NHTSA Complaint #10352301 — 2005 HONDA ELEMENT

DRIVING TO WORK AT 6:20AM ON 08/27/2010, WHILE EXITING THE 91 FREEWAY (GOING EASTBOUND) AND ENTERING THE 71N TOWARDS CHINO HILLS, MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED OUT OF NOWHERE. THE DEPLOYMENT (OR BETTER, THE EXPLOSION) HIT THE LEFT SIDE OF MY FACE, MY LEFT ARM AND JERKED MY HEAD TOWARDS THE OTHER SIDE (TO THE RIGHT/PASSENGER SEAT). FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WAS PARTIALLY DEAF FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. NOW MY FACE AND ARM STING A LITTLE, MY NECK IS A LITTLE STIFF AND I'M STILL HEARING A LITTLE RING IN MY LEFT EAR. I CONTACTED HONDA'S CORPORATE OFFICE IN TORRANCE, CA AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS VERY LIKELY HONDA WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FINANCIAL BURDEN SINCE MY CAR IS A 2005 ELEMENT, PAST THE WARRANTY. TO THAT, ALL I HAVE TO SAY (OR ASK) IS: ONCE THE CAR IS OUT OF THE WARRANTY, DOES THE MANUFACTURER CEASE TO HAVE RESPONSIBILITY OVER THE OVERALL SAFETY OF IT'S VEHICLES? TO ME IT SEEMS THAT IS THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, MY CAR WASN'T HIT OR IT DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING, THAT MY AIRBAG SHOULDN'T DEPLOY. NOBODY HAS EVER TOLD ME THERE IS AN EXPIRATION DATE ON AN AIRBAG AND MY SEATS ARE IN GREAT CONDITION (AS IS THE REST OF MY CAR). ULTIMATELY, THIS DEPLOYMENT COULD HAVE COST ME MY LIFE, AND I AM NOT EXAGGERATING. I WAS BLOWN IN THE FACE ON A MAJOR FREEWAY, IF I HAD LOST CONTROL DUE TO THE EXPLOSION I COULD HAVE SLAMMED MY CAR INTO A WALL OR ANOTHER CAR. *TR