I found a "first car" for my daughter that she loves. It's a 2011 Honda Fit, black and in great condition. I had it checked by a mechanic and everything is great except the passenger airbag light blinks off and on (constantly) whether anyone is in the passenger seat or not. The car was involved in a front end collision (supposedly minor and no airbag released). The owners did a great job fixing it--it looks perfect and nothing is wrong mechanically according to the mechanic I took it to.

Does anyone know why this light it blinking or how much it would cost to be checked by a Honda mechanic or how much to be fixed? Any answers would be appreciated!
Thanks!

 

just thinking about this for a while and im thinking that it may be the mechanism in the seat that is bad or maybe it could be something as simple as a fuse, regardless of the issue at hand it is hondas duty to fix the issue since that should still be covered under warranty. If the do not want to cover it then i would still get the issue fixed by the dealer just because it could save a life and the longer you wait the more possibility something may happen, obviously i hope nothing does. hope this helps.

 

Here's my take. If you reach a deal with the seller, make it subject to removing the airbag light by a Honda dealer. Make sure your get the receipt of the work-order.
If you haven't yet, at least get a Carfax. Private sellers sometimes believe their cars are better than they really are. Short term small investment to attain long term "peace of mind".
Post pics if you get it. Good luck!!!

 

Sounds like the sensor in the passenger seat is bad. I'd ask for it to replaced before buying. If it was damaged in the accident (unlikely) Honda won't cover it. If it's less than 36K miles and 3 years they should repair it otherwise.

 

The blinking light means something is amiss - my guess would be the connector is apart. no power to the bag.
You must repair this at your local, competent, dealer. In any case do not try to reconnect unless you disconnect the battery and wait 10 minutes. we used to do this with our showroom stock race cars. Air bags are a nuisance when pilot is strapped in with 6 point belts and Hans device. Its much cheaper to fix bodywork than an airbag.
good luck.
PS if your state has annual inspection required you'll not pass til its fixed. A code check should point to defect, but probably not to a specific one.
Worse, I thought it was illegal to sell a vehicle with safety defect.

 

Hi Lori,

A couple of points that I hope you consider. #1, if you are buying the car from a personal seller, google the phone number. Only believe 49.9% of the story being told on how light the accident may have been UNLESS there are repair bills + pics/documents to prove it. Look up crumple zone. Once gone, it’s gone (not entirely true, not worth repair esp on a Fit). The body panel + paint may look shiny and new and it may get you point A to point B in style/budget, and the mechanical component are working fine, just don’t get into any collision. If the price is too good to be true (esp. craigslist), it is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! I would highly reconsider buying any unibody car that’s been in a collision. There’s a reason insurance company writes them off as totaled when it appears there’s little damage (their payout would be much worst if you get into a subsequent accident).

Check registration history to see if the car moved to a different state, then back, be weary of title washing. I would only consider the car IF the car is still registered to the original state of purchase, ideally to the original owner (yes, asking too much). I understand there are legitimate folks who move around the country and take their cars but there are way to many “stories” to sort through. Above all, trust YOUR instincts (don’t get blinded by the pretty colors/features) or bring along someone who you respect and have good instinct + some car knowledge to sort through the BS. Hope the Fit turns out to be cream puff but the flashing air bag light on a 2011 that is already known to be involved in an accident reaks of something bad to me (unless this is a common problem I’m not aware of. I don’t follow the Fit TSB/recalls closely). Good luck.