Citroen C4-Non Deployment Of Frontal Airbags Following An Accident

[mmatline]

We lost a love one on Aug 18 2013 due to an accident (driving a Citroen C4) and the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Airbags bags failed to deploy on her side (driver) instead they deployed on the right and still the passage died on the spot from impact. According to the manufacturer (Citroen), there were no signs of violent/ severe/ high energy frontal impact which is not the case, see the above attached picture of the wreckage. The most frustrating part is that the so called technical report from Citroen SA is in contrast with the insurance findings. The assessors (insurance) found that all airbags needed to be replaced which can only mean one things, they should have protruded during the impact. The sad part is that Citroen doesn't want to take any blame yet I lost a sister whilst she was driving one of their products. I do believe we can lodge a civil case against this ridiculous brand and save lives. Serious manufactures do recall vehicles upon realising the defects but not Citroen. If you are driving a Citroen C4, keep it in mind that you may be driving around in your coffin.

 

 

The below are some of the findings (as mentioned before, they don't make any sense);

·

The subject vehicle suffered severe/violent/high energy left side impact.

·

The vehicle suffered impact from a ‘roll over’ situation.

·

There are no signs of violent/severe/high energy frontal impact.

·

No deformation of the vehicle’s frontal mechanical architecture which include composite components,

front impact beam, front crumple zones, front chassis leg extensions, sub-frame extensions, etc.

·

The right side engine fixing unit (engine mounting) is not deformed and the vehicle’s engine remains in

its original position.

·

The front passenger airbag, driver airbag, driver seat airbag and right side curtain airbag have not

deployed as the related impact zones were not subjected to high energy impact.

·

The front passenger seat airbag and left side curtain airbag deployed as a result of a high energy left side

impact.

 

 

 

The questions is, if the system was fully functional how come did the deployment only occur on the left..I mean the whole car was impacted. If the mechanical architecture was not compromised how come is this car looking like a mess because the picture doesn't dipict it on its original form.

 

 

 

 

 

[john h]

Very sorry to hear of your loss, this is just another case of Citroen not giving a toss, in total denial that there are any issues with any of their vehicles, about time they started to open their eyes by reading forums, vehicle reviews and watching Watchdog etc or they may find a gradual, but deserved, reduction in the market share

[mmatline]

Thank you John h, we all need to be vocal about such, we could be saving a life elsewhere. And you are correct in saying that there must be some reduction in the market share, hopefully these manufacturers will learn and stop killing our loved ones.

[john h]

I often wonder if other people in other countries are having complaints or is it just a British thing

[mmatline]

You can say that again. I am based in South Africa and I know of a few people who have had complaints about this Citroen brand. I believe there are some countries where it's not sold, I guess one can only wonder why is that. They must be prevented from taking advantage of the innocent...

[john h]

Honourable thing would be for the entire management to commit Hari Kari, they have failed. 

[Johndouglas]

Of course, it's a shocking thing for any family to lose a loved one and  I'm saddened to hear of the loss of the OP's family member. And it's natural to want to blame somebody or something for what has happened.    However for the benefit of other forum members who have still to read this topic, it's only fair to point them towards the Euro Ncap report on the C4:-

The C4 is a strong performing car, deserving its five-star rating for occupant protection. The stable passenger cell protected all occupants well. The restraint systems include dual stage airbags, belt pre-tensioners and load limiters, seat mounted side airbags and a head protecting curtain airbag. An intelligent seat belt reminder operates for the driver and rear passengers. Child protection was good and that for pedestrians was also very effective.

Front impact
The body suffered minimal deformation and the driver’s door could be opened and closed normally afterwards. The dual-stage airbags and belt pre-tensioners in combination with load limiters and the stable structure worked well, keeping loads on the driver’s chest and legs low. Much work has been carried out in the drivers knee impact area to reduce injuries but contact with a metal plate at the steering column still posed a risk. The footwell suffered little intrusion and control of the pedals in the crash was good.

Side impact
A very impressive protection system includes seat-mounted thorax airbags and a head curtain airbag, which also protects those seated in the rear.

[paul.h]

Without knowing the full details of what happened in this tragic accident, it is not possible to give anything other than general comments. The cars have airbag systems which detect the direction of an impact, the speed of the car, which seats are occupied and the force of the impact so that any relevant air bags and seat belt tensioners are deployed to help reduce the consequences of an impact. These are in addition to head rests and the strength of the vehicle and deformation to absorb impacts and braking systems. Side impacts can be worse in consequences for internal head injuries than a front or rear impact.

[coastline taxis]

Sounds like the car was hit from the side. i think they are refering to saftey cell in the car. doors,wings,boots,bonnets, etc etc are just sacrafical parts in the event of a accident. the saftey cell is there to stop crush injuries when the vehicle is rolling over. each airbag covers a certain area so that they all dont go off at the same time as this could cause injury. really am sorry for your loss