Airbags

[vals3d]

I have a 2002 Clio 172, last sunday I was on my way home and there was this pothole on the entrance to a main road. I swear I was doing 40-50 km/h and my seat airbag exploded right on my ear. I didt loose control and I never felt like I was in danger. I got to the renault people and they said that its a safety sistem and it was trigered right on time. I dont think a crack on the road shoul invoque an airbag, so Im thinking to get them sued... Any thoughts? By the way, Im in mexico city, the law sistem aint that good...

 

[Viv172]

Dont see the point in sueing them as you werent hurt!!

There was a known problem with the first 172s and airbags going off, but Ive never heard anyone say that about the later models...Unless someone knows different??

I think this sounds like a warrenty job as theres no way it should go off, just coz you went over a bump....

 

[Turkish]

id second viv i doubt you would have anything you could sue them for but i do think that if the airbag went off needlessly then they should replace it at no cost to you as it is clearly faulty if it went off despite there being no impact

 

[Cheesebox]

Exactly the same happened to me. At first Renault wanted me to go through my insurance as it is very expensive to repair (they said well over 1,000 pounds). I refused as the airbags are supposed to go off after a "severe side impact" - so i just kept saying that. Is there any damage on your car? because all i had was a scuffed alloy. Try speaking to a manager too and suggest to them how the airbag going off could have caused an unnecessary crash. They did eventually fix it for free, and also insisted in giving me these printouts about why airbags go off and how they can burn your face (thanks for that Renault) - Surely an airbag should only go off when you crash to protect your head? Dont take no for an answer.

Also, i believe that the speed/road conditions are recorded when the airbag is deployed. This should help your case. They asked me if there was any unusually loud noises when mine went off - hmmm, yeah like one big loud bang actually - idiots!

 

[Scudetto]

i would assume a side airbag would deploy in a collision to the side of the vehicle (erm, hence side airbag, I guess). Hitting a pot hole should not cause it to go off, so at least the part/sensors are faulty and should be replaced by Reno. As for sueing reno...what for? You wouldnt sue them if the electric windows packed up; its the same thing, if you think about it. By all means get them to fix it if it is under warranty, but if youre not injured then you dont stand much hope of a making a successful compo claim.

Good luck, anyway!

g

 

[vals3d]

Thanks to everyone. Actully I wasnt talking about sueing Renault but the dealer who refused to repair my car, it is under warranty, but they said it was the roads fault. They want my insurance to pay for it, and they will after I paid the 5% of my clio cost...
Anyway, Ill try to get them to fix it via warranty, I do miss my car, but 10 thousand pesos aint easy to give away...