NHTSA Complaint #10360040 — 2005 HONDA PILOT

BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT AIRBAG SENSORS FOR MY 2005 HONDA PILOT EXL FAILED SIX MONTHS APART. IN THE FIRST CASE, IN FEBRUARY 2009, THE SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON WHILE WE WERE DRIVING BACK TO PENNSYLVANIA FROM NORTH CAROLINA. EXAMINATION AT THE HONDA DEALER IN PA DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE TWO FRONT SENSORS HAD FAILED DUE TO CORROSION AND AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THE UNIT WAS REPLACED. SIX MONTHS LATER THE SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE OTHER SENSOR FAILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS CORROSION AND AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. IN BOTH CASES, THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT HAVE OPERATED HAD THEIR BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALER CLAIMED THE FAILURES WERE, "JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS". HAVING WORKED WITH PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEMS IN THE PAST AND HAVING WORKED WITH NEARLY ALL AUTOMOBILE COMPANIES (INCLUDING TOYOTA AND HONDA IN JAPAN), I DOUBTED THIS EXPLANATION. THESE WERE IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED AND SEALED SENSORS AND CORROSION/FAILURE WAS INEVITABLE. THIS IS A RARE FAILURE IF THE COMPONENTS ARE MANUFACTURED PROPERLY. *TR