2001 Buick Lesabre

MY PARENTS PURCHASED A 2001 BUICK LESABRE FROM THE DEALERSHIP NEW. BOTH PARENTS (FATHER NOW DECEASED) RETIRED AND MOVED TO FLORIDA IN 2001, AND VERY RARELY DROVE THE VEHICLE. MY FATHER PASSED AWAY IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR (2012) AND MY MOTHER ASKED ME IF I WANTED THE CAR. I DROVE TO FLORIDA TO PICK UP THE CAR AND NOTICED THE DASH PANEL WAS ALL BUCKLED AND LOOKED HORRIBLE. I ASKED MY MOTHER WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THOUGHT PERHAPS IT WAS DUE TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA HEAT, BUT MY MOTHER SAID IT STARTED IN 2006 AND THEY HAD BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE AND WOULD COST OVER $1000 TO REPAIR. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE FOR REPLACEMENT DASH PANELS I DISCOVERED THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AND HAS BEEN FOR SOMETIME, FLORIDA HEAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND WILL CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY CAUSING INJURY. *TR

THE DASH PAD UNDER THE WINDSHIELD IS STARTING TO BUCKLE AND SEPARATE FROM THE METAL CLAMPS. THIS SEPARATION IS CONTINUALLY GROWING AND MOVING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE DASH PANEL TO THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG IS LOCATED. WITH THIS MOVEMENT AND CHANGE I AM CONCERNED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT OR THE AIR BAG MAY INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY CAUSING INJURY TO THE PASSENGER, NOT TO MENTION HOW THE DRIVER MAY REACT SHOULD THE AIRBAG DEPLOY UNEXPECTEDLY. GENERAL MOTORS NEEDS TO FIX THIS TO INSURE NOBODY IS INJURED IF THAT HASN'T ALREADY HAPPENED. *TR

THE DASH PAD ON MY 2001 LESABRE, WHICH MY ELDERLY MOTHER PREVIOUSLY OWNED AND MAINTAINED WELL, HAS BUCKLED AND PULLED UP FROM THE DASH BOARD RIGHT ABOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. IT HAS PULLED OUT OF THE DEFROST PANEL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND CURLS UP AND IS BECOMING AN OBSTRUCTION TO MY VIEW. I AM UNABLE TO REATTACH IT AND WORRIED THAT AS IT CONTINUES TO PULL OUT TO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, IT WILL POSSIBLY ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THIS TO BE A PROBLEM FOR MULTIPLE YEARS OF THE LESABRE MODEL AND GM HAS NOT ADDRESSED IT. I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN WITH OTHER OLDER CAR MODELS AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THE LESABRE FOR SOME IN THE EARLY YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. *TR

2001 BUICK LESABRE VIN [XXX] DASH PAD HAS BEEN PEELING UPWARD TOWARD WINDSHIELD. STARTED IN FRONT OF STEERING WHEEL AND HAS MIGRATED ACROSS TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. ALSO PEELING APART ON CORNERS AND ABOVE GLOVE BOX. AS THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS WORSENED, THERE IS A NOISE THAT I SUSPECT IS COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT A DEPLOYMENT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE DASH LOOKS TO BE A BLAST AWAY UNIT WHEN THE AIR BAG IS DEPLOYED. IF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WERE TO DEPLOY UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS IT MAY OBSCURE THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK LASABRE. WHILE EXAMINING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAD APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE AIRBAG MODULE WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE CONTACT WAS STILL EXPERIENCING THE FAILURE. WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80000.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHO SUGGESTED RESETTING THE AIRBAG. THE DEALER RESET THE AIRBAG, AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT LATER ILLUMINATED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE AIRBAG WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY ,AND COULD NOT OFFER ANY EXPLANATION. NO FURTHER REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK