Had front end accident twice and air bags never inflated.
2003 Chevrolet Impala: airbags did not deploy in a crash
18 of the 695 complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Impala describe airbags did not deploy in a crash.
- owner complaints
- 18
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 129,000
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 2 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Airbags did not deploy in a crash by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 chevrolet impala. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact crashed into the driver side of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance. The contact sustained lacerations to the lips, chest bruises, and pain to the jaw. The contact was treated and released. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was not available.
My wife was traveling when she went to pass a turning vehicle pulling a trailer and when she did so the vehicle engine stalled power steering and brakes didn't work causing her to hit the rear of the trailer went into the ditch where the car rolled onto the roof. The airbags did not deploy and the ignition was the cause of the car stalling. We received a recall notice from gm a week after the accident. We still have been getting recall notices for the vehicle. Gm refuses any liability in the crash.
I was in an accident where the car was a total loss and the airbags never deployed.it happened in philadelphia on hunting park and front
I was traveling on a 2 lane road. A truck pulling an enclosed trailer was in front of me turned on his right blinker and began to brake to make the turn. I was traveling 77 MPH, so I moved to the oncoming traffic lane (the left lane) in order to pass the truck. At the last second the truck swerved into the left lane in order to make a wide turn. I abruptly jerked the steering wheel right to avoid collision with the truck, but the vehicle seemed to lose power steering as well as power brakes. I was unable to straighten the steering wheel back after jerking it to the right to go back into the right lane; my vehicle hit the back of the enclosed trailer and then hit steep ditch where my back passenger tire popped and the vehicle flipped onto its roof. The vehicles airbags failed to deploy even though the vehicle has significant damage to the front , top and sides of it. I regained conscientiousness I attempted to turn the car off and remove the keys from the ignition. But I realized that the keys were not I n the ignition.I crawled out of the passenger window to exit the vehicle. The keys were later found by my husband loose in the vehicle. I hit my head hard when the vehicle flipped, good deal of blood on me from what ended up being multiple superficial lacerations as well as a deep wound in my left knee, which required 12 stitches to close up. I will have a scar from it for the rest of my life. I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital and was released around 9 pm. 2 days later we received the ignition switch recall notice in the mail gm refuses to answer any of our questions regarding this wreck. Gm did retrieve the black box info from the vehicle., they refuse to provide us with any explanation to why the airbags failed to deploy or why there seemed to be a malfunction within the car which LED to the accident.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 chevrolet impala. While driving 35 MPH, the contact's vehicle stalled and crashed into a telephone pole. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and minor injuries were sustained. Medical attention was not received. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system).the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. While stopped at a traffic light, the contact's vehicle was crashed into from the rear by another vehicle. The contact's vehicle then crashed into a pole and the air bags failed to deploy. The driver was injured and received medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 226,000. Updated 10/23/2014*lj updated 4/7/2015
I was involved in an accident on may 4, 2014. I hit another vehicle from the rear. There was extensive damage to my vehicle yet my air bag did not deploy. Also my seat belt failed to lock. As a result I hit the steering wheel with my mouth. I also hit the windshield with the top of my head. My teeth cut into my bottom lip and I had to go to the er later that night because of the pain. I feel that had the airbag deployed I wouldn't have sustained the injury that I did.
On mon. Nov. 25, 2013 I was driving sb I-75 about 10 p.m. There was a light drizzle and as I approached the bridgeport area I noticed something across several lanes of the highway. I started to brake and hit black ice and slammed head on into a black jackknifed semi with no lights or flares. I did try to go between the midden and the truck but there was no room causing most of the front end damage on the passenger side of the hood of the car. The front end was so smashed that the battery disintegrated. My airbags did not deploy and I hit my head on the steering wheel getting a contusion on my forehead as well as two black eyes. I also had bruises on my hand, knee, and right breast. In addition to these I also had some le franc fractures to my left foot which I required surgery for. I was wearing my seatbelt at the time of the accident thank goodness, but I just do not know why my airbags did not deploy.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. The contact stated while driving at low speeds the vehicle veered off of the road and crashed into a tree. Upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained injuries to the face due to broken glass. The police were not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and advised her to take the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable.
My car went off road after contact with a deer landing front end first 75ft off road doing between 45 and 50 MPH air bags never deployed.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. The mechanic called to file the complaint because the contact does not remember most of the details of the incident. The mechanic stated that the contact, a police officer, was driving the vehicle and swerved to avoid a deer. The vehicle struck a guardrail on the front driver's side and rolled over. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries. The vehicle sustained major damage. The speed was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 130,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- On certain mini vans, passenger and sport utility vehicles, some of these vehicles have a driver's side air bag that may not deploy as designed. In addition, the air bag inflator could rupture.
- Risk
- This could result in reduced capability of the air bag to protect the driver. Also if the air bag inflator ruptured, pieces of the inflator could strike and injure the vehicle occupants.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, install a new driver's air bag. Owner notification began on march 11, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300, cadillac at 1‑800‑458‑8006, chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782, or pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737.
Recall number 03V051000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
- Risk
- Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300, cadillac at 1‑800‑458‑8006, chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782, oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537, or pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737.
Recall number 02V222000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Impala no deployment
Is airbags did not deploy in a crash a common problem on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala?
18 of 695 owner complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Impala (3%) mention airbags did not deploy in a crash. The model year with the most reports is 2007.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala?
There are 2 recalls and 2 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala
Headlights 96Won't start 84Stalling 50ABS 33Fire or smoke 24Overheating 18Grinding brakes 17Check engine light 16Door locks 16Loss of power 16Jerking 15Adaptive cruise 12Engine failure 11Fuel pump 10Airbag light 8Brake failure 8Knocking 7Warning lights 7Wipers 7Hesitation 6Fuel leak 5Fuel smell 5Harsh shifting 5Power steering loss 5Premature wear 5Steering lock-up 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2003 Chevrolet Impala?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history