My wife's car has a couple issues I believe should be covered by Honda, but I'm getting push back from the dealer service department. Wondering if I should go to another Honda dealer (plenty to choose from in Atlanta) or if I'm under the wrong assumption...

• Seatbelt Sensor - Even when the driver's side seatbelt is being used, the seatbelt alarm continues to go off and the seatbelt light continues to flash.
• Coolant Leak - Over the past 2-3 years, the car has overheated 3-4 times. Each time, we've found the coolant reservoir/overflow completely empty; however, there's no noticeable leak. Each time, we've filled the reservoir...problem solved. It's been several months since this happened last, but even now, the reservoir is nearly empty. We received a letter from Honda saying that our car could be included in a recall that covers coolant leaking into the engine block, but when I search the VIN number online, it shows no recalls related to our car.

When I've talked to the dealer about these issues, they promptly tell me there's a diagnostic fee should these issues not be covered under warranty. I don't want to pay a diagnostic fee for something I could fix myself (particularly the seatbelt issue). I'd like to hear other's experiences with these issues and any recommendations you might have.

 

I had a problem, too, with the occupant restraint system. My airbag light would stay on all the time. Went to my dealer and they said it was covered under warranty, as is all passenger restraint problems. This included air bag defects, seat belt problems, etc. My problem was actually a bad sensor in the driver's side seat belt. They replaced the seatbelt half that has the buckle and button for release. Also has an electrical connection down under the seat. It was all covered by Honda. They said there was no timeframe or mileage limit on these systems. My vehicle is a 2005 Civic EX with 160,000 miles and they said that didn't matter. Didn't cost me a cent. I'd check with another dealer if I were you.
Duane