# Honda Element airbag deployment **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** element, honda\ **Created:** [February 21, 2012, 7:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063 "2012-02-21T07:13:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/71e660/32.png) [@Loey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Loey)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 7:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/1 "2012-02-21T07:13:10Z")
My driver side airbag suddenly deployed while driving - Honda refuses to acknowledge this as a safety issue and will not cover the $1,500 repair expense. Their customer service has been curt to the point of rudeness, stating that this is not a Honda problem. I’ve asked to meet with the local Honda rep and been told he would call - that was 3 months ago. I’ve never encountered such bad customer service - as a result I’ve gone from a Honda-only customer to a never-Honda customer. Any ideas on what I should do about this other than contact NHTSA which I did? ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 7:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/2 "2012-02-21T07:31:02Z")
Try another dealership. ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/3 "2012-02-21T12:22:41Z")
I thought they had a recall on their airbags, but that was for some 2012 models. Call your insurance company, a call from them might get some attention. As mentioned try another dealership. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/4 "2012-02-21T12:26:20Z")
If the OP is trying to work with the dealership on this issue, that is the wrong approach. Instead, he/she should be dealing directly with **Honda of America** , Contact information can be found in the Owner’s Manual. ---
**Author:** ![Loey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/71e660/32.png) [@Loey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Loey)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/5 "2012-02-21T19:38:59Z")
I did write directly to Honda customer support first - their only response was that this was not their problem - contact my insurance company. However, I wasn’t in an accident so the insurance company won’t touch it either. This seems to be a common problem with over 100 incidents of unintentional airbag deployment and no recourse. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/6 "2012-02-21T20:49:21Z")
Model year and mileage?? ---
**Author:** ![Loey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/71e660/32.png) [@Loey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Loey)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/7 "2012-02-21T22:00:57Z")
Honda Element 2005, at the time of the incident the mileage was approximaely 90K ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/8 "2012-02-21T22:09:05Z")
Sorry, but vehicle warranties do not last forever. Yours is long over. As far as Honda (and everyone else) is concerned, the airbag is just a failed part that is the owners responsibility to replace or not replace… ---
**Author:** ![Loey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/71e660/32.png) [@Loey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Loey)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 9:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/9 "2012-02-22T09:26:04Z")
I would think that an airbag suddenly deploying while one is driving is a safety issue. One person had the front airbag deploy in his Honda. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 10:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/10 "2012-02-22T10:26:29Z")
When the DOT mandated air-bags, they accepted the entire package, including the inevitable random, unexplained deployments and failure to deploy in crashes when they should have. The failure rate is probably .5% but that still results in thousands of 'bag malfunctions a year…Nothing is perfect, especially mass produced, disposable consumer products like cars… ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/11 "2012-02-22T12:07:16Z")
I thought airbags have an 8 yr warranty. ---
**Author:** ![njm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@njm](https://community.cartalk.com/u/njm)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-element-airbag-deployment/71063/12 "2012-04-18T20:47:25Z")
It might be helpful to file a report at [https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/). It won’t impact your individual case, but if enough of Element owners have a similar problem, it would show up on the NHSTA’s radar screen.