Worried that the airbag in your Honda may shred your face instead of saving it? Complain loud enough, and the automaker will replace the unit in question.
In a statement made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration earlier this month, The Detroit News reports Honda will replace units nationwide if its customer base complains, despite being limited at the moment to the 2.8 million under recall in high-humidity states, whose Takata airbag modules are at-risk for catastrophic failure:
It is our practice to repair these vehicles outside of these regions at the request of concerned customers. Additionally, we have a customer service procedure that addresses our individual customer needs and concerns and encompasses, as appropriate, the replacement of air bag inflators and the provision of or reimbursement for temporary alternative transportation.
Representative Chris Martin explained the move wasn’t made to bring in vehicles that were “secretly included” in the recall, but give peace of mind to those who own vehicles outside the recall effort. He added that a similar statement was posted on the automaker’s owner’s website, explaining to consumers of “certain” vehicles could bring in their cars for new airbags “as appropriate,” along with reimbursement for temporary transportation needs. Martin closed by stating Honda had “no reason to believe that there is a concern” for similar issues with the airbags outside of the recall area.
Sure this will cost them a ton , but it is far cheaper than losing loyal customers.
Yes, one only has to be:
1) Aware – like the average American actually follows the news
2) Aware that your specific car is impacted
3) Take time out of your schedule to make an appointment
4) Complain the “right way” in the service department
5) Be put on another wait list
6) Show up for another appointment to have airbag replaced
Ya. That’s how you keep loyal customers. Make it almost as difficult as possible to fix a glaring and very dangerous defect.
Gee, why didn’t GM and Toyota think of that.
If you don’t like your floor mat, or gas pedal, or ignition switch, just make an appointment and complain! If you complain the “right way” then you can get…
It wasn’t as difficult when I had my recall done not too long ago, on the accelerator sensor-spring thing.
TTAC made me aware of the open recall check NHTSA feature, saw I had one.
Call to make appt.
Got car fixed while having free lattes, and chatting to a lady about her 04 G with 150K miles on it.
You read TTAC. 99% of Americans don’t even know what NHTSA is. They could spot KK’s ass at 100 meters, but you really think the average car owner that is shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, SHOCKED, to learn they have to change their oil is aware or cares that the airbag could shred their face?
REALLY?
Now I feel like an awesome, intelligent American!
“They could spot KK’s ass at 100 meters.”
Damn straight. And I could still run that far, too. Well, hobble.
Dealerships have the best oil…
“…If Consumers Complain”
Man walks into a Honda dealer and says, “I’m not one to complain, but you see there’s all this metal imbedded in face and well, it’s not me, it’s my wife, she said I should complain”
That has to be my least favorite Accord design. It’s incredibly boring all around, especially with the weird lights at the back. The coupe is just as bad.
I like the one after that, with the triangle LED brake lamps (LED on V6 only?) – that one is nice. Then the one after that with the deep character line flanking the side, just before the dog bone handles (or maybe it had dog bones). That one is good too. After that it lost the character line and looked/looks more boring.
I have to very respectfully disagree 😄. I have that very same model down to the color. I do hate the tail lights which is why mine are after market LED’s. Now a question for the best & brightest.
My 2003 specimen has been in 2 accidents. They both made the airbags deploy, but after the second accident the airbag ECM was not replaced. This car is under the current recall but I am reluctant because I figure Honda is going to try to make me eat all/most of that $1200 dollar ECM replacement before they do the recall work. I’m not the owner that got into the accidents & of course I own this vehicle outright. With just under 175,000 miles should I get the recall work done, no matter what; just keep driving it; or get something else because this is too risky? Mechanically sound & only occasionally have a passenger. My grandkids are still young enough that they have to sit in the back seat.
I like the triangular design on the (2006?) and up models also. My wife drives one just like the one in the picture except with plastic wheel covers (YUCK!) and the paint flaking off on the A and C pillars around the front and rear windshields and on the roof along the rain channels. Honda Badger don’t care about an obvious paint defect so I’ll have to pay out of pocket to have the car repainted.
I can’t stand these geographically specific recalls. They leave too much room for error. What if an affected car wasn’t sold or registered in one of the recall states but spends most of its time there? Or was previously registered in a recall state but isn’t anymore. The automakers should do the right thing and recall all of the vehicles with potentially defective equipment, and that applies to all recalls, not just this one.
NHTSA agrees:
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2014/11/18/air-bag-recalls-expansion/19238017/
I’m sure they’re going to eventually recall all cars. You think they would be willing to deal with the lawsuits that would result? This is going to require a very huge amount of airbags. They’re going to slowly ad the next highest risk area, and so forth. That’s why they’re willing to fix cars outside of the recall area now. They now they all will done eventually.
I read in an article where one of the fatalities occurred in a state that is not part of the recall. I believe that is reason for concern.
Aside from the clogged logistics of this, how would we know that a replacement airbag would be both “new” and any safer than the ones we have?
I hope this goes all Chicken Little and we get legislation permitting an opt-out of carrying little IEDs around in our cars.
Aside from the clogged logistics of this, how would we know that any replacement airbags would be both “new” and any safer than the ones we already have?
I hope this issue goes all Chicken Little and we get legislation permitting an opt-out of carrying around little IEDs ins*de our cars.
Hmm…my wife’s Pilot is under the recall but right now I am in Canada. I will be for another 6-7 months. The car is registered in Florida but I wonder if the local dealer would cover it. Probably not..
If this beats the 8 months between GM and Allstate both sending me scary letters to park my GM products until the recall service and the parts actually becoming available, Honda looks like a bunch of stand-up guys.
The owners are sitting, strapped in (hopefully) and staring at a fragmentation grenade inches from their faces. The dice start rolling each time the vehicle is operated as to whether the grenade goes off in their faces or not. The difference between operating in different climates is the number of dice rolls (evidently less in humid locales) before hitting a “winner” or not. Takata-roulette. Replace all the bags in all the vehicles equipped with the devices. One more fatality/injury cannot be an “acceptable risk”.
Obviously, Takata should indemnify Honda, unless Takata can show that Honda knowingly bought the defective Takata parts.
Get your priorities straight.
Would think that reducing death, injury from fragging airbags would be more important than imdemnifying honda or others involved.
A Calif man died in an Acura that sprayed airbag shrapnel in a crash. But Calif is not a humid state according to one Honda recall.
So recall all years involved! Not just so called humid states. Don’t delay just to protect Honda.
[quote]The death report from the coroner’s office obtained by Bloomberg News also cites a problem with the air bag.
The report stated that, “The air bag had a metallic portion that hit the deceased on the face as it deployed.”
The same month that Xu died, a similar air bag exploded in Florida and almost killed Stephanie Erdman.
“Instant blindness on my right side followed by gushing blood. It was terrifying. I thought I was going to bleed out at first,” Erdman recalled.[/quote] http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/10/21/defective-airbag-may-be-to-blame-in-2013-death-of-rosemead-man/
Would think that reducing death, injury from fragging airbags would be more important than imdemnifying honda or others involved.
A Calif man died in an Acura that sprayed airbag shrapnel in a crash. But Calif is not a humid state according to one Honda recall.
So recall all years involved! Not just so called humid states.Don’t delay just to protect Honda.
[quote]The death report from the coroner’s office obtained by Bloomberg News also cites a problem with the air bag.
The report stated that, “The air bag had a metallic portion that hit the deceased on the face as it deployed.”
The same month that Xu died, a similar air bag exploded in Florida and almost killed Stephanie Erdman.
“Instant blindness on my right side followed by gushing blood. It was terrifying. I thought I was going to bleed out at first,” Erdman recalled.[/quote] http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/10/21/defective-airbag-may-be-to-blame-in-2013-death-of-rosemead-man/
Makes me wonder if Honda sniffs a recall across the board and is making an effort to smooth out demand over a longer period. By getting out in front they help themselves and look like stand-up guys.
That’s likely the reason. Takata can’t build enough airbag if the whole world’s airbag is in recall.
This generation of Accord was my least favorite. That massive front end with huge headlamps has never really grown on me. The coupe was even worse, with a bulbous rear end that looked like it was a continuation of the equally static 03 Acura CL. I will admit the interior was of pretty high quality. The Acura TSX on the other hand was a much better example of the Accord’s evolution.
I just want to know how much Honda is paying the lead singer of Coldplay to be their mouthpiece. I thought the new album was doing better than that *shrug*.
Regardless, the act of replacing the ignition switch in my mother in-law’s ’03 Accord this weekend DID make me consider how close the petite woman sits to that airbag.
BTW, the act of replacing the ignition switch in my mother in-law’s ’03 Accord this weekend DID make me consider how close the petite woman sits to that airbag…
I had a joke and a legitimate comment…
but both got eaten by the spam filter. I don’t feel like re-typing them.
Had several today, too.
It’s over a month now and the one former work-around (avoid s-i-d) seems to have lost its mojo.
Commence drifting away in 5..4..3..
A cousin of mine lost an eye to one a few weeks ago (relatively minor accident, airbag exploded with metal shrapnel, he was knocked unconscious and only woke up after being transferred through two different hospitals).
IMO, this is a recall to take seriously.
In a Honda? What year?
Civic… early to mid 2000’s I’d guess from the pics, not sure the exact year.
Thanks.
Christ, DeadWeight’s right. This is going to turn into automotive ebola.
If I thought for one second that this ticking time bomb was in my car the only place I’d drive it is to the dealer and there it would sit until it was replaced.
Oh, and if you think I would be sitting quietly while waiting, think again
Yeah, I’m worried; we have ’09 and ’11 Hondas. But what about every other OEM that installed Takatas?
How does one even begin to figure their level of exposure to this?
pete, I seriously don’t know how you could drive them knowing yours is one of the targeted vehicles. I’d be scared to death
Right now mine doesn’t show up as a possible, but I would immediately have the bags disarmed if it does.
Turbosaab’s cousin was blinded in a fender-bender, I’ve already been sliced to ribbons once in an accident (I’m ok now) I’ll be damned if it will happen again
Swell, my reply got eaten again.
I thought ’09 was outs*de the envelope. I’ve received no word from Honda.
Obviously I have a new priority now.
I’m not one to defend Takata, but I bet these airbags saved more lives than they cost. That’s not a reason to not be concerned, but a reason to keep the airbag there until it can be addressed. Either that or drive another vehicle, with a non-effected airbag.
Lie2me, I don’t think disarming the airbag negates the issue. I believe you’d actually have to remove the airbag.
“I’m not one to defend Takata, but I bet these airbags saved more lives than they cost. ”
There’s a gamble I’m not willing to take
“There’s a gamble I’m not willing to take.”
May you never need to be airlifted to the hospital, then. Helicopters are flying death traps that nevertheless save many lives each year, too.
I was airlifted (see above), or so I’m told. You see the difference is a helicopter is not my daily driver, if I thought I might be blinded over a fender-bender, I’d walk
@brn
1) Just because the net lives saved is a positive number has little to do with the danger facing millions of Americans presently, every time they get into their car.
2) Disarming the airbag would negate the issue, because a disarmed airbag does not fire.
Someone wrote,”Obviously, Takata should indemnify Honda, unless Takata can show that Honda knowingly bought the defective Takata parts.”
Get your priorities straight.
Reducing death, injury from fragging airbags is more
important than imdemnifying honda.
A Calif man died in an Acura that sprayed airbag shrapnel in
a crash. But Calif is not a humid state according to one
Honda recall.
So recall all years involved! Not just so called humid
states.Don’t delay just to protect Honda.
“The death report from the coroner’s office obtained by
Bloomberg News also cites a problem with the air bag.
“The report stated that, “The air bag had a metallic portion
that hit the deceased on the face as it deployed.”
“The same month that Xu died, a similar air bag exploded in
Florida and almost killed Stephanie Erdman.
“Instant blindness on my right side followed by gushing blood.
It was terrifying. I thought I was going to bleed out at
first,” Erdman recalled.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/
2014/10/21/defective-airbag-may
-be-to-blame-in-2013-death-of-r
osemead-man/
Someone wrote,”Obviously, Takata should indemnify Honda, unless Takata can show that Honda knowingly bought the defective Takata parts.”
Get your priorities straight.
Reducing death, injury from fragging airbags is more
important than imdemnifying honda.
A Calif man died in an Acura that sprayed airbag shrapnel in
a crash. But Calif is not a humid state according to one
Honda recall.
So recall all years involved! Not just so called humid
states.Don’t delay just to protect Honda.
“The death report from the coroner’s office obtained by
Bloomberg News also cites a problem with the air bag.
“The report stated that, “The air bag had a metallic portion
that hit the deceased on the face as it deployed.”
“The same month that Xu died, a similar air bag exploded in
Florida and almost killed Stephanie Erdman.
“Instant blindness on my right side followed by gushing blood.
It was terrifying. I thought I was going to bleed out at
first,” Erdman recalled.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/10/21/defective-airbag-may-be-to-blame-n-2013-death-of-rosemead-man/
And when will Honda have parts for people outside the recall area, Q4 2015? BMW’s recall is dated July 15th, and the two dealers closest to me still have no idea when they will have parts.
My Honda was distinctive. I am just glad it’s different and unique. Perhaps, this is the reason why most people would consider this an empty canvas. Changing my rims and adding some hoods makes my Honda unique. I am pretty sure Honda would be working on this. I know a number may have complained, this serves as a warning. Checking the car you have in mind online could help. I have recently found this new car tool http://www.caroneone.com and was surprised with the details they provide.
What are you talking about. Who is talking about unique. Why are your sentences like this. Are you a bot.
The preceding ad was paid for by…
Awwww, shucks.
Honda givin me the warm and fuzzies.
They’re genuinely “concerned”.
I’m sure Honda is trying to do the right thing, they are a good company.
That said, air bags have always been dangerous. Up until now, the rare incidents when they go off for no reason have not gotten news coverage. There is nothing like having an airbag blow up on a nice, easy drive, to ruin your day–or maybe end your life.
That’s why air bags should NOT be mandated. Automakers should be free to offer them as standard, optional, or not available, and consumers should be free to weigh the very real pros (air bag deploying properly in an accident could save one’s life or really reduce injury) and cons (air bag deploying accidentally could cause accident, injury and even death).