NHTSA complaint #11328347

Owner complaint summary

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A ROAD (WITH MY FRIEND IN THE PASSENGER SEAT NEXT TO ME JUST TO NOTE) THAT IS BEING REPAVED AND IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT I HAVEN'T DRIVEN ON BEFORE, JUST A LITTLE TINY BIT SHAKY HERE AND THERE BUT AGAIN NOTHING CRAZY. I'M GOING ABOUT 10-15 MPH AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY AIRBAGS JUST GO OFF. NOTHING HIT, NO POTHOLE IN SIGHT, JUST SLOWLY DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND BAM. I WAS SPOOKED AS I COULDN'T BRACE FOR IT AT ALL BECAUSE I WASN'T EXPECTING IT. MY WINDOWS WERE UP SO THE SOUND OF IT COMING OUT BASICALLY WRECKED MY EARS AND IT CAME OUT ALONG WITH A BUNCH OF SMOKE. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND GOT OUT TO LOOK, CONFUSED AS TO WHAT HAD TRIGGERED IT BUT NOTHING, NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR AT ALL, NOTHING HIT. AT HONDA THEY WERE NOT HAVING IT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY CAN REPLACE IT UNDER WARRANTY IF IT WAS PROVED TO BE A DEFECT. I ARGUED THAT IT MUST BE CONSIDERING I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING AND WAS DRIVING SLOW AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DAMAGE ON THE CAR. SHE SAID THEY'LL LIFT IT AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR TO INDICATE THAT THE SENSOR WAS TOUCHED, IT'S INSTANTLY OUT OF WARRANTY AND I NEED TO GO THROUGH INSURANCE. HOW IS THIS OKAY? CLEARLY THIS IS SOME DEFECT WITH THE CAR AND I'M BEING PENALIZED FOR IT. THEY CALLED TODAY FOR THE RESULT AND SAID THE CAR HIT THE GROUND AND DAMAGED THE SENSOR SO IT'S ON ME TO PAY FOR DAMAGES. I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE BECAUSE I FELT NO IMPACT AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE CAR AFTER IT HAPPENED. I PUT IT IN PARK RIGHT AWAY TO COME OUT BUT ONCE I WAS TOLD BY THE POLICE TO GO TO HONDA I PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE AND SMOOTHLY DROVE OFF TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHAT CAN I DO TO HAVE HONDA ACCEPT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY? I NEVER THOUGHT THAT REGULAR DRIVING ON A SLIGHTLY BUMPY ROAD (BASICALLY FLAT AND PEBBLY) MEANS THAT THE AIRBAGS WOULD GO OFF. THERE WERE MANY CARS ON THAT ROAD YET THEIR AIRBAGS DIDN'T GO OFF. *TR