Isn't it still under 3 year 36k mile warranty? In older cars could be clockspring which is a bunch of wires that connect horn and other electronics in the steering wheel to rest of car. It winds and unwinds as you steer so it is called a clockspring.
However, it's not an older car, it's a 2002.
The best thing to do is get several opinions and use a little discretion when you hear the crap they'll spew at you. I'm not sure if it's related, but I think that getting the trouble codes read might be able to determine if there's an electrical problem in the air bag system (most likely). A problem like that probably wouldn't cause the check engine light to come on but might store a code anyway. Again, I'm not sure but it's what I'd do.
Possible bad clock spring - this is a common failure.
Bill Putney (to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with "x")
Often overlooked is also a simple fuse problem. The Airbag light shares two different fuses with other devices, if either fuse blows, the light illuminates continuously.
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