NHTSA Complaint #10131232 — 2002 HONDA CIVIC

I HAVE HAD MY SRS LIGHT COME ON 3 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER SAID ALL THEY COULD FIND WAS "SOFT CODES" AND RESET IT, COSTING ME $87.50 FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. A DAY LATER THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, THIS TIME THEY SAID THE BATTERY SHOWED LOW VOLTAGE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED IF I COULD PICKUP THE VEHICLE AND REPLACE THE BATTERY MYSELF, THE ANSWER WAS YES, BUT THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER $87.50 DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE AND AFTER I REPLACED THE BATTERY, THEY WOULD HAVE TO RESET THE CODE AND RUN ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC, ONCE AGAIN ANOTHER $87.50 FOR A TOTAL OF $187.00. THEY SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE THE BATTERY AND RESET THE SRS TO THE TUNE OF $160.81. I FELT SCREWED EITHER WAY, SO I OPTED TO HAVE THEM CHANGE THE BATTERY. WHEN I PICKED UP MY 2002 HONDA CRV, THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID IF THE SRS LIGHT COMES BACK ON, LET THEM KNOW. THE FOLLOWING DAY, IT AS BACK ON AGAIN. HOW DID THEY KNOW IT WOULD BE BACK. WHEN I CALLED ABOUT THE SRS LIGHT, I WAS TOLD THAT THE CONTROL UNIT HAD PROBABLY FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THAT THEY COULD NOT DO THAT UNTIL THE BATTERY HAD BEEN CHANGED. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A RIP OFF TO ME. WHY DIDN'T THEY REPLACE THE SRS CONTROL UNIT TO START WITH SINCE THEY OBVIOUSLY KNEW THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. THE CRV GOES BACK IN THIS FRIDAY TO BE CHECKED AGAIN. I DO NOT FEEL THAT HONDA IS ADMITTING THAT THERE IS A FAILURE OF THE SRS CONTROL UNIT AND INSTEAD CHARGES THE CUSTOMER NEEDLESSLY. *JB