1997 Honda Accord

THE COMPLAINT IS REGARDING THE SRS MODULE. THE UNIT MALFUNCTIONED, GIVING A RED DASHBOARD ALARM LIGHT. THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER ATTEMPTED TO RESET THE TROUBLE LIGHT, BUT COULDN'T. THE DEALER INDICATED THE PART NUMBER ON MY SERVICE INVOICE AS HONDA PART # 06772-SV4-A71 FOR A 1997 HONDA ACCORD. I QUERIED SEVERAL SALVAGE YARDS FOR A USED PART AS THE OEM PART WAS IN EXCESS OF $500. I WAS SENT THE SRS MODULE FROM A SALVAGE YARD ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE SRS MODULE WAS INDEED FROM A 1997 HONDA, HOWEVER, MY SRS MODULE (THE ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE SRS MODULE) WAS FROM A 1996 HONDA.OBVIOUSLY, I PURCHASED A NEW 1997 HONDA WITH A 1996 ELECTRONIC PART. THIS PART WAS OR COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SHELF FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS BEFORE IT WAS INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE. MY SRS PART NUMBER TAKEN FROM MY VEHICLE HAS PART # MODEL 77960-SV4-A93. WHAT IS A 1996 PART DOING IN MY "NEW" 1997 VEHICLE? MOREOVER, THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS A DIRECT REFLECTION ON LIFE OR DEATH..............NAMELY MINE AND MY FAMILY. ELECTRONIC PARTS ARE NOT LIKE ENGINE PARTS THAT HAVE INDEFINITE SHELF LIFE. A CRANK SHAFT CAN SIT ON A SHELF FOR 30 YEARS AND STILL WORK PROPERLY WHEN INSTALLED. TRY THE SAME THING WITH AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT. THANKS, STEVE CHLUDZINSKI. *AK

THIS IS A GENERAL COMPLAINT FOR THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES USED ON A WIDE VARIETY OF HONDA VEHICLES OVER MULTIPLE PRODUCTION YEARS BEING ABLE TO UNLATCH DURING A COLLISION. TO KEEP THIS COMPLAINT FORM BRIEF, ONLY THE MAIN TOPICS WILL BE DISCUSSED. THE DEFECT CONSISTS OF THE SEATBELT FAILING TO FULLY LATCH IN PLACE IF A SMALL AMOUNT OF A BEVERAGE (USUALLY SODA POP) IS SPILLED INTO THE SEATBELT HOUSING. AFTER DRYING, THE BEVERAGE RESIDUE BECOMES STICKY AND THE DESIGN OF THE SEATBELT BUCKLE PREVENTS THE BUCKLE FROM LATCHING SECURELY. THE FAILURE MODE CAN BE EITHER THE SEATBELT NOT LATCHING AT ALL OR THE BUCKLE GIVING A 'FALSE LATCH' CONDITION MEANING THAT THE SEATBELT TONGUE CLICKS AND SEEMS TO HOLD IN PLACE NORMALLY TO THE OCCUPANT BUT IF PULLED FIRMLY IT WILL RELEASE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN TO OCCUPANTS. HONDA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS DEFECT AND EVEN HAS RETURNED WARRANTY PARTS (ESTIMATE OVER 1000 FAILURES HAVE BEEN RETURNED BY CUSTOMERS) THAT IT HAS CATEGORIZED AS BSR (BROWN STICKY RESIDUE). THIS PROBLEM GOES BACK AT LEAST AS FAR AS 1994 (WITH THE 1994 STYLE DESIGN BEING ESPECIALLY PRONE TO THIS FAILURE). AS STATED, HONDA HAS RECEIVED MANY FAILURES OF THIS TYPE BACK BUT HAS TAKEN NO ACTION TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IT IS UNKNOWN HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY HAVE BEEN WEARING THEIR SEAT BELT BUT WHEN IN A COLLISION IT UNLATCHED AND ALLOWED THEM TO BE INJURED. FURTHERMORE, WITH HONDA PLACING A CUPHOLDER JUST INCHES AWAY FROM THE SEATBELT BUCKLE (AND WITH THE BUCKLE DESIGNED IN A FUNNEL SHAPE), IT IS OBVIOUS THAT HONDA KNEW BEVERAGES WOULD BE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE BUCKLE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND I HOPE THAT AN INVESTIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED TO HELP SAVE LIVES. FORCING HONDA TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WARRANTY CLAIMS IT HAS RECEIVED FOR SEAT BELT BUCKLES OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WOULD SHOW THAT HONDA HAS KNOWN OF THE DEFECT BUT HAS TAKEN NO STEPS TO CORRECT IT OR INFORM ITS CUSTOMERS OF THE DANGER. *AK

SRS LIGHT CAME ON TWICE, WITH NO PROBLEM FOUND, NEEDED TO BE RESET BY DEALER AT AT COST OF $60.00 EACH TIME. THIRD TIME LIGHT CAME ON, TAKEN TO DEALER TO HAVE IT RESET, TOLD THE CONTROL UNIT IS BAD REQUIRING REPLACEMENT AT $800 +. TOLD THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT OR MAY DEPLOY WITHOUT BEING IN AN ACCIDENT. NO RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETINS FOUND DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE.*AK

A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK I READ ABOUT A RECALL ON VARIOUS HONDA AND ACURA VEHICLES WITH REGARD TO AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM IN CONSUMER REPORTS. THE RECALL AFFECTED SOME 19'97 MODELS, BUT 1998 AND NEWER ACCORDS. I OWN A '97 ACCORD THAT IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED A LOCAL DEALER AND AFTER ALMOST 3 WEEKS OF AGGRAVATING PHONE CALLS REDIRECTING ME TO EVERYONE FROM THE CORPORATE OFFICE TO THE JANITOR, I WAS DENIED INCLUSION IN THE RECALL. SOME OF THE EXCUSES WERE THAT MY VEHICLE HAS TOO MANY MILES ON IT TO BE INCLUDED, THAT I DON'T MAINTAIN A SERVICE RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY PARTICULAR DEALER, AND THAT IT MAY JUST BE MY KEY HAS WORN OUT (BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME?). I WAS WONDERING IF IT IS CUSTOMARY TO MAKE SUCH ARBITRARY DECISIONS WHEN DETERMINING INCLUSION IN A SAFETY RECALL. ALL THOSE FACTORS LISTED DO NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT MY CAR CAN ROLL AWAY AFTER I REMOVE MY KEY. *AK

MY SRS HAS COME ON FOR THE THIRD TIME IN MY CAR. THE DEALER TOLD ME WHILE THE SRS LIGHT IS ON, THE AIR BAGS WON'T DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THIS HAS HAPPEN, THE DEALER RESET THE LIGHT. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $800 TO FIX. I DON'T HAVE $800 SITTING AROUND, THEREFORE I HAD THEM RESET THE LIGHT. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN HONDA NEEDS TO ADDRESS. I BOUGHT A CAR WITH AIR BAGS, AND RIGHT NOW MY AIR BAGS WON'T DEPLOY. IF THE SEATBELTS IN MY CAR ARE COVERED UNDER A LIFETIME WARRANTY THEN WHY AREN'T THE AIR BAGS (IT'S ALL PART OF THE SRS). I HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO THE CAR TO CAUSE THIS. I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO SACRIFICE MY LIFE AS WELL AS ANY OF MY PASSENGER'S LIVES BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE $800 TO FIX HONDA'S PROBLEM. I'VE CHECKED OTHER RESOURCES ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS HONDA OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I THINK THIS SHOULD PROMPT AN IMMEDIATE RECALL.*AK