Day 610 (or 976 if you're really keeping score): Finale

I scheduled my passenger airbag inflator to be replaced on November 5th, but brought my car for an oil change this morning. The service advisor (commission based employee), after offering a number of upsells to the oil change service, looked into open recalls on the car. I told him I had an appointment for next week for the airbag, and he said they could perform the airbag service today, while I waited.

I turned over the keys, signed the work order, and headed off to the lounge to drink coffee beverages and get a little work done while the car was being worked on. A little over 2 hours later, I got a note that the work was complete.

The car was washed and vacuumed, and the only indication that the passenger airbag inflator had been replaced was that the items in my upper glove compartment had been rearranged. Interestingly, the dust from my spouses feet was still present on the passenger side of the dashboard, so if the Honda technicians had to take the dash apart and put it back together, they didn't wipe off the dusty footprints. At first I thought the service had not been done because of this, but the items in the upper glove box told a different story. Ultimately I have a receipt saying "Installed new inflator unit into customers airbag with new locking nuts torqued to 3.9 Nm. Installed new inflator wiring harness and verified connector is secure with gauge tool. Reinstalled airbag assembly with new lock nuts torqued to 9.8 Nm. Recorded serial number on repair order and returned inflator to parts department for return to Honda. Started vehicle and verified SRS light comes on for 6 seconds, then goes off."

So finally, after 610 days since the SECOND recall, and 976 days since signing in for service for the FIRST recall, both airbag inflators have been replaced. I haven't heard anything negative about the side or side curtain airbags--hopefully those won't decide to start killing people starting this macabre circus all over again. Just say no to clowns.

Day 598: It's My Turn

I'm not exactly sure when the Passenger side airbag recall hit my VIN specifically, but when I scheduled an oil change today, the super helpful Honda website said I had an outstanding recall to address. No. Really? That can't be right--I was told by chatbot, and actual operator that my car wasn't part of the recall. I even documented the interactions of me sounding like a crazed internet lunatic trying to get service for a recall that didn't exist above (or below, depending on how you set up your blog viewing).

Bottom line, my number is up, as expected, and the service has been scheduled for November 5th, while I wait for the car in the super comfy Lynnwood Honda waiting area for the repair to be completed. It could be a couple hours said the helpful scheduler. Sounds like a nice opportunity to walk around the neighborhood and sample Korean fried chicken.

All of this makes me wonder about the side and side curtain airbags, and whether they too will try to kill me some day. The car has been otherwise very reliable, and its lifetime 33 MPG average is reasonable. Driving on the highway is still a generally unpleasant experience with the super buzzy high revving motor and tissue thin sound insulation.

New-to-me cars being considered these days are the Chevy Bolt, used Lexus CT200h, Mazda 3, Kia Kona electric or its Hyundai counterpart. I'm still wishing and hoping for a small hatchback Honda electric vehicle, but Honda hasn't gotten the message, alas.

Finally, shame on you, Honda, for an airbag that could have killed my front seat passenger at any time. I know, you didn't make the airbag. I know, my airbag wasn't ripe yet for killing people. But given the inevitable trajectory of this recall, you, HONDA, could have generated a fair bit of goodwill and publicity by preemptively replacing these murderous devices. You've lost some favor in my eyes, which will be looking elsewhere for my next car.