NHTSA Complaint #11033919 — 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY

ON OCTOBER 15, 2017 AT 10:20PM MY GRANDSON WAS HEADING TO MY HOME AND WHILE LEAVING THE EXPRESSWAY, BOTH OF THE FRONT SAFETY BAG COVERS BLEW OUT HITTING HIM AND THE FRONT PASSENGER. HOWEVER, THE BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT A COLLISION BUT WHEN THE COVER HIT HIS EYEGLASSES, ONLY A SIZZLING SOUND WAS HEARD AND POWDER POWDER CAME OUT CAUSING THE LOOSE OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE HITTING IN A FRONTAL MANNER ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT PASSED BY. MY VEHICLE SUFFERED IMPORTANT DAMAGES BUT MY GRANDSON DID NOT SUFFER INJURIES EXCEPT FOR THE BROKEN EYEGLASSES. HIS FRIEND SUFFER BRUISES IN HIS ARM CAUSED BY THE COVER. I WENT TO THE HONDA DISTRIBUTOR HERE IN PUERTO RICO AND EXPLAINED THE CIRCUMSTANCES ON HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED BUT INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON RECORD FOR VEHICLES WITH TANAKA MECHANISM. I TOLD THEM TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE SO AS TO DETERMINE FAILURE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE BUT THEY DECLINED AND REFERRED ME TO AMERICAN HONDA FOR THEIR ADVISE. I AM SURE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE AIRBAGS THAT MUST BE INVESTIGATED BY A CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN IN THE AREA OF BAGS SAFETY PERFORMANCE. THIS NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR SINCE IT COULD HAVE COST THE LIFE OF MY GRANDSON AND HIS FRIEND. I WILL CALL AMERICAN HONDA AND MAKE THEM AWARE OF THE ISSUE. PLEASE, ADVISE AND WHERE POSSIBLE INDICATE FURTHER STEPS. AT THIS MOMENT THE DISTRIBUTOR REPRESENTATIVE WAS RELUCTANT TO CARE FOR THIS INCIDENT AND GOT RID OF ME IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES OFFERING THE TELEPHONE OF THE MANUFACTURER. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS CRITICAL MATTER.