302009

Rainier

  • 38,000 miles
2005 Buick Rainier was in a head on collision with a Chrysler Town & Country van in coming traffic. My wife driving the Rainier hit her head on the steering wheel and bent it. She receive a large laceration requiring about 30 stitches, clavicle strain, broken collar bone and multiple bruises. She was wearing the seat belt. Collision was strong enough to lift the rear of the car off the ground and turn it facing the same direction as the van she hit. The airbags did not deploy!

- Fredericksburg, VA, USA

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