1996 Honda Odyssey Air Bags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,064.

SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON AT 73522 MI. HONDA DEALER CHECKED ALL CONNECTIONS AND WIRING, ALSO TRIED RE-PROGRAMMING-THAT DID NOT WORK. DEALER SAID THAT AIR BAGS ARE INOPERATIVE, AND THAT A NEW SRS CONTROL UNIT IS NEEDED - AT COST OF OVER $700. THE COST IS PROHIBITIVE FOR US. DEALER SAYS THEY HAVE REPLACED NUMEROUS SRS CONTROL UNITS ON ODYSSEYS. THIS INDICATES A MANUFACTURING DEFECT RENDERING KEY SAFETY SYSTEM INOPERATIVE. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT HONDA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURE OF KEY SAFETY COMPONENT DURING NORMAL USE--THE STATED REASON IS THAT "YOU STILL HAVE YOUR SAFETY BELTS." I BELIEVE THAT THE SRS CONTROL UNIT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED WITHIN NORMAL LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, THE OWNER'S MANUAL SAYS THAT IT ONLY NEEDS TO BE CHECKED EVERY 10 YEARS. *NM

THE AIR BAG MODULE MALFUNCTIONED. THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN STARTED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED BOTH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER THE AIR BAG WAS NOT IMPORTANT AS THE SEAT BELT AND WAS NOT MANDATORY TO REPAIR. *NLM. *AK *TS *JB

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE FAILURE, LIGHT PANE INDICATING PROBLEMS. CONSUMER CAN'T AFFORD REPAIR. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

CONSUMER STATED THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE DEALER WAS UNSURE WHICH COMPONENTS OF THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT MIGHT BE CAUSING THE SRS WARNING LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING UNLESS THE ENTIRE UNIT WAS REPLACED, CONSUMER DENIED THE REPAIRS AND AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP THE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ON, HOWEVER IN APRIL 2002 THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. *JB NAR *SCC *CB

SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (AIR BAGS) WARNING LIGHT APPEARED, DEALER SAYS AIR BAGS ARE INOPERATIVE. DEALER RESET CONTROL UNIT. LIGHT APPEARED TWO MONTHS LATER. ASKED DEALER IF THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. DEALER SAYS THAT THEY HAVE REPLACED NUMEROUS CONTROL UNITS. SHOULD A SAFETY DEVICE OF THIS MAGNITUDE FAIL WITHIN FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE? THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS TO CHECK THIS SYSTEM EVERY TEN YEARS. FROM THE DEALERS COMMENT OF REPLACING NUMEROUS CONTROL UNITS, IT'S MY OPINION THAT A PART OF THIS MAGNITUDE SHOULD INDEED LAST THE USEFUL LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. *JB ****DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS.*****765263

MY SUPPLEMENT RESTRAINT SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO CAUSED BY NO OBVIOUS REASON. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED AT THE SERVICE DEPT. THAT THEY DON'T KNOW EITHER WHY IT WENT OUT. I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I AM UNCLEAR HOW IT CAN EFFECT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS, COULD THEY GO AT ANY TIME OR PROBABLY NOT AT ALL WHEN NEEDED. I FOUND INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET RELATING TO THIS BUT UNFORTUNATLEY NOT MUCH AS FAR AS DETAILS. ON THE ALLDATA SITE THEY MADE REFERENCE TO TSB# 00-089 AND TWO FOR THE ACCORD (WHICH A DEALER TOLD ME IS VIRTUALLY THE SAME CAR) TSB # 96-061 AND 97-002. ALSO YOUR SITE MADE REFERENCE TO A SERV. BULLETIN # 000101 SEQUENCE # 103. SINCE MY CAR IS AT THE SHOP RIGHT NOW I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE EXACT MILEAGE ON IT AND HAD TO GUESS AS WELL AS UNABLE TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO BELTS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED THE EXACT MILEAGE ETC. AND I WILL GET THAT TO YOU. I WAS TOLD THIS PART WILL COST ME $800.00 TO REPAIR AND THINK THAT IS AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT AND IT SHOULD BE A PART THAT SHOULD LAST FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. I THINK IT COULD BE POTENTIALLY A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND HOPE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. SINCERELY, [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

SRS LIGHT CAME ON. WE PAID $85 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC REPORT. IT INDICATED THE SRS COMPUTER HAD FAILED AND IT WILL COST $850 TO REPLACE. THE DEALER WOULD NOT FIX IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. IS THERE A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM?

AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME AND STAYED ON TWICE INDICTATING A DEFECT, DLR WILL BE RESETTING THE SYSTEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

SRS LIGHT CAME ON, CHECKED AND RESET BY MECHANIC, HAS COME ON AGAIN WITH DIFFERENT CODE, RESET AGAIN. *AK

SRS LIGHT CAME ON WHEN CAR WAS STARTED. *YD

HONDA DEALERS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SRS COMPUTER FAILURE IS "COMMON ON 1996 ODYSSEYS".*AK

SRS LIGHT COMES ON, INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WHICH MAY DEPLOY UNEXPECTEDLY OR WON'T DEPLOY IN EVENT OF A CRASH AND PROTECT THE OCCUPANT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

SRS LIGHT CAME ON, AND CONSUMER DROVE CAR TO A MECHANIC. MECHANIC SAID THAT THE SRS UNIT WAS BAD. *AK

THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON, INDICATING THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WHICH WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN AN EVENT OF A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *YC

VEHICLE WAS IN HEAD-ON COLLISION AT 40 TO 45MPH, AND BOTH PASSENGER'S AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN. *AK

AT 5MPH THE CONSUMER BUMPED BUMPERS WITH A PARKED CAR AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. PLEASE DESCRBIE IN DETAIL. *AK