2001 Acura Mdx

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 ACURA MDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SRS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO UNDERRINER HONDA (3643 PIERCE PKWY, BILLINGS, MT 59106, (406)255-2350) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT BELT SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 ACURA MDX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER ENGINE MOUNTS WERE TORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT INQUIRED ABOUT A RECALL, BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT WERE NONE. THEREFORE, THE CONTACT HAD TO PAY $582.63 FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,799 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,200. UPDATED 09/10/08. *LJ THE DEALER ALSO REPLACED A MISSING TONGUE STOPPER ON THE SEAT BELT. UPDATED 09/12/08. *JB

MY 5 1/2 YEAR OLD SON WAS BELTED IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE MIDDLE ROW SEAT OF MY ACURA MDX YEAR 2001 WHICH HAS 3 ROWS OF SEATS. NEXT TO HIS RIGHT SHOULDER IS THE SHOULDER STRAP OF THE MIDDLE SEAT WHICH IS CONNECTED TO A MECHANISM IN THE SEAT AND EXTENDS TO THE ROOF OF THE CAR. AS IT TURNS OUT, DESPITE PREVIOUS WARNINGS, HE WAS PLAYING WITH THAT MIDDLE SHOULDER STRAP AND INADVERTANTLY IT LOOPED AROUND HIS NECK, RETRACTED AND BEGAN TO HANG AND STRANGLE HIM. HE CALLED OUT TO ME WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN A CRYING, RASPY VOICE. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR AND LOOKED BACK. I AM AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN, AND WHAT I SAW WAS MY SON BEING LIFTED OFF THE SEAT, BEING HELD DOWN BY HIS SEAT WHILE HIS HEAD WAS BEING PULLED AWAY. HIS FACE WAS RED AND HE COULD HARDLY BREATH AND HIS BREATHING WAS GETTING MORE LABORED. I JUMPED IN THE BACK SEAT AND TRIED TO PULL THE SHOULDER STRAP DOWN TO GIVE HIME SOME SLACK, BUT IT WAS LOCKED. HE MUST HAVE PULLED IN OUT ALL THE WAY PRIOR TO THE SEAT BELT RETRACTING, AND IT WAS LOCKED. I HAD TO RELEASE HIS BELT AND HOLD HIM UP WITH MY HAND. I COULD NOT PLACE MY FINGER BETWEEN THE BELT AND HIS NECK BECAUSE IT WAS TOO TIGHT, AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO UNWRAP THE BELT. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE LOCKING MECHANISM. THERE IS A WAY OF UNLOCKING THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT AND RETRACTING IT ALL THE WAY INTO THE ROOF FOR STORAGE, IN MY PANIC I COULD OT IDENTIFY IT. I CALLED OUTSIDE TO PEOPLE IN THEIR CARS PARKED AT A STOP LIGHT FOR A KNIFE. NO ONE HAD A KNIFE. I WENT BACK AND THOUGHT AGAIN AND REMEMBERED THAT A KEY WAS REQUIRED TO UNLACTCH THIS MECHANISM. I TOOK MY KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, AND FOUND A SMALL RECTANGULAR HOLE ALONG THE SIDE OF THE BUCKLE MECHANISM, PLACED MY KEY INTO IT AND RELEASED THE BELT. I WAS ABLE TO THEN UNWRAP THE BELT FROM THIS NECK AND SAVE HIS LIFE. IF I HAND NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN AWARE OF THIS MECHANISM, HE WOULD HAVE HUNG/STRANGLED TO DEATH. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR COMMENTS. IT SEEMS TO ME THERE SHOULD BE AN EASIER WAY OF UNLOCKING THAT BELT.

SEATBELTS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY FOR A BOOSTER SEAT. COSUMER FEELS THERE'S A DEFECT IN THE WAY THEY WERE MADE. SEAT WILL SLIDE 7 TO 9 INCHES IN A COLLISION.*AK CONSUMER STATES BOOSTER SEAT IS A COMMON MODEL MANFACTURED BY CENTURY PRODUCTS, THE SEAT BELT STRAP GOES THROUGH THE BACK OF THE BOOSTER SEAT TO INSTALL IT, BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE OF THE VEHICLE IS NOT ON A SMALL STRAP LIKE THOSE IN THE SECOND ROW SEATING THAT ALLOWS IT TO MOVE TO A VERTICAL POSITION, CONSUMER STATES UNABLE TO GET BOOSTER SEAT TO INSTALL PROPERLY, THE BUCKLE WILL NOT ROTATE BACK FAR ENOUGH AND THE BOOSTER SEAT WHEN BUCKLED IN AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE WILL MOVE 7-9 INCHES, CONSUMER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL POLICE DEPT. AND AN OFFICER WHO IS CERTIFIED COULD NOT MAKE THE INSTALLATION EITHER, CONSUMER THEN TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND COULD NOT PROVIDE A SOLUTION ,EXCEPT FOR TRYING A LOCKING CLIP ON THE BELTS BUT THAT DID NOT WORK EITHER. *JB