Honda and Acura Airbag Letters Bring Concerns About Safety

March 25, 2016
By: Robert Silverman

Imagine receiving a letter in your mailbox letting you know that your airbags are being recalled and you may be in danger until the recall is performed. You call the dealer to make an immediate appointment and the service adviser tells you the parts are not available until the Summer, three or four months away. And then you call another dealer and another and they all say the same thing.

Sadly, this is what is happening with many Acura and Honda drivers as a result of the massive Takata airbag recall. Honda and Acura drivers are receiving alarming letters urging them to get to the dealer as soon as possible. Even on Honda’s website, they encourage you to “take immediate action to have it repaired.” However, they do not have the parts. So, what do you do?

First and foremost, if you do receive a Honda or Acura airbag letter, make sure you contact the dealer immediately. If they tell you that no parts are available, try to get an ETA in terms of when you can bring your car in for the recall. If they say it’s going to be months, ask if you can come in for an invoice which confirms this for your records. At the very least, take the name of the service adviser you spoke to. Send a certified, return receipt requested letter to the manufacturer alerting them that you have received your Honda or Acura airbag letter, and that you are being told the parts are delayed. Tell them you expect to be provided with a loaner car until the recall is performed.

If you still do not get satisfaction, consider taking a look at your rights under State and Federal Lemon Laws. We feel strongly that consumers should have the right to an immediate recall, and if not, the manufacturer should be held responsible. After all, no one should be expected to drive a vehicle even the car company deems as unsafe.

For more information regarding the Honda airbag recall, call 1-800-999-1009 and select option 4 or visit recalls.honda.com.

For more information regarding the Acura airbag recall, call 1-800-332-2238 and select option 4 or visit recalls.acura.com.