honda service deploys side airbag during recall and coverup
My 2005 Honda CRV had front dashboard airbag recall. My son took car to Honda Cars of McKinney, TX on 4/12/2017 to have airbag replaced. The procedure was completed in approximately 2 hours and my son drove home thinking airbag replacement was successful and noticed nothing wrong. Two days later his friend entered the front passenger seat and told my son the seat belt did not work.
My son took pictures of the side airbag which is located on passenger seat next to door and sent to me saying the dealer messed up his car and got glue all over the car seat. The following week we returned to the service department asking them to cleanup mess and fix the seat belt. At this point we did not look inside and realize the side airbag was cut out and gone. One of the service manager looked inside the panel and told us the airbag has deployed at some point in time. Not knowing what to do I left the car there to see if they can repair seat belt. After 4 hours later I get a call back from one of service manager and he is indicating the airbag must have deployed long time ago before we purchased the car. He says the seat belt will lock permanently and no longer retract when airbag deploys. He indicates repair will cost $3500. I tell him seat belt was fine when we brought it in and there were no marks on seat and the side panel on airbag was not off. He basically has no explanation other than service department did not do it. Immediately I return to pickup vehicle after realizing they are covering up some technician's mistake.
After doing lots of research, I learned the marks on seat were not glue marks, but thermal black burn marks which are consistent with corrosive alkaline aerosol which can leak out when airbag deploys. I learned that the airbag system is still armed if someone like technician is sitting in the seat. Also if technician does not disconnect battery or wait 3 minutes he can short circuit and cause other airbag to deploy.
I located the Service Manual that Honda is suppose to following exactly for airbag recall. First, they are suppose to verify SRS before they start. Otherwise they should stop and notify department service manager and you would think the customer. Obviously this did NOT happen. The SRS will not function with a missing airbag. After they install the airbag they are suppose to again verify the SRS. Makes sense right. You just replaced an airbag. Honda is getting cars in that are 10+ years old. You have to verify SRS on those old cars. From this I know technician did not follow at least 2 steps in recall procedure.
Honda Cars of McKinney service department basically sent my 18 year old son back on the road without a working airbag system. The irony. Honda has an airbag recall for defective airbags. They don't even follow their own service manual procedures. And they hand your car back to you with less protection than before the recall. Who is more dangerous? Takata or Honda
I call the service manager at Honda Cars of McKinney, TX the following day explaining I know they did this and I just want my car repaired to original condition. He states it did not happen at his shop. I call the Honda Recall Center to file complaint. The recall center returns my call the following day. As I start defending my position to the Honda representative on the phone, she indicates that my car may have hit a pot hole in the last 2 weeks. She is suppose to follow up with service manager at Honda Cars of McKinney, TX but I don't hold much hope.
I don't believe 2005 Honda CRV has EDR (Event Data Recorder). That device will permanently save the speed of car, any braking by driver, etc anytime an airbag deploy. Pretty confident the speedometer was at 0 on this one.
This is where I am. Any suggestions much appreciated.....
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
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honda service deploys side airbag during recall and coverup My 2005 Honda CRV had front dashboard airbag recall. My son took car to Honda Cars of McKinney, TX on 4/12/2017 to have airbag replaced. The procedure was completed in approximately 2 hours and my son drove home thinking airbag replacement was successful and noticed nothing wrong. Two days later his friend entered the front passenger seat and told my son the seat belt did not work.
My son took pictures of the side airbag which is located on passenger seat next to door and sent to me saying the dealer messed up his car and got glue all over the car seat. The following week we returned to the service department asking them to cleanup mess and fix the seat belt. At this point we did not look inside and realize the side airbag was cut out and gone. One of the service manager looked inside the panel and told us the airbag has deployed at some point in time. Not knowing what to do I left the car there to see if they can repair seat belt. After 4 hours later I get a call back from one of service manager and he is indicating the airbag must have deployed long time ago before we purchased the car. He says the seat belt will lock permanently and no longer retract when airbag deploys. He indicates repair will cost $3500. I tell him seat belt was fine when we brought it in and there were no marks on seat and the side panel on airbag was not off. He basically has no explanation other than service department did not do it. Immediately I return to pickup vehicle after realizing they are covering up some technician's mistake.
After doing lots of research, I learned the marks on seat were not glue marks, but thermal black burn marks which are consistent with corrosive alkaline aerosol which can leak out when airbag deploys. I learned that the airbag system is still armed if someone like technician is sitting in the seat. Also if technician does not disconnect battery or wait 3 minutes he can short circuit and cause other airbag to deploy.
I located the Service Manual that Honda is suppose to following exactly for airbag recall. First, they are suppose to verify SRS before they start. Otherwise they should stop and notify department service manager and you would think the customer. Obviously this did NOT happen. The SRS will not function with a missing airbag. After they install the airbag they are suppose to again verify the SRS. Makes sense right. You just replaced an airbag. Honda is getting cars in that are 10+ years old. You have to verify SRS on those old cars. From this I know technician did not follow at least 2 steps in recall procedure.
Honda Cars of McKinney service department basically sent my 18 year old son back on the road without a working airbag system. The irony. Honda has an airbag recall for defective airbags. They don't even follow their own service manual procedures. And they hand your car back to you with less protection than before the recall. Who is more dangerous? Takata or Honda
I call the service manager at Honda Cars of McKinney, TX the following day explaining I know they did this and I just want my car repaired to original condition. He states it did not happen at his shop. I call the Honda Recall Center to file complaint. The recall center returns my call the following day. As I start defending my position to the Honda representative on the phone, she indicates that my car may have hit a pot hole in the last 2 weeks. She is suppose to follow up with service manager at Honda Cars of McKinney, TX but I don't hold much hope.
I don't believe 2005 Honda CRV has EDR (Event Data Recorder). That device will permanently save the speed of car, any braking by driver, etc anytime an airbag deploy. Pretty confident the speedometer was at 0 on this one.
This is where I am. Any suggestions much appreciated.....
- Kurt M., Allen, US