MY SON FELL ASLEEP WHILE DRIVING. HE VEERED INTO THE MEDIAN AND FLIPPED 5 TO 6 TIMES. ON FIRST IMPACT HIS SEAT BELT RELEASED, THEREFORE HE WAS THROWN UP AND DOWN EACH TIME HE FLIPPED. ON INSPECTION OF THE SEAT BELT, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON WAS RIPPED OUT OF THE RECEIVER PART OF THE SEAT BELT. MY SON MISSED FIVE DAYS OF WORK BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. IF HIS SEAT BELT WOULD HAVE HELD UP HE MIGHT HAVE MISSED ONLY ONE DAY OF WORK. THE ONLY LINGERING INJURY THAT HE SUSTAINED WAS AN INJURED TAIL BONE THAT STILL BOTHERS HIM. I CONTACTED MITSUBISHI THE DAY AFTER THE WRECK AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAPPENED. THE WRECK HAPPENED ON APRIL 25, AND IT TOOK MITSUBISHI UNTIL SEPTEMBER 13TH TO RENDER A DECISION. THEY DECIDED THAT EXTERNAL FORCES WERE APPLIED BY SOME UNDETERMINED OBJECT IN THE VEHICLE TO THE RED RELEASE BUTTON AT THE TOP OF THE BUCKLE. THERE WAS NO WAY ANYTHING HIT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON, BECAUSE ON INITIAL IMPACT MY SON WAS THROWN TO THE TOP OF THE CAR. I DO STILL HAVE THE VEHICLE, AND IT IS TARPED SO NOTHING COULD HAPPEN TO IT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I NEED TO KEEP IT OR SELL IT FOR PARTS. *NM
1998
AIR BAGS
WHEN CONSUMER PURCHASED VEHICLE HE WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENT. WHEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, CONSUMER REAR ENDED A CAR. WHEN IMPACTING, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AFTER INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN PRIOR ACCIDENT AND HAD NO AIR BAGS. *NM