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  • You could've told me that when I called...

    I am currently sitting in the waiting area at a Honda dealer, fuming. I'm already frustrated enough that I've had to come here in the first place. My car has been making alarming creaking/groaning/popping sounds, at times loud enough that it sounds like the car is going to fall apart. I've already taken the car twice to my usual mechanic and once to another shop and they have been unable to find or fix the issue, and suggested a taking it to a dealer. That alone is annoying because the Dealer is much more expensive, not to mention the fact that I've had issues with the local Honda dealer before...

    Anyway, I called yesterday to book a service appointment, and since I do not have access to a spare vehicle right now, I asked them to reserve a rental for me (a service they advertise online). I specifically told the woman I spoke with - twice! - that I needed to drop my car off between 7 and 7:30 (they open at 7), even though the appointment was not until 10:45. She said that would be fine.

    So imagine my surprise when I arrived at 7:30 and found NO RENTAL. The woman checking my car in (not the same woman who booked the appointment) was very apologetic, but the bottom line is that they don't have rentals on-site. They are through Enterprise Rent a Car and they don't open until 8.

    The woman I talked to on the phone completely failed to mention that. I am understandably pissed, as I am now going to be no less than half an hour late to work, and this is just another frustrating saga with this damn dealer.

    I had been planning to buy a new Honda when my current one dies. I think this dealer has just lost out on that sale and I'm not even ready to buy yet.....
    Last edited by Dave1982; 08-28-2013, 12:25 PM.
    "We guard the souls in heaven; we don't horse-trade them!" Samandrial in Supernatural

    RIP Plaidman.

  • #2
    UGH. I feel your pain. I just bought a new (to me) car, due to issues with my last one, aka demon car. I agree; they should have told you that they rent through Enterprise, rather than letting you think they had cars available right there.

    Comment


    • #3
      About 5 minutes after posting that they came out and said they would drive me over to Enterprise to pick the car up there rather than wait for them to bring it over. Of course, they were also shuttling another customer to his job, and naturally it was in the opposite direction AND they dropped him off first (though to be fair, it he was a lot closer, but it still cost me another 10 minutes).

      When I got to Enterprise they asked if the dealer had given me a PO number for the rental. Needless to say they hadn't given me ANYTHING. The woman at Enterprise tried calling the dealer but the service desk didn't pick up. I had to give them my credit card to get the car. They only put a hold on it because thye said they can get things straightened out with the dealer later and I would not be charged. I'd better not be, especially since I have a coupon from this very dealer's website for a "Free loaner car for a day" with $299 or more in service (and I have to believe this repair will be more than that).

      When all was said and done I ended up being 63 minutes late to work. I'm going to take a half-hour lunch instead of the full hour to make some of that up, but that's still 33 minutes of pay that I've lost because of this screw up.

      The tech who checked my car in said she spoke with the service manager and that the call recording would be checked to see if the person really did fail to tell me that the rental wasn't available until at least 8 (she sure as hell did not tell me that). The tech was actually quite upset by this, even though I had assured her that it wasn't her fault and I wasn't angry with her over it. But seriously, this whole situation with the car is trying my patience.

      I did send an email to the contact where I'm working today to say I'd be late and CCed my boss. Thankfully, the contact was understanding and told me not to worry about it.
      Last edited by Dave1982; 08-28-2013, 02:50 PM.
      "We guard the souls in heaven; we don't horse-trade them!" Samandrial in Supernatural

      RIP Plaidman.

      Comment


      • #4
        That sounds kinda like the noise my car made when my struts started going. It didn't always happen at first, unless you were making hard turns or hitting really nasty bumps, which made getting it fixed a bit difficult at first. If they can't replicate the conditions on their smooth roads/lots with no real turns, they will just chalk it up as technicianitis.

        Just ask 'em to check the struts/shocks to rule it out. Not sure how they do it in the garage, but I caught it when I leaned on the hood and the car didn't recover the way it should on one side when I took my weight off it.
        If I make no sense, I apologize. I'm constantly interrupted by an actual toddler.

        Comment


        • #5
          I haven't heard back from them, but you may be right. After the third trip in to have this looked at, that was the mechanic's best guess. They checked the shocks and springs and were able to rule those out as the culprits. What it came down to (with the other two shops I went to) is that they would not be able to diagnose the problem without taking things apart, and even then they would not be able to guarantee that they'd be able to find and fix the problem. They suggested going to a dealer since they work almost exclusively with Hondas and would be better equipped to find the issue without risking having to change me several hours of labor for nothing. But they did say it may well be the struts.
          "We guard the souls in heaven; we don't horse-trade them!" Samandrial in Supernatural

          RIP Plaidman.

          Comment


          • #6
            So this is going to cost me $1950 to fix......

            Actually, when the dealer called me back (after 4PM....) they started rattling off a whole bunch of stuff besides the noise issue. I don't know if all dealers do this, but the two different Honda dealers I've dealt with over the years both do it. When you bring in a car to have a problem diagnosed (as opposed to specifying exactly what service you need) they charge $109 for a full vehicle check and go over everything. So for instance if you go in with an oil leak, they're going to check the brakes, steering, suspension, exhaust and everything else under the sun, even though those systems have nothing to do with an oil leak.

            To a certain extent this is useful, since it can uncover other problems that you may not be aware of. But let's be honest here....while there may be a benefit to the customer, they're really looking for other things they can try to talk you into doing even if it isn't really necessary.

            So the noise was caused by a combination of a broken motor mount and several rotted/damaged parts in and around the manifold and catalyic converter. All of the needs replacing, to the tune of about $1750. Additionally, one of my girlfriend's friends had noticed oil spots where I'd parked my car the other day, and that turned out to be a leaky valve cover gasket. That's another $200.

            But they also tried to tell me that I need a lot of schedule D maintenance items and a new clutch, and both of those are complete and utter bullshit, despite their assurance that "our tech is certified by Honda and has worked exclusively on Hondas for 20 years." I know for a fact that there are NO outstanding routine maintenance items on this car. It crossed 120,000 miles last year and I made sure to take care of all those items then. I did some myself and I had my regular mechanic do the items I couldn't. Just because this dealer didn't do those items doens't mean they need to be done.

            And the clutch is fine. Two years ago I had to bring my car to this dealer on an emergency basis because the check-engine light came on and my guy had already closed for the day. They tried telling me then that the clutch was going, and they just did again. They even used the same line "the tech could tell immediately when he drove it."

            Now, this is only a guess, but I'm willing to bet that the overwhelming majority of the work they do is on fairly new cars. To be sure, on all of the occasions I've been to this dealer (maybe half a dozen times) I've never seen a car even half as old as mine parked in the service area. That leads me to believe that the tech is probably used to cars with relatively new clutches, not ones with almost 129,000 miles on them.

            My clutch is not worn out and it's not slipping. I've driven stick shifts exclusively since I started driving. I learned how to drive on a stick shift and even took my license test in a stick shift. I have never blown a clutch and don't plan on starting now. My previous two vehicles still had their factory clutches when I finally parted ways with them. Besides which, I had consulted with my usual mechanic that my family has been doing business with for 23 years and he said that you don't do that until it goes, because even if it IS wearing out, you don't know if it'll go tomorrow or 50,000 miles from now. Until it does go, replacing it is a waste of money. And he's personally driven this car just a couple weeks ago. If there was a clutch issue I *know* he would've told me. I don't think any mechanic is going to turn down an expensive clutch job unless he really believes it's not necessary.

            So the grand total for all of that would've been $4300!!!! Hello, hello??? Anybody home?? Think, McFly, think! That's more than the fucking car is worth!

            I just told them to only do the work relating ot the noise and oil leak problems. That cut the bill by more than 50%. Still not happy but it needs to be done.
            Last edited by Dave1982; 08-29-2013, 12:48 AM. Reason: accidentally submitted post before I was done with it!
            "We guard the souls in heaven; we don't horse-trade them!" Samandrial in Supernatural

            RIP Plaidman.

            Comment


            • #7
              I've had clutches replaced in 2 of the 3 vehicles I've owned.

              My first car had something go wrong with the bearings in the transmission, and the engine and transmission had to be separated in order to fix it. Since that's 90% of the labour of a clutch job, and the car was over 10 years old at the time, I figured it was "penny wise and pound foolish" to reassemble it with the old clutch plate.

              Roughly a year ago, the Peterbilt of Natural Selection lunched its clutch - wouldn't disengage fully. That was fun - with 40,000 pounds in the box, I had to float the gears, match revs in order to shift into neutral for a stop, and a sharp pull into "granny low" (only gear that wouldn't grind) to get started.
              Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

              Comment


              • #8
                Quoth Dave1982 View Post
                So the grand total for all of that would've been $4300!!!! Hello, hello??? Anybody home?? Think, McFly, think! That's more than the fucking car is worth!
                That's what happened to me the last time I took my Civic in for service. Granted, I took it in for service less because the service was due and more because the A/C wasn't working right. (And being that we were in the midst of a really bad heat wave, I NEEDED THAT A/C.)

                Yeah, there was a bunch of other stuff that needed fixing as well, which ended up costing me about $2300, more than twice my car is worth.

                I bit the bullet and paid it, but I'm planning to get a new car once I get my money's worth out of this one.
                Last edited by Dave1982; 08-29-2013, 12:48 AM. Reason: Bad format tag in quote
                PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

                There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

                Comment


                • #9
                  When I was in NEPA, I had two choices of dealers for Honda. Both an hour away. I chose the one closest to my College as I had to be there every day anyway.

                  The generation that included the '93 Accord had this wonderful habit of intermittently faulting on a coil pack. How did I know this? Because the internet is a wonderful thing . When this part failed the car would not start. It'd just cut out, and leave you stranded. The first time it happened I had the car towed to the dealer. I phoned the dealer up and said "It's the coil pack. Please replace it". I got back "We'll look into it and get back to you".

                  The next day I get a call "It started up fine when it get here, go ahead and come get it. It's no charge". Alright, I guess so. So I pick it up. And a few days/weeks later it does the same thing. I have it towed back, and I tell them again. "It's the coil pack, please replace it". Again, "We'll look at it and let you know. It started fine for us, come on and get it".

                  Now, you only have so many tows under AAA. And I was reaching my limit. It was also a pain getting a ride to Reading to just pick the car up. I was NOT happy with Honda, as this could have been solved the first time by replacing the part. It turns out if you tilted the car up JUUUUUST enough, the parts inside the pack would align properly again, which is why it would work after a tow.

                  So fast forward another few weeks and it does it again. This time it dropped and left me stranded in a left turn only lane in the middle of Pottsville PA. Not a single person would help me push the thing out of the way, so that left me sitting on the trunk of the car and waving people around until a tow could come. Oh, the police stopped once. He asked "broke down?" I replied to the affirmative. He shoots back "well just wait with it for the tow" and goes about his merry way. Gee, thanks officer.

                  So it gets towed again to Honda. This time I have to almost scream at them to just replace the @#$@#$ part! The only reason they did? This time it didn't start when coming off the truck. "It needed the coil pack replaced". Well no shit sherlock, I told you that twice already.

                  Moral of the story? I too feel your pain when it comes to Honda dealerships . So far the only two I like dealing with are Toyota and Mazda. Hyundai/Kia are just as bad as Honda from what I've had to deal with.
                  But the paint on me is beginning to dry
                  And it's not what I wanted to be
                  The weight on me
                  Is Hanging on to a weary angel - Sister Hazel

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I am so mad my hands are shaking.....I just paid this dealership $2033.02. They waived the rental car fee (presumably due to the screw up in the OP), but not even a mile down the road it started creaking. Turned into a parking lot and did a slow lap with the stereo and air off and yep.....the problem is still there, every bit as bad as before I spent a penny.

                    Came right back to the dealer and told them the problem has not been fixed. They brought a tech out and he rode shotgun for a test drive. All we had to do was pull out and right back in to the check-in bay and it started creaking and popping like crazy.

                    They've got it back up on a lift right now. The aren't getting another red cent from me until this is sorted out and fixed for real.
                    "We guard the souls in heaven; we don't horse-trade them!" Samandrial in Supernatural

                    RIP Plaidman.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Ok, so they had replaced a motor mount and pretty much the entire exhaust system aside fom the muffler (which was just replaced by my regular mechanic on the fist trip in for this problem). Now they are saying the sound is from the front control arm bushings (on the side regular mechanic didn't touch). They said the bushing are "blown out."

                      Ok.....so how did you guys miss that the first time? And does this mean that the $1800 i just gave you to "fix" it was a waste?? (Other $200 was for the oil leak). Nothing about any of this adds up. Someone somewhere is lying/has lied to me.
                      "We guard the souls in heaven; we don't horse-trade them!" Samandrial in Supernatural

                      RIP Plaidman.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Ask them to put your old parts back in since they obviously weren't the problem and 'yes, you can do that free of charge since you don't know what you're doing.' I'll pay for the repairs that actually fix the problem.

                        yeah...it probably wouldn't work, but if you make a stink when there is a line of people they may work with you.

                        But then I guess you risk being labelled a SC even though they're at fault.
                        I'd tell you where to go, but I work there and I don't want to see you everyday.

                        My photo blog.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Quoth wolfie View Post
                          I've had clutches replaced in 2 of the 3 vehicles I've owned.


                          Roughly a year ago, the Peterbilt of Natural Selection lunched its clutch - wouldn't disengage fully. That was fun - with 40,000 pounds in the box, I had to float the gears, match revs in order to shift into neutral for a stop, and a sharp pull into "granny low" (only gear that wouldn't grind) to get started.
                          I had the same thing happen to a 84 Toyoda Tercel. The link between the shifter lever and the manual tranny was a cable. One night the cable broke. I could not get to the junk yard for another 2 days. I also did the whole routine of matching rev's when up/down shifting and had to stop the engine, put the shifter into 1st gear and restart the engine in 1st gear at stoplight (or rev the engine and get the gears to sync enough to let me take off from the light).
                          I'm lost without a paddle and headed up SH*T creek.
                          -- Life Sucks Then You Die.


                          "I'll believe corp. are people when Texas executes one."

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Quoth wolfie View Post
                            I've had clutches replaced in 2 of the 3 vehicles I've owned.

                            My first car had something go wrong with the bearings in the transmission, and the engine and transmission had to be separated in order to fix it. Since that's 90% of the labour of a clutch job, and the car was over 10 years old at the time, I figured it was "penny wise and pound foolish" to reassemble it with the old clutch plate.

                            Roughly a year ago, the Peterbilt of Natural Selection lunched its clutch - wouldn't disengage fully. That was fun - with 40,000 pounds in the box, I had to float the gears, match revs in order to shift into neutral for a stop, and a sharp pull into "granny low" (only gear that wouldn't grind) to get started.
                            Here's a fun clutch failure. Years and years ago i had a Samurai, and i'm sitting at a traffic light. When the light went green, i took my foot off the pedal... and it stayed there. I was lucky enough to get a push from a cop up the street to my mechanic who found that a fin from the clutch had broken off and lodged between it and the housing. I swear, i only have weird failures.
                            Seph
                            Taur10
                            "You're supposed to be the head of covert intelligence. Right now, I'm not seeing a hell of a lot of intelligence. Covert, overt, or otherwise!"-Lochley, B5, A View from the Gallery

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Quoth raudf View Post
                              That sounds kinda like the noise my car made when my struts started going. It didn't always happen at first, unless you were making hard turns or hitting really nasty bumps, which made getting it fixed a bit difficult at first.
                              I went through quite a bit of that when I had my Mazda. I had a Protege ES, which had a slightly different suspension than the lesser DX and LX. Whenever I'd go over bumps, no matter how slowly I went over them...the entire front end sounded like it was going to come off

                              After multiple attempts at Don Allen Chevy (which also sold Mazdas...but is now gone so I can mention them. Those idiots seemed to think that internal combustion was magic...), I had nearly everything suspension related replaced under warranty. The noise would go away for a few months, but would suddenly come back. Again, the car would go in for service, various parts were replaced, and all was good for a bit. Then the warranty ran out, and it happened *again.*

                              This time, I was pissed. Not because I had to pay for it...but because the dealer couldn't fix the damn problem! To piss me off further, they didn't bother calling me at all during the day. Instead, I had to walk my ass to the dealer. Imagine my surprise when they told me that the car was in bits (entire front suspension was on the ground), and they "didn't have the time" to finish it. Uh, I dropped the car off at 7am--you had an *entire day* to mess with it. What the hell where they doing all that time?

                              I was furious, mostly because they wasted my time. I was also furious, because I now had no way to get home...or even to work the following morning! I had to rent a car out of my own pocket. So I flipped out on the manager. Told him that I wasn't coming back, and wasn't going to accept his offer of a free oil change or two.

                              Oddly enough, that was the last time I was in there. Instead of having them fit the stock struts...I went with uprated items that time. Seems that the original types simply weren't up to the job. The noise and resulting annoyance went away. Why the dealer didn't do that in the first place, I'll never know!
                              Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines. --Enzo Ferrari

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