NHTSA Complaint #10205193 — 2002 HONDA ACCORD

WHEN MY CAR BATTERY DIED LAST YEAR, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY DEALERSHIP FOR REPLACEMENT. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN CALLED TO TELL ME THE CAR WAS READY BUT ASKED IF I HAD NOTICED IF MY SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM LIGHT HAD BEEN ON. I SAID IT HAD NOT PRIOR TO THE NEW BATTERY BEING INSTALLED. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME HE DIDN'T WANT TO CHARGE ME TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, AND SUGGESTED I WAIT AND SEE IF IT "SELF-CORRECTED". HE SAID THAT THE LIGHT BEING ON COULD MEAN MY AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. THE LIGHT REMAINED ON AND SEVERAL MONTHS LATER I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SCHEDULED SERVICE I ASKED THEM TO AGAIN LOOK AT IT. THEY CHARGED ME $92.00 TO PERFORM AN INPUT FUNCTION TEST WHICH SHOWED SRS CONTROL UNIT FAILURE AND INFORMED ME REPAIRS WOULD COST $616.00. THE CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN KINDLY INFORMED ME THAT IF IT WAS THE SEATBELT THAT HAD BROKEN THEY COULD OF FIXED IT NO CHARGE EVEN IF THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I DECLINED THE REPAIR AND LOOKED ONLINE ONLY TO FIND MANY ACCORD DRIVERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE, AND EACH DEALER CHARGES A DIFFERENT AMOUNT FOR REPAIR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, NOT SOMETHING NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR COULD CAUSE TO MALFUNCTION, NOR COULD A DRIVER CAUSE THIS CONTROL UNIT TO MALFUNCTION. *JB