Airbags Deploying Unexpectedly
By Ken Ringstad on March 17th, 2014 in Alaska, Blog, Car Accident, Personal Injury
Drivers of the 2008 Honda Accord have been having some serious airbag issues: 28 people have reported a problem. According to reports, airbags have been deploying unexpectedly and unnecessarily.
When the door closes on a Honda Accord, whether the driver is getting in or getting out, the airbag has been said to go off without any apparent reason other than the slamming of the door.
In two of the cases, which were received by federal safety regulators, people were injured by the unexpected deployment of the airbags.
Most of the drivers claim that the airbags went off while the car was still parked. The drivers also reported that they were charged thousands of dollars to repair the airbags.
Based on the reports, the local Honda dealers told their customers that the airbag deployment was not a warranty issue: in other words, the drivers were told that the airbag problem was not the fault of the automaker.
Some of the reports described passenger side airbags also deploying when the passenger door was shut.
According to an article from the LA Times, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently decided to investigate these incidents to find out whether they are truly happening.
The investigation of the issue will include 363,000 Honda Accords.
A statement from Honda says that they are aware of a small number of complaints about the side airbags and side curtain airbags and that they will cooperate with the investigation by the safety administration.
These reports represent a serious safety issue if true. If the airbags deploy without warning while the car is in motion, the driver could be startled and distracted, and his or her vision could be impaired. This could result in more accidents and injuries that shouldn’t be happening.
Additionally, if a vehicle’s airbags have gone off and aren’t repaired soon enough, the driver and passengers could be left unprotected in an accident.
If you have had issues with your airbags or suspect that something may be wrong, contact your local dealer as soon as possible to discuss your concerns.
When airbags deploy, they are no longer usable. If your airbag goes off, it is vital to get it replaced right away. Without side airbags, the chances of you or your passengers getting injured in an accident on the road is tenfold.
