Airbag safety issue - passenger seat

davempls

I have a weird and unexpected issue with the airbag sensor in the passenger seat of our 2010 Mazda5.

My wife weighs 98-100 pounds, and for some reason pretty much every time she rides in the passenger seat, the "Passenger Airbag Not On" light is on.

The airbag is supposed to be engaged with any weight over 65 or 66 pounds.

Obviously, this is a pretty serious issue because she'd basically be riding in the car unprotected by airbags.

Supposedly, if a weight *less* than 65 pounds triggers the "Airbag Not On" light, it takes 95 pounds to re-engage it.

But as I understand it, this should be a non-issue anyway. If my wife makes sure she's on the seat before I start the car, the sensor should immediately register her 98 pound weight and engage the airbag.

We've been to the dealer to have it checked three times, and while they've sympathized, they've said it's "working to spec" and that there's nothing more they can do on this end.

Has anyone else encountered this? I'm trying to figure out our next step.

Dave

dclurker

I had the same problem with a different car. The dealer couldn't be bothered, so I bought a 25 lb. weight meant for a barbell set and laid it on the passenger seat with a cheap cushion on top of it. My wife hated sitting on it, but I'd rather she be uncomfortable than dead. Or you could ask your wife to get fat

davempls

Gee, I sure hope we can avoid that! I'll keep you posted...

Dave