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Honda

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Honda • Airbags • Brakes • Bumpers • Fires • Honda Care • Ignition switch • Odyssey doors • Odyssey seats • Paint • Radiator • Transmission • Windshield • The Insight --- • Honda To Sell Hybrid For Under $20,000 • Honda Drops Accord Hybrid • Feds Probe Honda Ignition Problems

It's true. We even get complaints about Honda, which some would call the world's most perfect moderately-priced car. Something Honda should be concerned about is that loyal, repeat customers are beginning to grouse that they will defect to Toyota because of reliability and warranty problems in the latest crop of Hondas.

Here a few of the more recent complaints:

Devon of Auburn, WA August 7, 2009

In a time when you would think that customer service would be king, I guess having repeat customers doesn't mean anything to some companies. I have a 2005 Honda Pilot. I love this car, have had no problems except now my keyless entry remote has stopped working. I realize that it is probably the battery, so I take the local Honda dealer, Hinshaw's Honda to ask what kind of battery is it going to take, and how do I open it up? I am told that it is just a standard size battery. Ok, which standard size?

I then asked him to show me how to open it. I am informed that there is a simple screw to open the case, but that Honda uses locktite on it and it takes a special tool by their technicians to get it open. I ask him if he will do this, he tells me they have gone home for the day, but ask anybody, they just have to unscrew the screw. I take my key ring to a local store to buy the battery, the gentleman there tells me that he can't get the back opened.

So I bring it home, my husband has the right size screw driver, but he can't get it opened. I then take it to a locksmith, he can't get the screw off the back and tells me to go back to the dealer. 2 days, and many miles later, I am back in front of the parts manager. He tells me he will have a technicial look at it. The technician can't get the back off.

Then they send it to the Service mananger, he also can't get it off, but now tells me that the screw is now stripped, and it will have to be drilled out. I ask what my recourse is, and am told that it is a known issue with Hondas and gives me the 1-800 number for consumer complaints. I call that, the intake rep that takes my call is very helpful, and says that she will have someone contact me within 2-3 business days.

The next day I get a call back from the complaint rep, and he tells me that since my car is out of warranty, and he contacted the local dealer and they have no record of my being there, there is nothing they are willing to do to help me. When I explain to him that I have been told that this is a known issue with these keys, he informs me that they have never even heard about this, and that the local parts manager should never have given out there phone number!

I am very frustrated because I still don't have my keyless entry working, and it doesn't look like I will be getting any help from anybody to make it work! They did try to sell me a new key though! I would never deal with Hinshaw's Honda nor would I ever hope to deal with the American Honda Motors corporation again!

George of Sun City Center, FL August 4, 2009

I purchased a new 2008 Honda Civic and had a qualified mechanic install Road master-towing brackets specifically tested and designed for the car. While not undertow the main motor mount broke damaging the transmission, which I now believe, was due to a defective part. The nearest Honda dealer stated that Honda Headquarters would not repair the damage as they noticed that a tow package had been installed which voided any warranty. The Honda was only nine months old with 3730 miles recorded. I have sold the vehicle but it has very expensive proposition. In the process of selling this vehicle off I was also informed that the Honda dealer installed a radio before delivery that was not Honda original equipment and all electronics was not covered by warranty. In conclusion do not buy Honda without siggned and sealed contract exclusion of this practice.

James of St. Augustine, FL July 31, 2009

I have 2005 Cr-V with leaking oil filter; this dangerous situation has been investigated since 2004 and still no viable solution has been offered by Honda.

Mike of Olympia, WA July 27, 2009

2004 Honda Pilot Transmission Failure - check engine error message "incorrect gear ratio". My Pilot just turned over 100k miles when this error occured. Both the Honda Dealer and outside shops informed me that replacement was neccessary. I searched online to find lots of premature failures in Oddesys, Accords, and MDXs that all have the same automatic transmission. Online accounts varied as to milage before failure, but were usually between 40 and 65k miles. I asked the Olympia dealer, where I'd done all the scheduled service, to check into Honda Corporate to pay for the transmission, though way passed warranty. He said No, and that they just replaced one with only 60k miles with no support from HQ. A year after we bought the Pilot we recieved a letter from Honda saying that our Tranny needed to be checked for an overheating problem. They apparantly installed an extra cooling jet to delay the breakdown till after the warranty period expired. The new tranny cost 3700 installed. I chose a local shop that guaranteed the work for the life of the vehicle. I'm extremly angry that Honda wouldn't stand by their product - one that I bought for it's longevity. Heck, my brake pads lasted longer than the Transmission!

Rajani of bilaspur, India July 25, 2009

i have give my honda activa for cheek because my activa giving promble it is in free servicing. they said it has cabonatar promble so i left my activa for fix but they take it and not done anything to it and ask for money. when i ask for activa then there superivicor said i donot know where is your activa after 1.30 hour my activa they come they are argguning with me when i ask for my activa after that i see my activa and i said that the work is complet they said yes and your activa is ready to diliver but when i see under sit space i see all scwer are opened but i said that it all are ready to fitting then. always it happen and i have to come for 4 to 5 times to take my activa and there they donot solve the promble and i have to again after very 2 days

Vernon of Lagrange , GA July 24, 2009

The Honda financial corp representative were calling me at all times of the night and early hours of the morning about my past due bill. I always pay my bill even if it is past due. I answered the phone and was very upset with him and asked him not to call me any more. He started to get arrogant with me and called me a low life who do not want to pay their bill. I hung up the phone on him.

On July 16th 2009 I sent a past due payment of 288 to them and they refused the payment. On june 23, 2009 I sent a payment of 575.04 they refused the payment. If you look at my account 587.04 would pay the account in full until the August payment. They refuse the payment, they want me to send a payment of 813.38 I do not know why. I am very fed-up with the harassment I have payed my car note even when I was laid off from March 2009 till June 2009. This is all harassment because the representative I talked to did not like it when I asked him not to call my house any more.I just want to pay my monthly payment and not taken advantage by the representative of American Honda Corporation.

Tina of Boiling Springs, SC July 17, 2009

Purchased a new 2009 Honda Accord In January 2009. After about 6,ooo miles, the car would begin to vibrate when applying brakes for a quick stop. Car was taken in for service and the technican said the rotors were bad and that they would have to be resurfaced. I am also having an issue with the back panel of the car vibrating while driving.

S of Chester, VA July 17, 2009

I have purchased a new 2009 Honda Accord. I turn the A/C off while driving when it gets too cold. As soon as it turned off, the condensation start forming on the vent and on ths surface by the vent. In 30 seconds, the conendsation is so much that it stats dripping on the middle console where control panel for A/C, Radio and CD plyer is. I constantly have to wipe the mositure off to prevent damange to electronic console. I went to delaership and have contacted Honda both. The service shop has taken me out in another HONDA and had witneesed the same issue. He doesn't have any fix since it seems to be a design flow. I would like Honda to fix the problem so i don't have continue to worry about this problem.

Andrew of Ormond Beach, FL July 14, 2009

I brought my 2006 Honda Ridgeline Truck in for what I noticed as rust appearing INSIDE the doors at the weld joints. Honda body rep examined the vehicle and repaired it under warranty on 12/12/2007. The rust came back in the exact same spots. I brought the truck back to Jon Hall Honda and they called a regional Rep to examine the rust.

He decided that because I live in Florida near a coast that it is not under warranty to be fixed, while he was examining my doors he pulled off the rubber seals and they are all now falling off the vehicle due to his actions. The rust is inside of the doors in the exact same weld joint in all four doors I had an independent body shop examine the doors and they concluded the rust is a factory defect not caused by my environment. The location inside the door and the spot it occured were very evicent to him that there was some sort of glitch in the manufacturing process in the door. I have receipts, estimates, photos and documentation of all the effort made to resolve this issue. The warranty has a 5 year rust coverage. The cost to repair the doors now exceeds 5,000.

Mary of Mildford, CT July 14, 2009

My 2006 Honda Civics’ lease had matured and I went into the dealership on June 1, 2009 to discuss my options. During that visit, the dealership quoted me a buy-out dollar of 10,775.83 and advised this payoff was valid until June 11, 2009. This is the dollar that the dealership (who twice later verified) was provided with by American Honda Finance. I then called American Honda Finance on three occasions to verify the dollar amount. One call was to verify the dollar, a second call was to obtain the mailing address, and a third call to obtain the overnight address. On each occasion I verified the total dollar payoff. I asked for something in writing for verification and was told that was not necessary. That is a laugh to say the least.

I repeatedly asked both American Honda and Terri Gunger (Sales Rep) if there were any other charges (less Milford CT property taxes) and was advised no. "You are all set, Mar. " One week following my overnight delivery of the check, I was advised by American Honda that I failed to pay the sales tax of 630.80. Obviously I was stunned and interestingly enough American Honda has no record of my calls. I had earlier spoken with Jennifer, Jerayle, and Lisa.

Further, the dealership refuses to play a role in providing me the misinformation. Their line is that I should have verified it with American Honda. I find that funny since both myself and the dealership verified the dollar with American Honda. I know that I understand the difference between buy out and residual value but apparently the dealership has no idea.

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