NHTSA Complaint #10308575 — 2002 HONDA ACCORD

I PURCHASED A 2002 HONDA ACCORD COUPE BRAND NEW IN 2002. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PURCHASE THE SRS INDICATOR LIGHT BEGAN TO INDICATE A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG AND RESTRAINT SYSTEM. THE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AT FIRST BUT FINALLY REMAINED ON CONSTANTLY. I MADE THE DEALERSHIP AWARE OF THIS AND THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM AND I HAD TO PAY FOR REPAIRS IN ORDER TO PASS INSPECTION. IN THE SPRING OF 2006 HONDA FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM AND SENT NOTIFICATION TO OWNERS. I WAS REIMBURSED FOR THE MONEY I HAD PAID FOR REPAIRS. GIVEN THE PROBLEMS THAT HAD BEEN REPORTED THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THIS PART FOR ALL OWNERS. UNFORTUNATELY, A MALFUNCTION OF THE SRS HAPPENED AGAIN IN 2006. AGAIN I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR REPAIRS. AGAIN I SUBMITTED THE INFORMATION TO HONDA AND WAS REIMBURSED. FINALLY, IN 2009 ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE SRS WAS DISCOVERED. I ASSUMED ALL WOULD BE AS BEFORE AND THAT I COULD SUBMIT A CLAIM AND BE REIMBURSED. HONDA DID PAY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM EVALUATED, BUT THIS TIME HONDA REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM AND DENIED THE CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT. I HAVE BEEN IN TALKS WITH HONDA OVER THIS ISSUE SINCE FEBRUARY 2009. I HAVE APPEALED THEIR DENIAL AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT'S OBVIOUS THIS PART WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE BEGINNING. NOW, A RECALL OF HONDAS INVOLVING THE SRS SYSTEM IS UNDER WAY, BUT AGAIN MY CLAIM IS BEING DENIED. I AM BEING TOLD THAT THE PART IN QUESTION IS NOT DEFECTIVE. HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S OBVIOUS THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE ENTIRE SRS SYSTEM IN THIS MODEL YEAR HONDA AND THEY SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS. HONDA WAS LATE IN ACKNOWLEDGING A PROBLEM FROM THE BEGINNING AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS MORE OF THEM TAKING NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ERROR. I DO HOPE OTHER OWNERS HAVE COME FORWARD AS I AM TO MAKE HONDA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND TO REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR THE EXPENSES THEY HAVE INCURRED FOR HONDA'S DEFECTIVE PART. *TR