NHTSA Complaint #10131555 — 2000 HONDA ACCORD

MY 2000 HONDA ACCORD V-6 HAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE HAD VERY FEW PROBLEMS. ALWAYS TOOK TO DEALER FOR MAINTENANCE/REPAIR. I HAD THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED IN JUNE 2005, AND WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF GETTING THE CAR BACK, THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID I SHOULD BRING THE CAR IN RIGHT AWAY. I PAID $68 TO HAVE THE SYSTEM "TESTED" AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR THE AIR BAGS AT A COST OF $575, OR I COULD HAVE THEM RESET IT AND IT MAY OR MAY NOT COME BACK ON. I ASKED WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE LIGHT WAS ON AND WAS TOLD THAT THE AIRBAGS JUST WON'T WORK. I OPTED FOR THE RESET. NOW, 2 WEEKS LATER, THE LIGHT IS BACK ON. I HAVE DONE SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS A KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT THE "CURES" THAT ARE SUGGESTED BY THE DEALER ARE ALL OVER THE MAP. I FIND IT INCREDIBLE THAT HONDA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DEFECT IN A MANDATED SAFETY DEVICE. MY FAMILY WILL HOLD HONDA RESPONSIBLE IF I AM INJURED OR KILLED DUE TO A NON-INFLATING AIRBAG. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE COMPANY IS TAKING THE AIRBAG ISSUE SERIOUSLY. MY DAUGHTER WAS THANKFULLY NOT KILLED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT LAST JUNE IN HER CIVIC, WHOSE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN SHE WAS HIT WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT TORE THE FRONT ENGINE HOUSING OFF HER CAR AND RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS. THE HONDA FOLKS TOLD US THEN THAT SOMETIMES THE CAR ISN'T "HIT THE RIGHT WAY" AND THE SENSORS DON'T REGISTER THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD DEPLOY. I THINK THE SAME GOVERNMENT THAT REQUIRES THESE DEVICES BE INSTALLED ON ALL CARS (AND THE ONES WE PAY FOR WHEN PURCHASING THE CARS) SHOULD HOLD THE CAR MAKERS/DEALERS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THEY ARE OPERABLE. *NM