NHTSA Complaint #10041306 — 1997 HONDA ACCORD

SRS LIGHT/SENSOR UNIT. WE OWN A 1997 ACCORD. IN 2002, THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON, AND WE BROUGHT IT TO HONDA DEALER. THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE LIGHT TO TURN OFF. THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN RECENTLY, AND AS LAST YEAR THEY WERE ABLE TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF. THEY SAID IF IT COMES ON AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE SENSOR FOR $825. WELL, A WEEK LATER, THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. WE ONLY HAVE 39K MILES ON THE CAR. ACCORDING TO HONDA, IT'S NOT THE AGE, OR MILEAGE, BUT HOW MANY TIMES YOU START YOUR VEHICLE THAT WEARS AWAY AT THIS EXPENSIVE UNIT. I PROBABLY START MY CAR 2 TIMES A DAY, SOMETIMES LESS. IF WE DON'T REPLACE THE UNIT. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEEPLY (ACCORDING TO HONDA). NUMEROUS HONDA OWNERS HAVE BEEN FACED WITH THIS PROBLEM. WHY ARE HONDA OWNERS BEING SACKED WITH THE COST OF A DEFECTIVE PART? WHAT IS BEING DONE TO MAKE THIS PART MORE DURABLE? MY FRIEND BOUGHT A NEW 2002 ODYSSEY, AND ALREADY HAD THE LIGHT GO ON AFTER 7 MONTHS. OBVIOUSLY, NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED. *JB