Dash Wiring problems of the 2001 Honda Accord

Instrument panel light will go out while I'm driving and I can't see the speedometer or the lights on the shifter (located in the middle near console). This is very distracting and stressful. It takes me 35 to 40 min. To drive to work, sometimes the lights go out after 15 min. Other times they don't. It is still dark in the morning when I leave so I have to use a flashlight to keep my eye on the speedometer. I also noticed my gas was very low one time and I suddenly realized my warning light never turned on. This feature is also affected. I have driven on bumpy roads and they don't turn off, smooth they do and they don't. I never know when it will happen as most of the time I drive in the daytime. All other lights work fine. Dealer could not make it repeat after having it there a whole day. After I told them that it was hard to see the dash light go out during the day time. They kept it another day to check it out again. I was told the next day it had a short. That it was going to cost me over 500. 00 dollars to fix. ( I went online to check 2001 Honda Accord recalls) I told them that other models of the 2001 Honda Accords were doing the same thing and there had been recalls for them, why can't they work with me if mine is doing the same thing? I trusted the Honda name and I feel this is a safety issue. This should not be happening. They just basically said sorry, we can't fix every car that has a problem for free. The government makes the rules, if they want to recall your model, they will have to do it. This was the service supervisor. I don't believe I should be responsible for this problem. How could I have prevented this? the service manager made me believe there was nothing they could do. I told them it was unsafe to drive like this but that I'd see what I could do to get the money to get it fixed. Unfortunately I am still financially unable. I just don't drive at night.