EA01007. AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATES, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN AIR BAG SYSTEM. WHEN LIGHT DOES ILLUMINATE CRUISE CONTROL AND HORN BECOME INOPERABLE. *AK
2013
SERVICE BRAKES
RENTED A MINIVAN FROM AVIS AT SLC AIRPORT LATE JULY 2013. ON THE HIGHWAY IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEAVING THE AIRPORT MY KNEE BUMPED THE MASS OF KEYRING OBJECTS AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AS I WAS JUST GETTING UP TO 60MPH. I NOTICED THE VEHICLE SLOWING DOWN AND DETERMINED I HAD ACCIDENTALLY SHUT IT DOWN. IT WOULD NOT START. I SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE, SHIFTED BACK TO DRIVE. ONLY ONE OF THE 5 PASSENGERS EVEN NOTICED THE SLOWDOWN. UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. IF IT IS THE PRACTICE OF RENTAL COMPANIES TO BIND KEYS LIKE THIS THE PROBLEM COULD BE WIDESPREAD AND MAY HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT ALREADY, THUS THIS REPORT. GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE I BELIEVE THE PRACTICE OF BINDING ALL THE KEYS AND OTHER PLASTIC DOO-DAHS WITH A STIFF WIRE CABLE TO BE AN ACCIDENT IN THE WAITING. IN MY CASE THE SEAT WAS A LITTLE FORWARD AND I MOVED IT BACK A COUPLE OF INCHES TO AVOID HAVING THE KEYS DANCE ON MY KNEE AS WE DROVE. AT A STOP I CUT THE WIRE RING AND PUT ALL THE EXTRAS IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT AND CONTINUED THE TRIP WITH A SINGLE FOB-KEY. THE KEYS: I WAS GIVEN SET OF KEYS BOUND BY A WIRE CABLE. TWO FOBS, TWO SPARE KEYS (NORMALLY INSERTED IN THE FOBS) , THREE PLASTIC ADD-ONS (ONE HELD A PAPER SLIP IDENTIFYING THE VEHICLE, ONE AVIS CALL NUMBER AND ONE MACYS LOYALTY CARD) I HAVE NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE AS IT WORKED FINE, NOR WITH THE RENTAL COMPANY AS THEIR SERVICE WAS ALSO FINE. I DO TAKE ISSUE WITH THE PRACTICE OF BINDING THE KEYS WITH A WIRE CABLE THAT MUST BE CUT (LEATHER-MAN TOOL IN MY CASE) TO DRIVE SAFELY. I SUSPECT MOST RENTERS WILL NOT HAVE A TOOL HANDY NOR RISK THE WRATH OF THE RENTER IN CUTTING THE WIRE CABLE. NOTE I TOOK A FEW PICTURES OF THE KEY RING AND OBJECTS SHOULD IT BE USEFUL. TO AVIS CREDIT THEY WERE HAPPY TO HAVE ALL THE KEYS RETURNED AND WERE NOT CONCERNED I'D CUT THE CABLE. *TR