Can the weight sensor for the passenger airbag be adjusted for a person under 100lbs.?

perryfunny

I just bought a new 2014 Jetta Sedan 4 days ago. Yesterday, I had to take it in for service because the airbag sensor for the passenger seat was not registering a person in the seat. I found this out when my 10 year old daughter got into in the passenger seat. I sat in the seat and it still did not shut off the "airbag is off light." The service department manager says the passenger must weigh 100lbs for the airbag to work.
Now I will have a 4 day old new car that my child cannot ride in the front seat. I was sold a vehicle that the manufacturer has discriminated against families. Can the sensor be adjusted? Or do I need a lawyer?

PF_Flyer

I'm not sure that I'd call it discriminating against families. I assume the 100 pound figure comes from the NHSTA recommendation that children 12 years old and under sit in the rear seats. And that would seem to be based on the average weight of 12 year olds being in that 90-98 pound range. There are state laws about child passenger safety, but I also assume the airbag weight setting is a liability issue for the automakers after some cases of kids being killed by deploying airbags.

Mr_Shiftright

Everything I've read on the subject including injury data suggests that a 10 year old should be riding in the back seat. I feel certain that no dealer is going to make any adjustments to the weight regulators for airbag deployment. The 100 lb rule (I think it is actually 108 lbs) is somewhat arbitrary, as is it the Feds legal definition of the smallest likely "adult".

The injury data suggests that the age of the collision victim is as much a factor as the weight of the person, perhaps more so.