1996 Honda Accord

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 HONDA ACCORD. THE VEHICLE HAS PEP BOYS DEFINITY EX600 TIRES, SIZE P215/60R15. THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE TIRES AND NOTICED A BULGE NEAR THE TREAD ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE BULGE WAS THE SIZE OF A GOLF BALL. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES WHILE DRIVING PRIOR TO NOTICING THE BULGE. THE TIRES HAVE NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 4,590.

1-THERE ARE NO MAJOR EVENTS WHICH LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE. 2-THE SRS LIGHT HAS COME ON RANDOMLY 3. NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE. I HAVE NOTICED THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SRS LIGHT COMING ON IN HONDA ACCORDS AND MINE IS NO EXCEPTION. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY HONDA TO MAKE SURE THIS SAFETY FEATURE IS CORRECTED. THAT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING. *TR

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SRS LIGHT IN THE 1996 HONDA ACCORD WILL NOT TURN OFF. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAS NOT HAD THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED BECAUSE THEY WILL CHARGE HIM $75. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAS NOT HAD ANY REPAIR WORK DONE ON THE AIR BAG. *AK UPDATED 2/22/2007 - *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR ROAD AT 30 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN THROUGH A STOP SIGN AND MADE A LEFT TURN DIRECTLY STRIKING THE CONTACT'S 1996 HONDA CIVIC HEAD ON, AND NEITHER THE DRIVER NOR PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY MAINTENANCE WORK DONE ON THE AIRBAGS . *AK

ABS LIGHT CAME ON ACCOMPANIED BY BUZZER. CHECKED BRAKE FLUID AND FOUND THAT I WAS ALMOST EMPTY IN ABS RESERVOIR. ADDED FLUID AND HAD ABS MODULATOR CHECKED. MODULATOR WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID FROM FITTING ON UNDERSIDE. I CONTACTED DEALER TO EFFECT REPAIR,AND WAS TOLD A NEW ABS MODULATOR WOULD BE ABOUT $1500-$1600 DOLLARS. SINCE VEHICLE WAS JUST PAST WARRANTY LIMITS, I INQUIRED IF SOME CONSIDERATION MIGHT BE MADE SINCE IT WAS CONSIDERED A NON-WEAR ITEM. DEALER DENIED ANY CONSIDERATIONS. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THE MATTER, I DISCOVERED A HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN HAD BEEN RELEASED TO DEALERS PRIOR TO MY COMPLAINT THAT ACKNOWLEDGES A PROBLEM WITH "LEAKING ABS MODULATORS" HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN # 960-50 JUNE 30,1998. IT STATES THAT THE PLUGS IN THE ABS MODULATOR MAY NOT BE PROPERLY TIGHTENED,AND GOES ON TO DESCRIBE A SIMPLE INEXPENSIVE FIX FOR THIS SYMPTOM. WHEN I AGAIN CONTACTED THE DEALER AND MADE THEM AWARE OF THIS,THEY AGAIN SAID THEY WOULD FIX IT BY REPLACING THE UNIT FOR $1500-$1600-NO WARRANTY-NO EXCEPTIONS. I INQUIRED ABOUT THE REGIONAL WARRANTY REPRESENTATIVE,GOT HIS PHONE NUMBER,AND CALLED HIM. AGAIN I DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM,MY CONCERNS,AND THE HONDA ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN. HE SAID THAT WHILE THE BULLETIN DOES DESCRIBE ONE POSSIBLE FIX FOR THE PROBLEM,THE HONDA DEALERS WERE NOT BOUND TO FOLLOW THAT RECOMMENDED AVENUE OF REPAIR. IN OTHER WORDS,"SPEND 1/2 HR. FIXING SOMETHING FOR $100, OR SPEND 1/2 HR FIXING IT FOR $1500". I WOULD LIKE TO STRESS THAT,SINCE I WORK IN A CONSUMER RELATED FIELD, AT NO TIME DID I PRESENT MYSELF UNPROFESSIONALLY,OR FAIL TO SHOW RESPECT TO THE PERSON TO WHOM I WAS SPEAKING,AS I BELIEVED THAT ULTIMATELY,"REASON" WOULD WIN OUT. *NM

I UNDERSTAND THAT ANY PART THAT HAS TO DO WITH CAR SAFETY NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BY THE DEALER. YET, I CONTACTED BOTH THE DEALER AND AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO. INC. BOTH OF THEM REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY EVEN TOLD ME THAT THEIR SUPERVISOR'S NEVER CONTACT OR TALK TO CAR OWNERS. MY AIRBAG LIGHT INDICATOR HAS ILLUMINATED INDICATING A PROBLEM AND A MALFUNCTION IN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT I MAY HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND I WILL NOT BE PROTECTED BY MY AIRBAG. PLEASE HELP ME RESOLVE THIS MATTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN IN ACCIDENT. YET, I AM ENTERING THE INFORMATION BELOW OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT LET ME CONTINUE. *JB CONSUMER STATES HE WANTS AIR BAGS TO BE FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER. CONSUMER ALSO STATES DEALERSHIP HAS WARRANTY ON AIRBAGS 3 YEARS OR 36,000 MILES OR WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. 4/23/07 *TR