Airbag deployment.

[PatMcSwain]

I'm reading where some late model cars are deploying their side airbags from lateral g's without collision. AutoX, figure 8's, drifting, and similar have triggered this.

Is this a legit concern? It's about $3k to replace your side bags, and is not normally covered by insurance or warranty.

[Craig Naylor]

Doing multiple google search's I managed to come across two incidents (though dozens of references to each) with or without video (both had video recordings) of a Camaro doing donuts (wouldn't call it drifting as they do) in Michigan, and a Cadillac CTS-V wagon Axing.

There were many, many more references to off-roaders setting off side airbags.

Legit... maybe, has happen. But I'm willing to guess you can find more tires coming off due to non-tightened lugnuts than their appear to be incidents of side airbags going off. Your $ is probably accurate. I guess you just need to make sure it's un-photographed and not posted online. With no damage to the car, they would have less evidence to argue about it being your fault.

Reading about the above incidents, looks like the Camaro guy was left to hang by GM for doing something he shouldn't have, and the Cadillac guy was a GM engineer, and his was taken car of. Sometimes it truly is about who you know (or are).

[PatMcSwain]

The black box is going to record it. The airbag is what trips the "store recording" subroutine in the black box. Because cars have stability control in them now, it's going to know you turned it off, and how many g's the sensors saw, and what position the wheels, brakes, and throttle were at. And for Chevy guys, it stores more info including your GPS coordinates and time via OnStar.

[Craig Naylor]

The black box is going to record it. ...it stores more info including your GPS coordinates and time via OnStar.

Which could be a plus for AX'ers vs. track guys. In CSCC region, your in a parking lot (maybe at the race track, or the Great Park), and you were an idiot. Note that many with cars under warranty, don't list all details of their car (plausible deny ability). Their missing color, or year, or model... then as long as no one posts video online of what you were doing when it went off like the two mentioned above... your back to you were an idiot that caused the recordings they see. Many people do dumb things once they have watch others push limits.