2003 Honda Pilot Air Bags

WE WERE REAR-ENDED, CAUSING US TO CRASH INTO A GUARD RAIL (DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER), WHICH THEN SPUN OUR VEHICLE AROUND, CAUSING THE ENTIRE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE TO COME TO REST AGAINST THE GUARD RAIL. THE CRASH OCCURRED AT ROUGHLY 30 MPH, BUT NEITHER THE FRONT, NOR THE SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE CABLE REEL WAS DAMAGED. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, NHTSA ITEM NUMBER # 10005879, WHICH STATES THE DAMAGED CABLE REEL CAN CAUSE SRS DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTCS). THE DEALER ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT THE CABLE REEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WITHOUT THE REPAIR THERE WAS A GOOD POSSIBILITY THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED.

FIRST, I HAD BOTH: A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH A DEER AND A REAR COLLISION WITH ANOTHER CAR AND NONE OF MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE IMPACT ON BOTH OCCASIONS WAS NOT A SEVERE/HARD IMPACT, THEREFORE AIRBAG DID NOT OPEN. THEY MUST BE WAITING FOR A FEW CONSUMERS TO DIE BEFORE RECALLING THESE AIRBAGS AND A LAWSUIT. IT COST ME OVER $3K TO FIX THE DAMAGES ON BOTH ENDS. ANYWAY, MY SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON SINCE THIS PAST APRIL. I TOOK MY PILOT TO MY DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEED MY "CABLE REEL" REPLACED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE COST TO FIX MY PILOT WOULD BE $400=$300 LABOR + $100 PART AND IT IS THERE WAY OF ROBBING ME BLIND. I TOLD THEM TO NOT PERFORMED THE FIX UNTIL I GOT A SECOND OPINION. THEY DID RESET THE LIGHT FOR ME BUT THE SRS LIGHT CAME BACK MINUTES AFTER THEY RETURN IT TO ME. WELL, THE SECOND OPINION AT LEESBURG HONDA DEALERSHIP CLOSE TO MY HOUSE WANT TO RAPE MY WALLET OF $1000 +. THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT MY AIR BAG IS BAD AND THAT I NEED TO REPLACE IT OR I WILL FAIL MY VA INSPECTION. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE MECHANICS AND SPECIALIZE IN REPAIRING BROKEN\DAMAGE CAR EQUIPMENTS. THEY ARE NOT ENGINEERS AND CAN NOT EXPLAIN TO ME WHY MY AIR BAG WOULD GO BAD. THE LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER SINCE I AM OVER MY 3 YRS\36K MILES. SO BASICALLY TO GET MY CAR FIX, I HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE PART THAT WAS SOLD TO ME AS NEW WHEN I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE. WHO SHOULD I BELIEVE OR WHICH DEALERSHIP KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING? *JB

DT: THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE WAITING ENTER INTO TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP, AND THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH. THE MOVING VEHICLE HIT THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE AIR BAG SYSTEM FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY PREVIOUS ACCIDENTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED , BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. *AK

SRS ELECTRONIC SYSTEM WAS DISRUPTED BY ELECTRONIC ITEM BEING PLACED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THE 2003 HONDA PILOT.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR *NM

DT: THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH PANEL. THIS CAME ON WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS INCIDENTS OR PROBLEMS. THERE WAS ANOTHER RECALL ON A SEPARATE ISSUE, AND WHILE AT THE DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIR, THE DEALER INSPECTED THE SRS LIGHT. THE DEALER MADE THE DETERMINATION THAT THE AIRBAG WAS NOT WORKING. THE DEALER BELIEVED CELL PHONE USE HAD SHORTED THE SENSOR OF THE SRS. HE TRIED TO RESET IT. TWO MILES AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, THE LIGHT AGAIN ILLUMINATED AND HAS BEEN ON SINCE THIS TIME. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE REPAIR WOULD COST 300 DOLLARS. NO REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK

2003 HONDA PILOT EXPERIENCED MINOR PROBLEMS. ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE VEHICLE'S SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. ON DAY AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE MADE THE SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. *NM

SRS LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK PILOT TO HONDA SERVICE TO HANDLE RECALL AND PRESUMABLY CORRECT LIGHT PROBLEM. SERVICE PERSON SAID PROBLEM WAS NOT RECALL RELATED, INSTEAD SAID PROBLEM WAS SRS CONTROL UNIT. SINCE VEHICLE HAS OVER 36K MILES, THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. *JB

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN FOR THE FRONT AIR BAGS. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR ANOTHER PROBLEM. WHILE THE MECHANIC WAS INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE FRONT AIR BAGS WERE CHECKED AND THE MECHANIC MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS ACCORDING TO THE SAFETY CAMPAIGN BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE THE AIR BAGS HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER(S) WERE CONCERNED THAT REPAIRS WERE DONE TWICE, BUT PROBLEM COULD RECUR. *AK THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE AIR BAGS MAY NOT REMAIN ADJUSTED. *SC *JB

THE SRS LIGHT ON MY 2003 HONDA PILOT CAME ON ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO AND HAS STAYED ON. THE DEALER LOOKED AT IT, ORDERED A PART WHICH CAME IN OVER 3 WEEKS LATER, INSTALLED THE PART (I BELIEVE IT WAS A NEW AIRBAG SENSOR), AND STILL HASN'T FIXED THE PROBLEM. THEY ORDERED ANOTHER PART WHICH THEY SAID WOULD TAKE 3-4 WEEKS TO COME IN. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT CURRENTLY DUE TO THIS ISSUE.*AK

WHEN USING A LAP TOP COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLE THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAGS HAD BEEN DEACTIVATED. THE ELECTRONIC WAVES HIT THE BACK OF THE SEAT CAUSING THIS DEFECT. *NM THE PROBLEM HAPPENED REPEATEDLY WHEN THE LAP TOP WAS USED IN THE FRONT SEAT. THE DEALER TURNED THE AIRBAGS ON, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BUT CANNOT STOP THE OCCURRENCE. *SC *JB

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER STATED THAT THE COST MAY NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THIS WAS A RECALLED ITEM LAST YEAR. THE DEALER STATED A SENSOR WENT BAD UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE SERVICE ADVISOR STATED THE CONSUMERS PROBLEM HAD NOT DO WITH THE RECALL. *JB

ON APRIL 8,2004, THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON IN MY PILOT. I PHONED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT MIGHT JUST NEED TO RESET ITSELF BECAUSE I HAD SOMETHING SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SEAT AND THAT IT MIGHT TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS FOR IT TO RESET. THE LIGHT NEVER WENT OFF. I TOOK IT IN TO BE CHECKED ON APRIL 14, 2004. THE SERVICE TECH RESET THE SRS LIGHT AND I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT BACK IF THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. ABOUT 20 MILES DOWN THE ROAD, THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT AFTERNOON WHERE THE SERVICE TECH TOLD ME THAT THE PILOT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE OVERNIGHTED AND MY VEHICLE WOULD BE READY THE NEXT AFTERNOON. ONE OF THE PARTS CAME IN BUT THE OTHER PART IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. MONDAY, I WAS TOLD THAT THE PART IS ON "CRITICAL BACKORDER" AND HOPEFULLY WILL ARRIVE ON APRIL 26.2004. THE DEALERSHIP HAS PROVIDED ME WITH A RENTAL VEHICLE..I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN A PART IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER, IT CAN TAKES MONTHS FOR THE PART TO BE AVAILABLE. I, TOO, LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER PILOT OWNERS, WAS TOLD THAT MY CELL PHONE PLUGGED IN , COULD HAVE CAUSED THE LIGHT TO COME ON. I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF A STRETCH.*AK

CONSUMER STATED WHEN USING LAPTOP ON THE PASSENGER'S SEAT SRS LIGHT CAME ON. AS A RESULT, AIR BAGS DISENGAGED. *AK

3 TIMES WE HAD THE SRS LIGHT COME ON AND STAY ON IN OUR 2003 PILOT. THE SECOND TIME THEY REPLACED THE SENSOR AGAIN (WARRANTY), BUT INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF RF INSIDE THE VEHICLE INTERFERRING WITH THE SRS SIDE AIRBAG IN THE DRIVER SEAT. THE TECHNICIAN NOTED THAT IT COULD BE THE USE OF CELL PHONE OR TELEVISION. WE HAD ROUTINELY USED A PORTABLE DVD PLAYER IN THE PILOT WITH AC POWER INVERTER PLUGGED INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER. WE USED THIS FOR ABOUT A YEAR WITH NO PROBLEMS. WE TRIED THE INVERTER ONE MORE TIME AND WITHOUT EVEN CONNECTING THE DVD PLAYER, THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON. THIS INVERTER WAS POWERED UNDER THE LIMIT LABELED ON THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER. THEY REPLACED THE WHOLE AIRBAG CONTROLLER THIS TIME WHICH I THINK PROBABLY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM AND IS WHY IT KEPT RECURRING. BUT NOW WE ARE AFRAID TO TRY AGAIN SINCE WE GOT A FIRM WARNING FROM THE TECHNICIAN THAT WE AREN'T SUPPOSED OT USE INVERTERS IN THE LIGHTER AND IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, THEY WON'T COVER IT! I THINK THEY BUILD THESE SUV'S KNOWING THAT PEOPLE WILL USE THE RECEPTACLES FOR POWER, THEY EVEN LABEL THEM WITH VOLTAGE LIMITS. I THINK IF THERE ARE LIMITATIONS KNOWN, WE SHOULD BE INFORMED EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE SO WE DON'T HAVE TO ELIMINATE ALL USAGE.

I WAS INVOLVED IN HEAD AND SIDE IMPACT AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND AIRBAGS WERE NOT DEPLOYED, AS THEY SHOULD. AS A RESULT MY WIFE RECEIVED NICK AND BACK INJURIES. HAD THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AS THEY SHOULD INJURIES WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS SEVERE IF ANY. *AK

THE AIR BAG LIGHT CONSTANTLY STAYED ON.*JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH HIT A POLE, AND NEITHER OF THE FOUR AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK