NHTSA Complaint #10444117 — 2004 HONDA CIVIC

MY SRS LIGHT HAD BEEN COMING ON AND OFF FOR MONTHS. I RECEIVED A "RECALL LETTER" FROM HONDA 1/3/12, FOR AN AIRBAG ISSUE. I CALLED DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT, WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL. I WAS PART OF A MASS DUMPING FROM HONDA FOR CARS FROM 2000-2004. I THEN TOLD THEM THAT MY SRS LIGHT WAS COMING ON AND OFF, WAS ADVISED TO BRING INTO SERVICE DEPT. I DID. WHILE BEING SERVICED, TECHNICIANS SCANNED VEHICLE & CHECKED FOR CODES (WHICH WAS $95) - NO CODES WERE FOUND. THEY THEN RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLESHOOT, WHICH INDICATED THAT SRS CONTROL UNIT NEEDED REPLACED AND THEN RECHECK. WAS TOLD THAT WOULD BE $495, THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART AND WOULD HAVE TO ORDER IT. WAS ALSO TOLD, THEY WERE NOT EVEN SURE IF THAT WOULD BE MY SOLUTION. WHEN I ASKED THEM WHAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS CONTROL UNIT (FOR AIRBAG SAFETY FEATURE), TO NEED REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY "WERE UNSURE AND MAYBE A SHORT CAUSED IT. IT IS AN ELECTRICAL UNIT AND MANY THINGS COULD GO WRONG." WHEN I ASKED WHAT COULD CAUSE A SHORT, WAS TOLD, 'NOT SURE, COULD BE WETNESS OR AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION." (WET INSIDE MY CAR, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.) I THEN STATED, THAT THIS SOUNDED LIKE A MANUFACTURES DEFECT TO THE UNIT. I WAS TOLD OTHERWISE. I ASKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SRS LIGHT IS ON, TOLD THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT BE ACTIVE AND NOT DEPLOY IF IN ACCIDENT. WHY IS THERE NO LIFETIME WARRANTY ON THE AIRBAG SAFETY FEATURE & SYSTEM, (WHICH IS ON ALL CARS TODAY), LIKE THERE IS FOR THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM & SYSTEM? UPON REVIEW OF NHTSA, I SEE THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS ISSUE, OF THE SRS LIGHT COMING ON AND THE CONTROL PANEL MALFUNCTIONING WITH SUGGESTED REPLACEMENT. *TR