[groom]

First step: Please check with your product brochure or M&M whether rollover protection is included. Just because side and curtain airbags are present, does not necessarily mean that roll over protection is also available.

Second: Understand that all technology has limitations and just because the technology is present does not mean it should kick in and work for all scenarios. Some scenarios are grey zone, this info may be there in manual. I do understand your position. (peace)

Third: There must be an event data recorder in the car with the airbag module. Insist on through analysis and explanation. The data can explain the physics behind this accident. Based on this engineers may be able to provide some explanation whether airbag & ESP was required or not during this scenario. They may be able to provide reasoning if there were mistakes from the technology side.

I hope Mahindra provides you quick resolution.
Note: SUVs unlike hatch backs / sedans need gentle handling, they are usually prone to rollover

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Looks like continental cross contact, but they definitely look more than 8k kms run!

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attac...-ximg_0581.jpg

Nice catch, the tires are looking worn out. Its not 8000km.

[pugram]

Bad tyres + Hitting huge water puddle + Panic seems to have done it.

IMHO the car body has protected the occupants. I don't think any manufacturer puts in a roll cage similar to a rally car.

My cousin has a W8 and they have been fortunate to escape unhurt twice and both the times the XUV suffered major damage.

[peterjim13]

Originally Posted by glenmz

I did a basic search regarding ESP and aquaplaning. Some articles claim that ESP can help with water puddles and snow while some claims that it does not help in a scenario where aquaplaing occurs.
There would be certainly some amount of steering input and braking by the driver when such a panic occurs; but maybe the system became incapable of handling the situation at that particular stage. It was a 180 degree spin. The tyres were from Continental.
He has been a Mahindra fan for quite sometime and he indeed was proud of the company for the value that they provide with the XUV. As a matter of fact, he influenced his brother in law to get an XUV too. Now, not any more a fan.
I will update the thread when I am able to get more inputs from him based on the queries raised on this thread.

Happy to know all the passengers are safe. May your friend and co passengers recover from the injuries and mental shock soon.

As fellow bhpians have mentioned the probable reasons for the same; just to all driving down to kerala aquaplaning is quite normal here. All the 4 lane highways have been newly constructed and may not have proper water drainage, there would be more curves in kerala unlike the neighbouring states. Rains are pretty regular and heavy from May end to September.

+Aquaplaning is quite normal and i have seen an Innova slipping of right in front on NH 47 near Chalakudy about an year back. He drove on to the median. Even if it is not raining there can be waterlogged on the middle and side of the roads, and I too get aquaplaned on my XUV and Ecosport quite often and only thing to do is not to push hard on your accelerator, and watch out for pot holes, water and smoothly tarred bridges across.

And also do not ever park your car under any tree (coconut tree included) if you find the rain is affecting your visibility, never trust these trees almost all the trees along the highway can come down (or may be its branches) any time. Last month it took the life of 5 school kids here.

There may not always be a coconut tree to help.

+Yes the last pic you have shown clearly would have been a result of rescue effort to get them to safety.

qq : XUV comes with Bridgestone Duelers or JK Tyres, you said his car was on Continental right ? I am not saying that it could be because of the tyre but, just out of curiosity.

Thank God for Keeping them all safe. Drive Safe everyone.

[Acharya]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

The most important thing in a crash is if the occupants have come out safe and not if the airbags have popped or not. If a car has saved 5 people in such a deadly crash at such a high speed, it is amusing to see people abusing the manufacturer for low cost manufacturing!

[/u][/b]

You've hit the nail right on the head, my friend.
Had it been a German or Japanese manufacturer, people would have been rolling out reams in appreciation on the safety/ tank like built and crumbling zones and what not.... that saved lives.

Poor Mahindra faces all the flake, despite saving the occupants from a life threatening situation.

[alphadog]

It is good to know that the occupants of this horrific accident are safe, and sustained only minor injuries. I can only imagine what they have been through.The crash looks horrific.

There are too many unknown variables, like- speed, driver control, braking , steering and such like at the time of the incident. So it would not be prudent to draw conclusions of the ability or quality of the vehicle.
As I see it, the occupants got away relatively unscathed after this horrific accident. It certainly shows that the vehicle protected the occupants from further damage. Imagine the same situation with a smaller car- I have no doubt that the outcome for the occupants would have been different.
The curtain air-bags not deploying - now that needs to be investigated. Having said that, it is not unknown to happen even with accidents involving premium cars.

[sriram.raghavan]

I once happen to go over a puddle in a curve at around the same speed, I did notice the ESP light come on briefly (half a second), I did not lose control of the car. In fact the ESP light comes up even when you are trying to accelerate in a straight line and one set of tires go over slush. I have seen this many times in the city at much slower speeds (even at 30 Kmph).
In this case however, that did not happen so Mahindra has to explain what really went wrong. My confidence in the car has surely gone down since I travel with a baby.

Forgot to mention that I own XUV500 W8 too and I was talking about the same car.

[bharatbits]

I really don't understand why manufacturers choose to link airbag deployment with seat belt sensors. That's not how you encourage someone to start wearing seat belts.

The Conti tyres look nearly bald and sure have done more than 8k kms.

[Abhiram]

Originally Posted by bharatbits

I really don't understand why manufacturers choose to link airbag deployment with seat belt sensors. That's not how you encourage someone to start wearing seat belts.

The Conti tyres look nearly bald and sure have done more than 8k kms.

Without seat-belts, you might end up very close to the airbags at the time of deployment. And that might actually do more harm than good? After all, its a controlled explosion!

That's just my guess.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by bharatbits

I really don't understand why manufacturers choose to link airbag deployment with seat belt sensors. That's not how you encourage someone to start wearing seat belts.

The Conti tyres look nearly bald and sure have done more than 8k kms.

Some high end cars come with sensors that can detect if the occupant is a child or an adult. In such a case even if belted the airbags will not deploy if it's a child. It can prove more deadly than the crash itself.

Also if the passengers are not belted, after the sudden deceleration of the car, the passengers will keep moving due to inertia and if airbags deploy they will hit the person hard rather than cushion him.

Airbags ARE NOT a primary restraint system, the just aid if you are belted in. IMO if airbags deploy without seatbelts they will do more harm than good.

[kiranvakati]

Originally Posted by lucifer1881

Yes, the vehicle rolled over. Yes, the driver possibly lost control. We can argue till the cow comes home whether M&M was more responsible or the drive was more responsible. However, at the end all the occupants came out relatively unscathed. To me, that is a win for M&M.

Exactly my view too. Even after so many spins and hitting a coconut tree on the fly, vehicle saved all the occupants. I own a XUV and I'm confident about the shell rigidity compared to any other vehicle in its price range.

To me unless you are super sure of the road you are driving it is always risky to drive at 90+ speed on a rainy day over puddles.

As for the safety features, except non-deployment of side/curtain airbags i won't blame M&M for other features not working.

Im waiting for M&M's response on non-deployment of airbags.

[Ym-enjn]

5 people coming out alive of such and accident is not only luck but it also shows the strength and engineering of this vehicle. I am saddened on reading the title of this thread and the direction in which it has been opened. What else do you want from a vehicle when it saves your life in such a terrible accident. Please Thank God for saving lives and Mahindra for making such vehicle.

[rajivrt]

This one gives jitters even as one looks at the pictures. Some air is sucked out and a remembrance of most road trips with almost could have been in an accident kick in. That said, God's grace surely that the occupants escaped with minor injuries.

Another thought, maybe this makes me a bigger fan of Mahindra with so much steel that acts a primary deterrent, as opposed to the flimsy SUVs from Nissan and Renault and now Hyundai in the same price bracket.

I remember having being banged hard by a Tata Sumo from behind and another time by a bus on highways both on rainy days a few years back when I was driving my Scorpio (2005 model, all tough steel) and there was hardly a dent on my Scorpio, whereas at least the Sumo had its front totaled in.

The airbags not deploying is a major cause for concern. Perhaps Mahindra's is at fault here and a full explanation as everyone suggests is definitely required. Can it also be a fault of the service centre? Do they need to check fuses/gases, etc on airbags too? Is that supposed to be included in the service checks. I am mostly aghast against the service centers who do not even take basic care.

Hope you guys are not shaken up and would get in for another road trip soon. All the best.

[kiranvakati]

Originally Posted by bharatbits

I really don't understand why manufacturers choose to link airbag deployment with seat belt sensors. That's not how you encourage someone to start wearing seat belts.

The Conti tyres look nearly bald and sure have done more than 8k kms.

Originally Posted by Abhiram

Without seat-belts, you might end up very close to the airbags at the time of deployment. And that might actually do more harm than good? After all, its a controlled explosion!

That's just my guess.

Your guess is actually the fact. There were incidents of ppl died coz of airbag impact without seatbelt. Then it was made a norm to make seat belt the Primary Restraint System and airbag the secondary restraint system. Without primary ON secondary wont deploy.

[SDP]

I believe most of the participants of this thread are using the terms "side-airbags" and "curtain-airbags" interchangeably.

When you open any of the front doors, the plastic panel that covers the side of the dashboard has a sticker which says "The car is equipped with side airbag on each front seat. DO NOT use any accessory seat covers. ... DO NOT use excessive force on the side of the seat."

So the side-airbags are embedded as part of the front seats and going by the last line on that sticker, it looks like even the impact sensor for the side-airbags is part of the seat-assembly itself. Is it possible that the topple created an impact which was mostly taken by the doors etc and did not reach the seats?

Curtain-airbags, on the other hand, are embedded in the A & B pillars and logically should have impact-sensors in the corresponding pillars. Those should have popped up by the impact from the topple. Mahindras should investigate why that didn't happen. Knowing how they operate, I am pretty sure they would investigate, but its unlikely that the findings would be shared anywhere in public.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by Ym-enjn

5 people coming out alive of such and accident is not only luck but it also shows the strength and engineering of this vehicle. I am saddened on reading the title of this thread and the direction in which it has been opened. What else do you want from a vehicle when it saves your life in such a terrible accident. Please Thank God for saving lives and Mahindra for making such vehicle.

In March this year, my uncle and the driver of the Tata Ace came out alive (my uncle with no injuries whatsoever; driver with fractured legs and jaws)from a horrific frontal collision involving the Ace and an Indica coming from the opposite side. This was on a highway, early morning and both vehicles were doing good speeds. I will be the last person to thank Tata for manufacturing a safe vehicle.