NHTSA complaint: 2002 HONDA CIVIC — AIR BAGS
I WAS PROCEEDING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AFTER STOPPING AND LOOKING AT AN ALL-WAY STOP. A FORD TRUCK COMING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION RAN THE STOP AND CRASHED INTO MY CAR IN THE RIGHT-FRONT. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND I WAS STUNNED BY THE IMPACT. MY LEFT EAR AND FACE WERE SEVERELY LACERATED BY FRAGMENTS OF THE AIRBAG INFLATOR (WHICH WERE FOUND AND PHOTO-DOCUMENTED), RESULTING IN 29 STITCHES AND PERMANENT SCARING. SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HONDA SENT ME A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE AIRBAG INFLATOR: THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE AIRBAG INFLATOR WAS KNOWN TO PRODUCE SHRAPNEL AND HAD CAUSED FATALITIES. DESPITE HAVING OWNED THE CAR SINCE 2003 AND HAVING IT SERVICED AT DEALERSHIPS SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS, I HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY PRIOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE LETHAL AIRBAG DEFECT. HONDA HAS BEEN IRRESPONSIBLE AND APATHETIC REGARDING MY SITUATION AND THE PROBLEM IN GENERAL. I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN INJURED WORSE OR KILLED BY THE FRAGMENTS, YET THE COMPANY SEEMS TO NOT TAKE THE PROBLEM SERIOUSLY. I WILL ABSOLUTELY NEVER OWN ANOTHER HONDA, WILL FORBID MY FAMILY AND LOVED ONES FROM OWNING A HONDA. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation