NHTSA Complaint #10450246 — 1991 HONDA CRX

MY CAR HAS HAD A PROBLEM FOR AWHILE REGARDING THE SEAT BELT WARNING WOULD SOMETIMES GO OFF WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS UNHOOKED WHEN IT HADN'T BEEN CONNECTED SINCE STARTING THE CAR. I WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE IT HOOKED UP. ABOUT A TWO MONTHS AGO I NOTICED AN OCCASIONAL BURNING SMELL. OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS MY CORNER MARKER TURN SIGNALS STOPPED FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. WHEN THE SIGNAL WAS IN THE RIGHT TURN POSITION THE CORNER MARKER SIGNAL ON THE RIGHT WOULD FLASH DIM AND THE LEFT WOULD FLASH. THE REVERSE WOULDN'T HAPPEN WHEN SET TO LEFT TURN. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH THROUGH SERVICE MANUALS AND ONLINE I TRACED THE PROBLEM BACK TO THE "INTEGRATED CONTROL UNIT" (ICU) WHICH IS PLUGGED INTO THE BACK OF THE "FUSE BOX". IT CONTROLS FUNCTIONS SUCH AS TURN SIGNALS, BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE WARNING, WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND SEAT BELT WARNING. THIS UNIT CARRIES THE PART NUMBER 38600-SH3-A11. IT HAS BEEN USED THROUGH OUT A NUMBER OF HONDA VEHICLES SUCH AS THE CIVIC AND CRX I THINK FROM 1988 TO 1991. I CONTACTED A HONDA DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS PART AND I WAS INFORMED THIS PART IS DISCONTINUED. I CONTACTED THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUESTING INFO ON THIS PART, THEY CONTACTED THEIR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY SCHEMATICS OR SPECIFICATIONS ON THIS PART. I MANAGED TO FIND A REPLACEMENT IN A SALVAGE YARD IN A '90 CIVIC. WHEN I PULLED THE FAILED PART OFF MY CAR I NOTICED THE BOARD HAD BURN SPOTS WHERE THE LEADS WERE BURNT AND SOLDER HAD COMPLETELY MELTED FROM THE BOARD. THE PLASTIC CASE HAD A LIGHT BURN SPOT ON IT ALSO. IN MY ONLINE RESEARCH IT SEEMS THIS PART IS KNOWN TO BURN OUT. MY CONCERN IS THAT IT'S A FIRE HAZARD IN ALL THE VEHICLES IT'S USED IN AND HONDA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO SUPPLY A SAFER REPLACEMENT FOR THE ICU. I HAVE A PHOTO OF THE BURNS OF THE FAILED PART. *TR