NHTSA Complaint #10078810 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

INCIDENT: ON JUNE 16TH, AROUND 10 AM, WE WERE TRAVELING FROM FORT WAYNE INDIANA, TO THE CINCINNATI AREA FOR A VISIT WITH OUR DAUGHTER. DRIVING ALONG I-75 IN OHIO, AT ABOUT 65 MPH, THE RIGHT SIDE OR PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT (OCCUPIED) BELT RETRACTED. UPON ARRIVAL AT OUR DESTINATION I CALLED PERFORMANCE HONDA IN FAIRFIELD OHIO, THE DEALER NEAREST OUR DESTINATION, AND RELAYED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO BRING THE CAR IN THE NEXT MORNING, THURSDAY JUNE 17, SO THE DEALERSHIP COULD INSPECT THE CAR AND ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE WHY THE SIDE AIR BAGS AND SEAT BELT DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD.*AK BY TUESDAY, JUNE 22 WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD KNOW WHAT HONDA WOULD DO AND WE COULD COME IN AND PICK UP THE CAR. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP WE WERE ADVISED THAT HONDA ENGINEERS BELIEVED WE HAD STRUCK SOMETHING, BASED ON A VERY SMALL SCRATCH IN THE UNDERCOATING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, AND THAT CAUSED THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS. WE PICKED UP THE CAR AND RETURNED HOME TO FORT WAYNE ON WEDNESDAY. THURSDAY MORNING , JUNE 24 WE SPOKE IN PERSON WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER OF DON AYRES HONDA WHERE WE HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WE EXPRESSED OUR POSITION THAT THE AIRBAGS AND SEAT BELT SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED AND HONDA SHOULD MAKE ALL REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. COMPLAINT: SIDE AIR BAGS SHOULD NOT DEPLOY IN A VEHICLE TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT LINE AT 65 MPH. FROM THE OWNER'S MANUAL PAGE 47 AND AGAIN ON PAGE 48: "IN A MODERATE TO SEVERE SIDE IMPACT, THE SENSORS WILL DETECT RAPID DECELERATION AND SIGNAL THE CONTROL UNIT TO INSTANTLY INFLATE EITHER THE DRIVER'S OR THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG. ONLY ONE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY DURING A SIDE IMPACT. IF THE IMPACT IS ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY EVEN IF THERE IS NO PASSENGER." THERE WAS NO IMPACT, SIDE OR OTHERWISE AND CERTAINLY NONE THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED "MODERATE TO SEVERE"!