Did I Get The Shaft???
Intrinsic_Entropy
10-04-2005, 09:20 PM
Okay, so I bought a 95 Lumina LS about 5 months ago for $3200, which wasn't that bad since it had pretty low miles on it and was in good shape.
The other day, I am looking at the steering wheel and I see a little tear right where the leather folds to let the airbag out. It's about 2 inches long, but somehow I never noticed it before. Anyways, it's torn a little more lately and now I can peel it back and see what I believe is where the airbag should be. I can see a yellow piece of plastic that has a few holes in it in a cross pattern. Is that what inflates the bag?
Did I get sold a car without bags that I could have died in?
Do I have anyway to sue the guys that sold me the car, or has it been too long?
I looked over the paperwork and there is nothing mentioning the problem, and I know the guys didn't say anything about it. Is it legal to sell a car without bags in Idaho? I know it is in Washington.
By the way, I'm not exactly too trusting of these guys. They sold me the car with a totally empty tank (below 2nd red bar), and screwed me on my trade-in by about $400.
Any help greatly appreciated.
---UPDATED---
Got some pics this morning from my phone. No pics available for the passenger's side. Please excuse the crap quality.
http://www.geocities.com/KonaKenny7/lumina1.jpghttp://www.geocities.com/KonaKenny7/lumina2.jpg
The other day, I am looking at the steering wheel and I see a little tear right where the leather folds to let the airbag out. It's about 2 inches long, but somehow I never noticed it before. Anyways, it's torn a little more lately and now I can peel it back and see what I believe is where the airbag should be. I can see a yellow piece of plastic that has a few holes in it in a cross pattern. Is that what inflates the bag?
Did I get sold a car without bags that I could have died in?
Do I have anyway to sue the guys that sold me the car, or has it been too long?
I looked over the paperwork and there is nothing mentioning the problem, and I know the guys didn't say anything about it. Is it legal to sell a car without bags in Idaho? I know it is in Washington.
By the way, I'm not exactly too trusting of these guys. They sold me the car with a totally empty tank (below 2nd red bar), and screwed me on my trade-in by about $400.
Any help greatly appreciated.
---UPDATED---
Got some pics this morning from my phone. No pics available for the passenger's side. Please excuse the crap quality.
http://www.geocities.com/KonaKenny7/lumina1.jpghttp://www.geocities.com/KonaKenny7/lumina2.jpg
jeffcoslacker
10-05-2005, 07:23 AM
It could just be the backing that the bag breaks through when it deploys, I'm not sure. Does you dash light for the airbag come on and then go out when you first turn the ignition on?
All the lights go through "roll call" when first started, a system check to make sure everything is there and happy. If you delete the bags, the light would have to be disabled, or it would be on all the time if no bag module was present.
I've seen a couple of used cars that were wadded real bad and repaired (using that term lightly), and the airbags were not replaced (they cost over a grand to replace) and some where the vinyl on the steering wheel were repaired with vinyl repair. Really sad.
I'm not sure about the law where you live, I think it is illegal to sell a car with airbag delete WITHOUT a disclosure, but I seriously am not sure about that.
Try looking at the NTSB's site, they might have the info or link you need.
All the lights go through "roll call" when first started, a system check to make sure everything is there and happy. If you delete the bags, the light would have to be disabled, or it would be on all the time if no bag module was present.
I've seen a couple of used cars that were wadded real bad and repaired (using that term lightly), and the airbags were not replaced (they cost over a grand to replace) and some where the vinyl on the steering wheel were repaired with vinyl repair. Really sad.
I'm not sure about the law where you live, I think it is illegal to sell a car with airbag delete WITHOUT a disclosure, but I seriously am not sure about that.
Try looking at the NTSB's site, they might have the info or link you need.
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