Airbag incedent in my car last night!!

[niersbach]

OK, so last night was my daughters birthday party. We end up with 10 girls at a Japenese steak house. I had to drive along with my wife. So I am taking 2 of the guests home and my 13 year old daughter is in the car with me (the wife had all the rest in our expedition). We are cruising along doing 35 - 40 mph on a semi main street about to enter the girls neighborhood when suddenly there is a huge explosion in the car, the smell of sulfur or whatever it is and my 13 year old is in shock. I stop the car in the median, thinking I jsut blew a tire and we are smelling burning rubber as I have no clue what else it could be! I get out of the car as the 3 girls are all crying and I am looking hte car over....no problems outside that I can tell. I open the passenger door to get them out of the car....there is it, the passenger side airbag deployed for no apparent reason!!! On the 2008 Mustang the airbag is built into the seat. How freekin crazy is that!!! I dont know what would have happened if she had been looking out the window, or if we had been in traffic, or if it would have been my 8 year old vice the oldest.....I had at least 100 different scenario's going through my head all night last night. FREEKIN CRAZY!!! Anyone else ever heard of such a thing??? THe manager at Ford dealership was completely shocked too, as all the bags should have deployed, not just the one and he has NEVER heard of it ever happening ever before either. I have searched the few mustang forums I am on and nothing so far.

[scottlr]

That has crossed my mind a few times before. I smoke a pipe here and there, and it crossed my mind that if something like that malfunction happened to the driver's side bag, it'd ram the pipe down my neck. I rarely smoke it in the car anymore, though. I am surprised we don't hear more stories like yours. What other device is there that has zero incidents of malfunctions?

[xroads]

Maybe it was this:
http://www.mira.co.uk/Services/EMCTesting.htm

there have been reports that RF interference CAN potentially release an airbag.

[Washburnmemphis]

... What other device is there that has zero incidents of malfunctions?

I agree it's suspicious, that we're not hearing anything about it.

I had the opposite happen to me with my cars airbags. I was on my way home from work probably doing about 35 mph when an oncoming driver made a left turn in front of me as I was making my way straight through the intersection. We collided but none of my airbags deployed.

My car, a 94 Lexus ES300 was written off with about $10K worth of damage.

[niersbach]

Crazy, but i don't understand why you had to get out of the car to realise the airbag inside the car went off?

Luckily no one was hurt.

It was the side airbag...not the dash bag. In a mustang, the airbag for side impact is located in the actual seat....basically the whole side of the seat exploded into the door for just a split second and when I looked over it was already deflated and was out of sight.... I thought I had blown a tire REALLY bad....as in exploded it and all the crazy smell in the car was from outside...burnt rubber etc.... Until I opened the passenger door from the outside and saw the airbag that is....

[megalowmatt]

Wow. I have wondered if this kind of thing ever happens. Good thing it was only the side air bag. Keep us updated as to what the dealer says.

[jmbstudios]

Thats why I tell my kids to quit kicking the back of my seat!

[tone4days]

sorry to read of it happening
glad it wasnt worse news
i hope they make it right
t4d

[Papajuice]

Take it to the dealer, they have the equipment that will tell exactly when and why it deployed. The airbag module will have recorded all the data. They should replace everything from the airbag in the seat to the foam pad and seat cover. If they do argue get the service manger and district guy's involved. When I worked at Mercedes Benz this happen to a S 500 a customer drove over a railroad track, just going down the road. They bought the car back and put the owner in to a new one. It was determined that a ground issue caused it and they did not want a lawsuit. Being a 2008 they should really be the ones to look at it.

[jzgtrguy]

RF interference? I had this thought yesterday. What if there was a large EMP event like a nuclear bomb exploding in space or some sort of solar event. Would everyone's airbags go off all at once? Maybe there is something to this. I was going to post it as a thread but then I saw your thread....

[Joe Kerr]

Moisture can cause them to go off.

I know someone whos bags went off they totaled his car because of the bags
had gone off.

No wreck the bags went off and he said well wait a minute I had no wreck

The insurance people totaled the car then canceled the guy.
He cant afford another car and has no insurance now.

Here is the kicker had he kept the car and wanted too
4500 for the airbags alone.

More than the value of the car by then so it was totaled.
Mustang at that.


They will force you to replace that air bag.
My Brother has a van and it went off in his face while he was driving
LOUD was what he described it as..

Now it was fixed but they told him this can happen again and again
and nothing can be done until you fix it with the more expensive
type of bag.

It is in the horn area and his horn is out You cant get the car inspected
with no horn and if you fiddle with it to fix it ?

BOOM the air bag will go off.

I told him to have the van crushed. But sell the airbags first.

Now when your car gets jacked they take the airbags
they are the most expensive parts to your car.
Besides the transmission and engine.

Best of luck honestly it will be expensive as hell and
you might consider getting out of the car entirely.

I am serious as it might continue to happen now over and over.
Thats what the deal is with brothers van now.

He hit a chug hole and BOOM.

My other brothers next door neighbor was killed by hers
it broke her neck.

The come out at 200 mph.

I can just imagine the kids screaming helped.
Glad your all ok.

You could tell your daughter at least the birthday went off with a bang.
she might laugh now.

Perhaps not... scary deal glad your safe.

[StevenS]

OK, so last night was my daughters birthday party. We end up with 10 girls at a Japenese steak house. I had to drive along with my wife. So I am taking 2 of the guests home and my 13 year old daughter is in the car with me (the wife had all the rest in our expedition). We are cruising along doing 35 - 40 mph on a semi main street about to enter the girls neighborhood when suddenly there is a huge explosion in the car, the smell of sulfur or whatever it is and my 13 year old is in shock. I stop the car in the median, thinking I jsut blew a tire and we are smelling burning rubber as I have no clue what else it could be! I get out of the car as the 3 girls are all crying and I am looking hte car over....no problems outside that I can tell. I open the passenger door to get them out of the car....there is it, the passenger side airbag deployed for no apparent reason!!! On the 2008 Mustang the airbag is built into the seat. How freekin crazy is that!!! I dont know what would have happened if she had been looking out the window, or if we had been in traffic, or if it would have been my 8 year old vice the oldest.....I had at least 100 different scenario's going through my head all night last night. FREEKIN CRAZY!!! Anyone else ever heard of such a thing??? THe manager at Ford dealership was completely shocked too, as all the bags should have deployed, not just the one and he has NEVER heard of it ever happening ever before either. I have searched the few mustang forums I am on and nothing so far.


Really glad no one was hurt man!

Shit happens unfortunately.....

[Structo]

Scary stuff.

Do you remember when that toddler was decapitated by the front airbag?
Decapitated the kid and his head flew out the side window into the parking lot.

Kids + airbags = injury or death.

Story:
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961127&slug=2362025