Camaro Air Bag Sensor Problem (reads off when passenger is present)

[ambientweather]

I wanted to thank you for all of the advice. I filed with BBB and NTSB. I filed a formal complaint with GM corporate.
I have contacted a local TV station (it helps that I know the producer there). They have a great consumer team.
I am trying to get contact information at GM for Shane Schmitt. He apparently is a GM certified mechanic. He is the one that shut the door and stated is the "vehicle is functioning as designed" and shut down my initial complaint with GM.

This will help personalize it when they put it on air. Here is my letter to GM, which explains it all:

GM
PO Box 33170
Detroit, MI 48232-5170
Re: Case 71-1021462536

Greetings:

I wish to file a formal complaint regarding my 2011 Camaro 2SS/RS Convertible. The safety critical passenger Air Bag (inflatable restraint) does not work properly and reads OFF when a passenger in excess of 160 lbs is in the passenger seat.

This problem is intermittent, about 50% of the time, but reproducible. It has been acknowledged and reproduced on multiple occasions by certified GM mechanics at Freeway Chevrolet in Chandler, Arizona, with multiple employees of Freeway Chevrolet of varying weights in the passenger seat.
The dealership acknowledges that there is a problem, has attempted to fix it on multiple times, but has received little guidance from GM.

I have summarized the repair attempts below:

1. Module replacement
2. Sensor and module replacement
3. Sensor replacement
4. Reprogram module. Service rep able to reproduce problem on this car but no other identical models with multiple passengers and weights.
5. Reproduced connected to ODBC interface at Freeway Chevrolet with 160 lb passenger in car (my wife). Level 4 indicated on ODBC (non adult passenger present). Wife exited and re-entered passenger seat. Level 6 indicated on ODBC.
6. Wife sat in identical car on lot and problem could not be reproduced.
The latest response advised by Shane Schmitt of GM is the vehicle is functioning as designed.


This response is unacceptable because:

1. A 160 lb adult passenger must activate the air bag sensor.
2. The issue is intermittent (about 50% of the time). The same person should not be classified as Level 4 and Level 6 with the seat in the identical position and no change in body position.
3. This intermittent issue could not be reproduced in any other GM vehicle, including an identical model.
4. The problem should not be present with multiple passengers and varying weights.

I expected a much higher level of service from your company, and I am quite disappointed.
I expect this problem to be fixed, or the vehicle replaced. It is irresponsible for GM to not take a life critical feature seriously.

For others with the same problem, I will be launching a Facebook site and I see this is a common problem in this and other forums.

I encourage others with the same issue to file with NTSB:
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
I will provide additional information as required.

[95birdible]

If you would like to link it to my Convertible problems page go right ahead. You may want to try shane.schmitt@gm.com I would bet that is his email address

[ambientweather]

Good point, 95birdible. Personally, I think they are making a big mistake by not addressing such a repeatible and safety critical issue.

To state that this car is "operating as designed" is irresponsible and unacceptable.

Shane Schmitt is really playing with fire here. If there is any kind of injury or fatal accident, I have never heard of a more clear cut case.

[ambientweather]

OK, sent Shane the email. No reply yet. I am not surprised.

[95birdible]

If my gathered knowledge of their email system is correct that should be it.

[evlar]

Perhaps you could mention to your producer friend some of the other common issues faced by Gen 5 Camaro Convertible owners - holes in top, breaking bows, leaking water mgmt bags, etc. I'm sure they'd enjoy reporting on this particularly since GM is mum on the issues yet has relied on taxpayer assistance for the past two years. As 95birdble said, show him the facebook page.

[Les7311]

i have the same light problem that appeared 1200 miles new on car....grrrrrr

[Drago77]

Hey- sorry to jump in late...

I've had this sensor issue since day 1. I've had it in several times for this, first Iowa's told it was because my car Washington"Drive" when the passenger got in... that I needed to put it in"Park" first.... then when i told them I had a manual transmission... they told mentor "go check the owners manual".

Next GM brainstorm was that the sensor threshhold was between125-130.... so after several arguments w my wife (passenger ) I've come to the conclusion, that it still doesn't register properly! Lol!

But to further prove the fact, I had a 200 lbs passenger in there, and i photographed him w the airbags light off... crazy.

[HDRDTD]

Dumb question, but if they replace all of the sensor items and the problem remains, why not replace the entire seat?

It's possible that there might be an issue with the seat itself not allowing the sensor to sense properly.

For example, if the sensor is a type of load cell that measures weight and is positioned internaly in the bottom seat cushion, but there is something inside the seat cusion that's interfering with the contact between the cusion and the load cell, the load cell may not read properly all the time.

Take a complete seat assembly from a car on the lot that you have demonstrated works properly and install it in your car. See what happens.

Seems to me it's just common sense troubleshoooting.

[jtfire006]

i do know mine works fine as long as the car is off when the passenger gets in and you then start the car, but if for any reason i park the car and turn it off and the passenger stays in the car, like when getting gas then it reads off when i start it back up. so i turn it off the passenger gets out and gets back in i start it up and its fine agian. i think it has to reset each time the car is off and if your passenger does not get out when you turn it off the sensor in the seat does not reset. my 2 cents

[ambientweather]

Thanks for the input but my issue is different. It can read off under most and very repeatable circumstances. What chaffed my hide is GM corporate, or Shane Schmitt states the air bag is designed not to work. Not all cars, just my car, since this problem could not be reproduced on any other car on the lot.

So, according to his logic, my car was uniquely designed to not deploy the air bag when a full size passenger is present.

My argument is that something in the air bag system is defective, most likely in the harness or connectors since the sensor and controller have been replaced.

I guess we will let bbb decide.

[Rencor]

I have the same sensor issue. Has a life of it's own! Lets keep this thread alive. This is a critical safety feature for very important people in our lives.

[ambientweather]

Originally Posted by Drago77

Hey- sorry to jump in late...

I've had this sensor issue since day 1. I've had it in several times for this, first Iowa's told it was because my car Washington"Drive" when the passenger got in... that I needed to put it in"Park" first.... then when i told them I had a manual transmission... they told mentor "go check the owners manual".

Next GM brainstorm was that the sensor threshhold was between125-130.... so after several arguments w my wife (passenger ) I've come to the conclusion, that it still doesn't register properly! Lol!

But to further prove the fact, I had a 200 lbs passenger in there, and i photographed him w the airbags light off... crazy.

Iowa and Washington? Love that spell check! Ha!

Seriously, it will take an accident and class action lawsuit....

[RollaMo]

Originally Posted by jtfire006

i do know mine works fine as long as the car is off when the passenger gets in and you then start the car, but if for any reason i park the car and turn it off and the passenger stays in the car, like when getting gas then it reads off when i start it back up. so i turn it off the passenger gets out and gets back in i start it up and its fine agian.
i think it has to reset each time the car is off and if your passenger does not get out when you turn it off the sensor in the seat does not reset. my 2 cents

If that is the way your car is behaving, then I would be taking it back to have it looked at.
There is NO WAY the passenger should have to get out of their seat when you shut the car off to buy gas.
Ours sure does not operate that way.