Car repair and lightning: very, very frightening

Q: My 2006 PT Cruiser got struck by lightning. Six weeks later, it's still at the dealer. They replace one part, and find another problem. I am concerned that a problem or two could exist after I pick up the car. Of particular concern are the airbags.

A: Wow! When lightning strikes a vehicle, considerable damage can to electronic modules, devices and wiring. A bolt of lightning can contain 2 billion volts.

What's surprising is that occupants are relatively safe as long as they're not touching metal parts. Many folks believe it's because of the rubber tires but it's actually due to the metal body directing the charge around the occupants.

Some damage will only show up over time. My hope is your insurance company will step up should future problems develop.

I can appreciate your concern about the SRS (airbag) system. It has self-diagnostic capability, but it's difficult to know if it can detect all possible faults, as the system doesn't become truly active until the instant it's needed. My hunch is the airbags could be trusted, as well as wiring, as long as the SRS malfunction indicator stays off. It's the controller I'd wonder about. Try to persuade them to replace it.

I'm sorry to not be of more help. This is an unusual situation. Please stay in touch so we can all learn from your experience.

E-mail Brad Bergholdt at under-the-hood@juno.com. Sorry, no personal replies.