How would you handle this situation?

[mikebore]

I bought a Honda approved 58 plate Jazz GD ES from a Honda main dealer about 40 miles from my home city, last July. Car was given a 48month service and MOT on the day of sale at 29500 miles. Service book stamped up.

When I collected the car there was no locking wheel nut with the car and it took them two hours to find it. I asked if they had done the service, and was assured yes, the implication being that they had lost it after doing the service.

All was well until recently when the brakes started making light grinding noise, which stopped when brake pedal applied. Mileage now is 34000, ie 4500 miles since the 48month service.

Took it down to my local Honda main dealer, who reported front pads unserviceable, and front disks needing replacement. I have paid (£250) to have this done.

I have phoned the service manager of the dealer I purchased it from, and told him the plain facts. He has asked me to send the removed parts to them with the paperwork.

Looking for opinions on way forward. EG send the facts to Honda UK?

Also concerned now what else didn't get done, e.g. Supaguard I paid for and other service items.

Is it conceivable the pads and disks could have gone from an acceptable state to needing replacing in 4500 miles of mixed long and short journeys?

Thanks

PS. The worst pad has about 0.5mm of lining material thickness from the backplate, and the ridge at the rim of the disks is about 2.5mm.

[guest1583]

Hi
    Its very sad to hear that those people (from Honda Dealership) from whom we entrust our driving and safety experience do come up very short of our expectations.  However, it would be wrong to just pinpoint the Honda dealership itself for this shortcomings as there are people say mechanics who dont really care.
Its good that you have phoned and let them know your experience about their level of service. Since you have got all the neccessary evidence like the thickness of the pads and the discs I would therefore send them those parts and let them know what you think about it. Many of these services like "supaguards and carpet protections for life" are just cashing cows for these agents and dealerships, they don,t keep those promise I,ll tell you.
     Your story is but just one of the wake up calls of why we got this forum keep up and running. For all you know we just dont drive our cars (Jazz) from a to b and get the job work of commuting, but the morale is our car is our second home, therefore, our safety and lives depend on it for many occassions of whom we may not be aware of sometimes. Yes we do enjoy and cherish every minute of driving it but the safety of our cars dont resides on the hands of these dealers and or of garages but in fact to those who drive it day by day and from time to time. I would encourage you to read past threads in this forum as minor things like brake pads replacement, servicing and styling are being discussed.
   Please keep up posted with the developments anyway.....

[mikebore]

I have just been preparing a more formal written message to the Honda Dealer and would like check a fact.

Looking at the Service book and Manual suggests that the CVT fluid is meant to be changed at first of 48 months/50,000 miles, and there is a separate page in the manual to stamp this.

Am I right about this?

The Transmission fluid change service page has not been stamped.

Thanks

[guest3423]

A reputable Honda dealer should sort it depending how long it's been, regardless that it will  not be covered by warranty.

[mikebore]

My local Honda dealer says CVT fluid is due for change at first of 50,000 miles or 5 years....so mine was not due at the 48 month service.

[Ozzie]

I had CVT fluid in my HS changed at 24k as the warning light came on, evidently it was due to be changed at the 25k service.

[mikebore]

I had CVT fluid in my HS changed at 24k as the warning light came on, evidently it was due to be changed at the 25k service.

That is strange! The first "Service history record" page in my Service Book has a number of preprinted boxes with miles/months to be endorsed by the dealer.

The box for 50,000 miles/48 months is the first box to have a note preprinted in it which says "If CVT fluid was replaced at this service, please stamp the relevant box on page 44" It is not mentioned on any of the earlier services.

This was why I first thought it might have been missed on mine, but the explanation by my local dealer that it is due at 50,000/5 years explains why the fluid might not be changed at the 50,000 miles/48 months service (ie the service was being done at 48 months but mileage below 50,000, like my car).

My car is an ES and I assume the service warning system has been turned off. Is that the warning light you are referring to?

[guest3250]

Not yet read all the posts here - but after my experience from purchasing and all the broken promises -
I don't intend to darken the doors again if I can help it.
I will keep the car, hopefully, for a long time and get it serviced elsewhere.
When I come to replace it I will also probably look elsewhere - but that doesn't mean it won't be another
Honda necessarily - I will decide according to the insinuation when the time comes.
But sadly I don't trust them....hardly at all!

[guest765]

Its becoming a real problem trying to get the maindealer to do what they are supposed to do...in my other club which (is not Honda related) we have high rated vehicles and for the first few years this is a maindealer option for all servicing and  warranty work.....but because of accessability and persistant complaints of shoddy work at a high price most guys with older vehicles use "specialists" these garages are usually Jaguar trained mechanics who have branched out on their own and have invested in the diagnostic equipment ect.....in our national club there is a list of approved (by the club) from members reccomendations.....im sure the same or better work is done in these places or any shoddy work is repoted back to the club, but the main thing is the hourly charge for work done is signifiacntly lower than main dealers....i have sourced a local garage who is adept in Honda work for my wifes Jazz....so far the attention to detail from this guy is top class, and he knows what he is doing.
So maybe its wise to find your local "specialist" and if they do the work to the standard you expect at a reasonable price.....  stick with them

[mikebore]

Thanks Geoff and Joe,

The rogue Honda dealer where I bought the car is 40 miles from where I live, so I have no need or expectation of ever going there again. I had my suspicions on the day because of the missing wheel lock nut socket, but no basis at the time for challenging them. My whole experience of buying the car was exemplary up to the point of committing. When I went back to collect the car, the sales manager who sold it to us was busy, the wheel socket was missing they forgot to give us the "complimentary" pack promised, and the service manager was resentful that I wouldn't take the car without the socket and have it posted on.

My tactic so far has been to contact the Sales Manager on the basis that he said any problem come straight back. My two main points in the strictly factual email I have sent him, are recovery of the £250 I wouldn't have just spent, and proof that they did the other things they are supposed to have done (rest of service and Supaguard).

If they step up to the mark I will leave it there. If they don't I will escalate it to Honda UK, and also name and shame them here.

At this point I have no reason to doubt my local Honda dealer, and have found the experience of dealing with them much better than the place I bought the car from.

[chrisc]

I think you should alert Honda UK anyway.  Someone else might have an even worse experience. 

I am fortunate that the Honda dealer I dealt with has an impeccable reputation, quite unlike the BMW dealer next door who is snooty, does not keep appointments and has been the subject of a consumer column in the local newspaper a few times

[guest3250]

I'm not even going to go through the unfulfilled promises from my Honda Dealer - you'd all die of reading fatigue!!
But after much complaining they told me I would be compensated - then I was offered a free service next time around - free?.....but of course any parts or wear and tear will have to be paid for.
I think the only free 'parts' I would get were the Oil - I don't even think I would be getting a filter as I am not sure it was deemed necessary ... I am stopping now!
Nope - it will go to my reliable garage to be serviced!

[olduser1]

An all too familiar tale these days, I used to be able to go into the workshop and talk to the chap working on the SAAB 96 but that was years ago.
Most dealers are driven by weekly / monthly targets. Very few customers complain even fewer dealerships have any sort of policy for dealing with customers - a few may offer a discount voucher .
Not a fan of current dealers Honda or others if you have found a local garage with trained mechanics who fit OEM parts  then stick with them.

[guest3250]

I was the wrong person for them to con really! - too long in the tooth and used to work on them myself many many years ago.

[chrisc]

Its not difficult changing service parts yourself, even brake parts and now you can get really inexpensive OBD diagnostic tools from Chinese suppliers.  I got several sets off suppliers on the Alibaba.com website

Of course you often have to translate the user manuals into understandable English.  "Insert OBD adaptor plug into true handy available socket to display trends and friendly symbols!"