I own a 2004 Acura TSX. Last winter the head and torso airbags on the right side deployed for no reason while I was driving normally. I was not involved in a collision of any kind but the bags went off anyway.

The dealership and Acura Canada’s head office refused to repair or replace the airbags, citing the read-out from the car’s on-board computer which had recorded extreme deceleration on the right side. They concluded that I must have been involved in a sideways sliding accident and would not cover the repairs under warranty. This despite the fact that apart from a few minor dings to the wheels and underbody there is no damage to my car’s exterior.

I have come across several stories on the internet of the exact same thing happening to Volkswagen owners. In fact, the NHSTA in the US is investigating VW over this defect which VW also refuses to acknowledge. I have not found any mention of this happening to Acura/Honda vehicles though.

I have been arguing with Honda Canada and my Acura dealer for nearly a year now but they arrogantly refuse to even consider the possibility that their product could have a defect.

So now I will have to pay thousands of dollars to fix a defect in a car that is still under warranty. I thought Honda was a reputable manufacturer that valued its customers and took safety seriously, but apparently I was wrong.

 

How did you manage to get dings on the underbody?

 

I don't know exactly, probably by running over debris on the highway and having it thrown up by a front wheel.

 

That's too long. Look into a lawyer.

 

I did. The lawyer sent a letter to Honda Canada but Honda planned to fight me every step of the way. The costs of legal action would probably have been higher than the cost of the repairs and there was no guarantee that I'd win, so I didn't proceed.

 

I recently crashed by 04 TSX . I was alone in the car, yet the driver's airbag did not go off while the passenger's side did, and there was no one in the seat. Am I correct in assuming the passenger air bag should not go off if there is no one sitting in the seat?