1997 Honda Civic

ON AUGUST 04, 2004, I VISITED THE HONDA DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) READINESS INDICATOR LAMP OF MY HONDA CIVIC 1997 DX HAD TURNED RED. WHEN THEY CHECKED MY CAR, THEY SAID THAT THEY GOT A DTC CODE OF 08-5 FROM THE SRS MODULE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT MEANT SRS CONTROL UNIT FAILURE. THE DEALERSHIPS RESET THE SRS UNIT. A YEAR AFTER, THE SAME CONDITION RECURRED. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT SRS CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IF NO ACTION WERE TAKEN, THE UNCORRECTED ILLUMINATION OF THE SRS READINESS INDICATOR LAMP CAN HINDER THE DETECTION OF POTENTIAL VITAL AIRBAG SYSTEM OPERATION OF COMPONENTS SUCH AS AIRBAG MODULE, CRASH SENSOR AND WIRING INTEGRITY. THE DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE AND PART COSTS HAS DETERRED ME FROM SERVICING THIS RECURRING PROBLEM. THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE PARTS AND SERVICE IS OVER $800.00. I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN ANY INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT WHEREIN THE AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED. I BELIEVE THAT THE SRS CONTROL UNIT SHOULD BE GUARANTEED THROUGHOUT THE LIFE TIME OF THE VEHICLE. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. NOWADAYS, WHEN I DRIVE THE CAR, I DO NOT FEEL AS SECURE AS I DID, FOR I AM UNCERTAIN IF THE AIRBAG WOULD DEPLOY AT ALL, IN CASE I GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. WHEN I SPOKE WITH AMERICAN HONDA'S CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE TODAY, 4/10/2006. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING, THAT I AM PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE TO GET IT REPAIRED. *NM

I AM CONTINUALLY EXPERIENCING THE ISSUE LISTED IN CAMPAIGN ID 99I002000 ON MY 1997 CIVIC. THE DEFECT REPORT INDICATES THAT 1997 CIVICS ARE COVERED. WHEN I CALL HONDA TO ARRANGE RESOLUTION OF DEFECT, THEY TELL ME ONLY 1996 CIVICS ARE COVERED. THIS IS FRUSTRATING CONSIDERING I AM EXPERIENCING THE ISSUE AND 99I002000 LISTS MY YEAR. I'M NERVOUS THAT THE ROUGHNESS OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WILL CAUSE ME TO REAR-END SOMEONE EVENTUALLY. PLEASE CONVINCE HONDA THAT MY 1997 SHOULD BE COVERED. THANK YOU. *NM

THE SRS (AIRBAG) COMPUTER STOPPED WORKING ON MY 1997 HONDA CIVIC EX FOR NO REASON AND AFTER NO INCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THIS MEANS THAT THE AIRBAGS MAY OR MAY NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF A CRASH. THE COMPUTER PART NUMBER IS 77960-S04-N81. THE PRICE FOR THE PART ALONE IS $697 AND LABOR IS AN ADDITIONAL $150. I CONTACTED HONDA AND THEY OFFERED ME A 25% DISCOUNT BECAUSE I HAD MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY THE DEALER. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT OFFER ANY MORE SINCE RECORDS INDICATE THAT I ONLY OWN ONE HONDA AND BECAUSE THEY COULD ONLY SHOW ME GOING TO THE DEALER FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS FOR MAINTENANCE. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY ON THE SEAT BELTS, BUT NOT THE AIRBAGS. THE CASE MANAGER (CAROLYN) TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO OFFER ME THIS. WHEN ASKED WHY THE SEAT BELTS WERE COVERED AND NOT THE AIRBAGS (WHICH ARE AN IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE OF THE CAR AND REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW), SHE SAID THAT IT WAS A BUSINESS DECISION. SINCE HONDA SELLS SO MANY CIVICS AND SINCE THE CAR IS DURABLE ENOUGH TO BE DRIVEN FOR MANY MILES, I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL SAFETY RISK TO MANY PEOPLE IF EVEN A SMALL FRACTION OF THESE COMPUTERS GO OUT. COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT THE REPAIR IS A THIRD OF THE TRADE IN VALUE OF THE CAR AND HONDA'S UNWILLINGNESS TO ADEQUATELY REMEDY THIS PROBLEM, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE SLOWLY ACCELERATES WHILE APPLYING FIRM PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A DEALER. THERE IS A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN, # 99I002000, REGARDING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CAMPAIGN DUE TO THE VIN.

(1) NORMAL DRIVING OF MY 1997 HONDA CIVIC 4 DOOR DX (2) THE SRS LIGHT IS NOW ILLUMINATED AND HAS STAYED ILLUMINATED FOR THE LAST YEAR - THIS MEANS MY AIRBAGS DON'T WORK. - DEALER CHECKED IT OUT ($90 CHARGE) AND SAID THAT MY SRS UNIT IS COMPLETELY DEAD AND CAN'T TELL ME WHY - CAR HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED - NO PROBLEMS WITH IT OTHER THAN THIS DEFECT (PRETTY HUGE DEFECT). (3) I'VE LODGED A COUPLE OF COMPLAINTS AND NEVER HEARD ANYTHING BACK ON THEM. SEVERAL PEOPLE POST TO MESSAGE BOARDS WITH SAME PROBLEM - THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED - I CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A NEW CAR AND AM CURRENTLY RIDING IN A DANGEROUS ONE BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT. COST TO FIX THIS IS > $1000... PLEASE HELP. *NM

I BROUGHT MY 1997 HONDA CIVIC IN FOR A RECURRING PROBLEM WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER AN WARRANTY ISSUED BY HONDA FOR RESETTING AN EMISSIONS PROBLEM IN 1997 CIVICS. THIS IS THE SEVENTH TIME I HAD TO HAVE THIS LIGHT RESET. THE WARRANTY WAS FOR UP TO 150K MILES. THIS TIME I HAD 152K MILES. I WAS TOLD FROM NOW ON I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A $85 DIAGNOSTIC FEE PLUS REPAIR. THIS IS UNFAIR AS THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. AS THIS OCCURS ON AVERAGE EVERY 12,000 MILES I COULD HAVE TO PAY THIS DIAGNOSTIC FEE OF $85 PLUS PARTS FOR A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. NOTE THAT A COWORKER WHO HAS THE SAME CAR HAD BROUGHT THE CAR IN NINE TIMES. THIS DEALER REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ON HER CAR AND THE LIGHT HAS NOT COME BACK ON. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THE REPAIR ABOVE I WAS TOLD THAT HONDA WOULD NOT REPAIR THE CAR UNTIL ALL THE NON-HONDA PARTS IN THE AREA AFFECTED WERE REPLACED. THE TOTAL OF THESE PARTS WAS $227. THIS WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THE $85 DIAGNOSTIC FEE. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THEY WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE CAR UNTIL THE NON-HONDA PARTS WERE REPLACED. I ASKED IF THEY COULD RESET THE ENGINE LIGHT AS THEY HAD IN THE PAST AND WAS TOLD NO. I ASKED FOR THE CAR BACK AND DID NOT REPLACE THE PARTS. I WAS CHARGED THE $85 DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THE LIGHT IS NOW OFF AND THE CAR RUNS FINE. I HAVE DRIVEN ANOTHER 6,000 MILES SINCE THAT TIME AND THE LIGHT HAS NOT COME BACK ON. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT GENUINE HONDA PARTS ARE RECOMMENDED; IT DOES NOT SAY THEY ARE REQUIRED. THE OWNER'S MANUAL SHOULD STATE EXPLICITLY THAT THE USE OF HONDA ONLY PARTS IS REQUIRED OR DEALER MAY NOT SERVICE THE CAR. I FEEL THIS IS A VIOLATION OF MY RIGHT TO PATRONIZE A CERTIFIED SERVICE FACILITY. IF EXTENDED THIS TYPE OF POLICY COULD BE RUINOUS TO NON-DEALER SERVICE FACILITIES. I OPENED A CASE WITH AMERICAN HONDA AND THEY SAID THAT DEALERS ARE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING. THIS WHOLE POLICY EXPLOITS THE PUBLIC. *JB

DT: CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED PRIOR TO AN IMPACT. THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE DRIVER COULD NOT SEE THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. THIS VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN IN ANY PREVIOUS ACCIDENTS. SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM AN INDIVIDUAL OWNER, SO SHE DID NOT CONTACT A LOCAL SERVICE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNED THE VEHICLE.*AK