2003 Acura TL Air Bags & Restraints Problems

This complaint relates to safety recall campaigns work regarding my 2003 Acura TL car's SRS (air bags). I took my car to the Acura Service Center in Guaynabo, PR, for recall related repairs at various times during 2022 and 2023. The last time was [XXX]. The PROBLEM is that the Acura center's initial recall-related repair may have been faulty, thus causing the SRS warning light to turn on and stay on while I drive the car. The SRS warning came on a few days after the initial Acura service was performed. I was told during the second visit that they just had to reset something in the car's computer to turn off the SRS warning. But the SRS warning light would turn on again a few days after each service visit. The last time I took the car to Acura regarding this problem was on [XXX]. At that time, I requested a thorough diagnosis of the SRS problem. After that visit , the Acura service center sent me a video of the inspection work performed. However, that video and the $144.95 invoice paid, do not show that any SRS diagnosis work was done. They just did a "multi point" car mechanical condition inspection. Regarding the SRS problem, they again turned off the SRS warning light but did not indicate that in the video or the invoice. A few days later, the SRS warning came back on again. I called the national Honda HQ offices in the California, a few months ago. I expressed my frustration with the Acura dealer's failure to resolve this safety problem. They told me that they could not do anything, that I have to go back to the Acura dealer in PR (something that I already did, various times.) This is why I am now submitting this complaint to NHTSA. I present this complaint as a failure of the Acura corporation to satisfactorily perform the SRS safety recall work. They must re-do the work adequately on my Acura TL 2003 automobile. Please help. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The driver’s side seat belt is frayed. The area of concern on the belt goes through the upper guide loop and into the B-pillar trim panel. When in use it resides along my upper left torso. The amount of fraying is about twelve inches in length and the width is decreased by about a quarter of an inch in one area. The issue came to my attention on January 18, 2023. when a co-worker, who has worked in designing and engineering vehicle safety components, brought it to my attention. He informed me that that all safety features such as seat belts and air bags, are warrantied for the life of a vehicle as they work together as a safety system as an industry standard, and that the belt is compromised and may not work as designed in the event of a crash. On January 18, 2023, I spoke on the telephone with the service manager, Martin, of Acura of Troy in Troy, Michigan. Martin informed me that the belt was not a warranty item. I also contacted Acura by online chat on January 19, 2023, and received the same information. On January 27, 2023, I visited the Acura of Troy dealership and had a service representative review the component and received a written estimate to replace the defective parts at my expense, and not under warranty. I believe this to be a defective part caused by the components comprised in the system. I would like this matter to be elevated with Acura as a matter of record. My expectation is to confirm this is either not a safety concern or repair the belt as required under warranty.

Unknown

The contact owns a 2003 Acura TL. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the SRS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the front driver's side air bag PODS control unit and sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that he contacted the manufacturer who confirmed that there was a manufacturer recall for the front driver's side PODS control unit and sensor. The VIN was included in the recall however, the vehicle was not serviced under the recall because the recall had expired. The contact stated that the manufacturer representative stated that the PODS control unit and sensor recall should have been remedied under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V182000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 220,000.

SRS LIGHT IS ON

I NEED TO MAKE A COMPLAINT AGAINST AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC. THIS ENTITY HAS BEEN SENDING ME LETTERS, CALLING ME AND KNOCKING ON MY DOOR FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS ABOUT AN AIRBAG INFLATOR RECALL. EACH TYPE THEY CONTACT ME I TELL THEM I NO LONGER OWN THIS VEHICLE. IT WAS TRADED IN OVER TWO YEARS AGO. EVEN THOUGH I MAY STILL BE REGISTERED AS THE OWNER, I HAVE NO IDEA WHO TRULY OWNS THIS VEHICLE AS IT WAS TRADED IN AT A DEALERSHIP. I FILLED OUT A VEHICLE TRANSFER NOTICE OVER TWO YEARS AGO BUT HONDA ACURA KEEPS CONTACTING ME ABOUT THIS RECALL ON A MONTHLY BASIS, TO THE DATE! SOMEONE PLEASE GET THEM TO STOP OR FURTHER ADVISE ME IF I SHOULD JUST IGNORE THEIR LETTERS. THANK YOU!

"TAKATA RECALL" LAST FEW DIGITS OF VIN 002098, IM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE WE HAD OUT RECALL FIXED OVER A WEEK AND THE VIN STILL COMES UP AS INCOMPLETE THIS IS HINDERING ME FROM STARTING MY JOB WITH UBER IVE CONTACTED HOMDA ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS JUST TEO DAYS AGO I SPOKE WITH A LADY (CAN'T REMEMBER HER NAME) WHOM WAS EXTREMELY RUDE BY OVERTALKING ME AND BECAME VERY ARGUMENTATIVE AS O TRIED TO EXPLAIN MY SITUATION AND LET HER KNOW THAT I NEEDED HONDA TO UPDATE THIS REPAIR WITH NHTSA IN ORDER TO START MY JON WITH UBER, AND THAT THE PAPERWORK WOULD DO ME NO JUSTICE, UBER NEEDED THE UPDATE SPECIFICALLY IN THE SYSTEM AS REPAIRED AND NOT INCOMPLETE SHE BASICLY TOLD ME, IT WASNT THEIR ("HONDAS") PROBLEM, EVEN THO THEY FIXED IT SHE SAID IT WAS ACURA'S PROBLEM LEAVING ME EVEN MORE CONFUSED AND FRUSTRATED AS I'VE BEEN INCONVENIENTLY, AND UNWILLING UNWILLING PLACED INN THIS SITUATION, THIS HAS CIST ME TOME AND LOTS OF MONEY FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO WORK AND NOT EVEN MY FAULT TO BEGAN WITH. ALL I WANT IS THIS ISSUE TO BE RESOLVED SO I CAN START WORK, TO TOP EVREYTHING OFF, THEY DIDN'T GIVE US ANY PAPERWORK MY HUSBAND WAS TOLD TO SIGN A DOCUMENT THAT THE REPAIR WAS FIXED AND HE WAS SMART ENOUGH TO TAKE A PICTURE WHICH I WILL TRY TO ATTACH TO THIS COMPLAINT AND I PRAY YOU ARE ABLE TO RESOLVE THIS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. I ALSO SHOWED THIS DOCUMENT TO UBER AND THEY SPECIFICALLY SAID, THEY COULD NOT EXCEPT IT BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO SHOW IN THE SYSTEM ONLINE THAT THE RECALL ATTACHED TO MY VIN HAS BEEN COMPLETED/REPAIRED, AND AGAIN UNFORTUNATELY AFTER BLOOD SWEAT TEARS AND MOUNTS OF FRUSTRATION , INCONVENIENCE, AND LOSS WAGES IT STILL HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. PLEASE HELP US!!

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V182000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE BRAKES SQUEAKED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TAKATA RECALL - OTHER 2003 ACURA TL CARS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE IN A"HIGH RISK POPULATION". . . WITH A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT...RISK POSED BY THESE AIRBAG INFLATORS IS GRAVE...IT IS CRITICAL THEY BE REPAIRED TO AVOID MORE DEATHS." THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG ON MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED, NOR IS IT ON RECALL. MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT IN YOUR SYSTEM WHEN I HAD IT CHECKED. HAS MY CAR BEEN OVERLOOKED. IT HAD THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG FIXED IN 2015, BUT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS TAKATA AND HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. [XXX] I HAVE TRIED TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO IT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

WHY NOT REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF TAKATA AIRBAG ON PASSENGER'S SIDE AS WELL AS FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE? BOTH WOULD CREATE THE SAME HAZARD THAT STIMULATED THE ORIGINAL CALL TO REPLACE THE INFLATOR FOR THE DRIVER"S SIDE OF THE AUTOMOBILE!

TAKATA RECALL PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 ACURA TL. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT AN INTERSECTION, IT WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. DUE TO THE CRASH, THE DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED INTO THE BACK SEAT AND FRACTURED INTO TWO PIECES. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WAS JUST REPLACED EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE PER THE TAKATA RECALL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR CUTS UNDER THE RIGHT KNEE AND ALSO X-RAYS FOR HIS RIGHT SHOULDER, WHICH LOCATED A TORN RIGHT ROTATOR CUFF. SURGERY WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT HOLDING YARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TAKATA RECALL, SRS LIGHT CAME ON IN MY CAR AND MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, I HAVE HAD FUSES CHECKED , AND NOTHING WRONG WITH ANY OF MY SAFETY EQUIPMENT MY LIGHT STILL STAYS ON. CALLED ACURA DEALER JUST GOT THE RUN AROUND AGAIN AND AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN LIGHT CAME ON STREET DRIVING .

HONDA REPLACED MY AIRBAG AND I STILL GET THE SRS MALFUNCTION LIGHT. ACURA DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND IS WANTING ME TO REPLACE THE SAFETY COMPONENTS AT MY COST. SRS LIGHT IS ON AND I SUSPECT FAULTY SEAT BELTS. BUT HONDA DOES NOT WARRANTY SEAT BELTS AND SAFETY COMPONENTS AFTER 10 YEARS.

TAKATA RECALL I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT FORUM FOR MY COMPLAINT. BUT I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH ACURA FOR 6 MONTHS TRYING TO GET MY RECALLED AIRBAGS REPLACED ON MY 2003 ACURA 2.3TL. THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP TO WHERE WE ARE STATIONED (HUSBAND IN THE NAVY) IS 2 HOURS AWAY. ACURA PUT IN A REQUEST WITH RICK JUSTICE HONDA IN MERIDIAN, MS TO DO THE REPAIR FOR ME, BUT THEY REFUSED. RICK JUSTICE HONDA INFORMED ME THAT ACURA WILL NOT PAY THEM TO DO THE REPAIR, ACURA CLAIMS THIS IS NOT THE CASE. I HAVE MADE DOZENS OF ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ACURA CUSTOMER CARE TO GET THIS FIGURED OUT. NO ONE IS ABLE TO HELP ME, AND MY CASE MANAGER (CASE 04757404) NEVER CALLS ME BACK. I HAVE REQUESTED A RENTAL CAR SINCE IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT I ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT DRIVE MY CAR, ESPECIALLY SINCE I LIVE IN A GULF COAST STATE. THEY TOLD ME I WOULD NEED TO DRIVE 2 HOURS TO PICK IT UP SINCE RICK JUSTICE, 30 MINUTES FROM ME, WILL NOT HELP ME. I FEEL ACURA/HONDA ARE DOING NOTHING TO HELP ME OR INSURE MY SAFETY. I FEEL RICK JUSTICE HONDA SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THE REPAIRS SINCE ACURA AND HONDA ARE VIRTUALLY THE SAME!

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V320000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

DEALER UNABLE TO REPAIR WITHIN 60 DAYS. MAY TAKE UP TO 5 MONTHS TO REPAIR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V320000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE DEALER WAS UNCERTAIN WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE TO SERVICE THE VEHICLE UNDER THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

IN JUNE 2015 A LIGHT SUDDENLY CAME ON THE DASHBOARD WHEN I TURNED ON THE IGNITION INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. I TOOK IT TO MY ACURA DEALER WHO SAID IT MALFUNCTIONED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS REPLACED AND I WAS CHARGED $753.84. I ASKED IF IT WAS NEVER USED HOW COULD IT MALFUNCTION AND WHY DID I HAVE TO COVER THE CHARGE. IN NOVEMBER 2014 THE FRONT AIRBAGS WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT NO COST TO ME. SINCE YOUR AGENCY IS LOOKING INTO SIDE AIRBAGS, CAN I BE REIMBURSED FOR MY PAYMENT OF $753.84, AND IF SO, TO WHOM DO I MAKE THIS REQUEST? DO I NEED TO HAVE ANY OTHER AIRBAGS REPLACED IN MY CAR?

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V320000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ESSERMAN INTERNATIONAL ACURA (305-477-6666, LOCATED AT 10455 NW 12TH ST SUITE A, DORAL, FL 33172) WHERE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED; HOWEVER, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR FLASHED ON AND OFF. A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED ANOTHER NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V182000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT A DIAGNOSTIC TEST NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AFTER THE INITIAL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED.