Honda Canada
I want to share an example of effective complaining which brought impressive results. First of all, I am an industrial designer and have a range of knowledge when it comes to manufactured products we buy, use and tdiscard. Industrial designers are product designers (like James Dyson who invented the Dyson vacuums) who work with engineers, marketing and sales folks to develop products. We have a good comprehension of manufacturing, hopefully economics, materials, trends, styling, etc. We are involved in creating and achieving levels of product quality while meeting “corporate objectives” which usually translates into generating a profit for all our efforts and salaries.
Unfortunately, not all products these days are designed to last 20 years or longer anymore. It’s called planned obsolesce, we can determine and control exactly how long produced goods will last, how it will wear, break etc. Fair enough I think, our planet revolves on consumerism and we all take part in the various products and services which give us an occupation and allow us to keep feeding this system. I will talk more about his another time and share a really neat presentation about “stuff”.
My story is this. Upon graduating from industrial design studies and landing my first job as a designer within a toy company I experienced a little problem with my 6 year old 1992 Acura Integra LE. A fine little car it was. Purchased it used, drove it hard and cared for it the best I could. One day the driver’s seatbelt failed to work, it wouldn’t recoil back into the housing?! Sure enough, I took it apart to discover the steel coil inside broke and wasn’t providing the tension needed for the normal strap operation. I called up the Honda dealership to order a new part. Of course, the part is not available as a separate part. I could purchase the “assembly” and simply replace it. The cost for this was ~ $380. (part only) L…yaa, not the answer I was looking for. I gave it some thought and realized the above “planned obsolescence” The car had about 180 000kms, still looked great and everything else was fine. I thought…damn designers/engineers and “people” who decided on the specific coil quality, material design, etc for this!! I decided to call up Honda Canada and talk to customer service relations. I was polite, calm and simply voiced my situation along with 2 golden questions. I explained this as my first car purchased and happy with it thus far. I then explained that of all the parts, assemblies and systems on this car, the driver’s seat belt should be the LAST thing to fail ——-this was the small component which could essentially save my life (assuming the seat could still be bolted to the car’s frame)! This is where I asked: “ what does this tell me about the rest of the car?” The second question was, “ how will this help me to buy another Honda in the future?” I was heard and was told to expect a call in the coming days. Sure enough they called to report that I should take my vehicle to a certain dealership to have the assembly replaced free of charge and they thanked me for my consumer input———–J
Now that folks, is justice, good business and a company (or employee) that stands behind its product. I have purchased 2 other Hondas since then I will continue to do so.
Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:59 pm
re: Honda Consumer Input
May I say I’ve reached Honda Canada with questions concerning my 2002 Civic @ 110,000 km –showing the dashboard SRS supplementary restraint system light on. Indicator light on = driver alert/danger
Now, being a life-saving system such as this,I assumed that Honda would have treated this as a potentially hazardous driver red flag situation.I took it to my dealership They required a $69.95 fee for diagnostic then wanted to charge for parts that may be found defective.
This life saving restaint system was no longer covered beyond 5yr./100000 km. was the final word from Honda Canada.
I like the writer who’s concerns were brought forward did so very factually and in a non-defensive manner.
I also mentioned that I considered keeping this car for daughter and buying a new Civic 2010.
That will be new Civic number 6.
My loyalty pitch didn’t do a thing to help the cause or even compromise on this faulty safety mechanism.
Oh, and with airbag recall my VIN was not on the list of Civic owners being notified.Because it was not they technically are not obligated to check this at no charge to the owner.
I remain displeased with Honda Canada and their arrogant protocoland feel they should honour a faulty SRS for the life of the vehicle and not put a time limit on their safety obligations.
R. Theaker
August 4th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
I would like to add to Honda’s Blog an unfortunate story with my Dealer which I was returning my 2005 Honda which was on a lease. Also the “no hassle” return from Honda Inc. who is represented by their dealers.
We went to Honda Ile Perrot to schedule the return date for our old Honda and get a new Honda 2010. We had a 2005 Civic Sedan 2005 (Special Edition). Sales rep. tells us that the new DX-A model had all the features our Honda had with a retractable steering wheel and power windows. Unfortunately we had to call the Finance Manager back the next day to advise if we were taking the Honda Plus insurance or just the basic insurance which comes with every car and our Broker would handle the rest.
Called the insurance company the next day and gave a call to the Finance Manager to advise him of our intentions. We also called the sales rep. to verify the return date and how that would affect our last payment. We had initially given them a $500.00 deposit for the car.
No call back for 3 days. This got a little fishy for me and started looking into car prices and calling other car dealers. We found out that the DX-A model does not come with power doors. With 3 kids it is essential for our little family. I have been driving Honda’s since I was 16 and I wasn’t going to stop now. I shopped and got a good deal on the DX-G model which comes with power doors. I called my sales rep. back and told him of our findings and how we would like to proceed. I told him the price of the new model and they were 14 dollars over per month on a lease. I told him that I was going to get the car from the other dealer since the price was cheaper.
I asked for our $500.00 dollar deposit back, by law everybody they cannot keep this money. They bluntly refused to give us the money back. We therefor contacted consumer Protection for some help. They told us legally they could not hold the money and that we should send a registered letter so they can rectify the problem. Nothing was fixed in our dead-line specified in our registered letter.
We also called Honda Inc. who in turn tells us they cannot do anything for us since they are independent dealers and they have no power over them. I find this a little ridiculous since the dealers represent the company.
Now we are going to small claims court for some dealer who does not want to reimburse $500.00. We spoke to the sales director and he refused to give the money back as well.
All things put aside we bought a Mazda and will never buy a Honda again. It is unfortunate that Honda Inc. does not give a HOOT for was their dealers do and how this impacts their customers.
Regards
Alex
August 11th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Honda no longer replies to customer e-mails, they think they are so big that customers are bothersome. I have tried and tried to get any kind of reply from them and they just ignore me. Honda sales are slipping and with my help and the story published in the Toronto Star to run for one year Honda will just be a mere shell of it self in the very near future. Honda your not at all what you used to be.
August 23rd, 2010 at 5:44 pm
My Wife and I own 2 Honda’s. she has an Element, and I have an accord. we have had nothing but trouble with the Accord since we purchased it. The Accord was a demo, and the Element was purchased new. The Service dept at Stratford Honda sucks. service that they say that they have done, and some of our friends have had the same problems. Brake noise that was there forever, they say was never there, because they never actually looked at the brakes and drums, but a service that was paid for.
We are so disgusted, and will never purchase another Honda.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Hi,
I am negotiating a return of my 2006 CRV which I bought at London Honda and so far it’s not in favour of the customer.
I have invested $23,000 over 4 years in this vehicle and would like to get out of the lease 20 days early. The CRV has only 58,000 km ( allowed 96,000 km) and Honda still wants $515. for very minor things that their inspector turned up.
Honda Finance said that they would waive $180 – not good enough ( as far as I’m concerned) considering the residual value is $14,700 and they can sell it for $19,000.
I’m considering driving around the city with a sign about the poor lease return for the customers of Honda for the remaining 20 days of the lease.
September 8th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Hi,
I too am having a hard time with Honda! The dealership took a deposit of $500.00. We later changed our mind about the vehicle and only wanted to buy back the current car we were leasing, they said they would not refund the deposit!! I called Honda Canada, and they also said there was nothing they could do at their end, as they are independent from the dealerships.
If anyone has had similar experiences, can you recommend any solution to get the $500.00 deposit back?
P.S. WE WILL NEVER BUY A HONDA AGAIN!!! It was honestly the worst car-buying experience I have ever encountered! Since then, I will never view the Honda brand the same. We have always bought Honda vehicles for the past 10 years. You can count on the fact that we will never even look to buy another Honda again, thanks to our experience with HALTON HONDA! Albert Daniel was the cars salesman we dealt with.
November 30th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Im sitting at Honda as I type this,Im so disgusted with the service I have been provided by..I came by yesterday and the service advisor told me it was going to a 3 hour wait for a OIL CHANGE!!! Which I can understand because I didn’t have an appointment and I could see they were busy..Fine so I booked an appoint for today at 9AM, it is now 1120 and my car has not even been touched YET!!! Im so annoyed at this moment. I know I am semi picky with asking for a certain Mechanic but this is why I had booked an appoint in advance to avoid my blood pressure to rise.I asked the service advisor for the customer hotline number..and I could see his face just turn red..Not only was he scared of me making a complaint he went runnning to my mechanic(who is also a family friend) to make sure I wouldnt complain to the head office..All I can say is, its time to find a new honda location cause this is not acceptable..No one is paying me to sit around while I waste my day. For someone like me whos abt customer service this would make me think when buying a new car in the future…Honda Sisley has given me a bad taste in my mouth
January 12th, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Bad experience at Honda hull Gatineau, qc. They sent me some promotion deal to change my lease car I had. So I went in, bla..bla ..bla I decided in taking a Accord in exchange for my civic. Believe it or not stupid them refused me credit on an Accord for a difference of 100.00$ a month. Although I have great credit for 15 years leasing cars with Honda Canada, they did something stupid like that. They just lost me as a client. I’d rather be a pedestrian than taking a car with Honda.
February 14th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Beware of Honda Ridglines – they have known defects that appear after warranty has lapsed (IE: Catalytic Converters). Cost of repairs are obscene rendering the vehicle prohibitive – expect to pay thousands of dollars for simple and predicable problems. The only fight is through a class action law but the bottom line is DO NOT BUY (OR AT LEAST KEEP) A HONDA PRODUCT.
– Owner of three Hondas – but never again.
February 20th, 2011 at 2:56 am
I have a 2007 Honda Accord SE V6.
The automatic door locks are wonky. When I press the unlock button on the key, the driver’s door opens, but when I press it again to open the other three doors, it makes a noise, but they remain locked.
The most frustrating glitch is that if I start the car then step out of it and close the driver’s door, all the doors lock. That happened to me, and I had to stand by the side of the road for over half an hour while my wife drove the backup key to me.
Has anyone had any similar problems?
The dealer said that this was the first they heard of such problems, and they aren’t sure how to fix them.
Thanks.
May 8th, 2011 at 12:51 am
I have had nothing but trouble with honda dealer in pickering, canada.. I went in to buy a car the sales person pushed me to make decision took a deposit from me for $500 for a honda accord and said you can make a decision later and recently my work hours had just been cut, and when i do the math now i wouldnt be able to afford the car. Now when i went back to get my deposit and cancel the deal they are giving me the run around saying come tomorrow, come next week and i am very frustrated at this point…I havent take the car out of their lot and i haven;t even registered the car under my name it was just a deposit…(i know i am stupid for trusting the salesman) does anyone know what i could do to get my money back?
May 16th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Got my Honda Civic ’07 serviced at Midtown Honda (Eglinton and Caledonia) for oil change and some other work (B12- tire rotation, air filter, pollen filter change, etc). I have been going to this location since i bought my car 4+ years ago. On top of the service needed, the mechanic found out that my battery is weak and transmission fluid needs to be changed as it has turned dark (dark brown). I agreed to the transmission fluid change but deferred the battery change (cost $170) for now. I picked up the car and paid for the services they charged me for that day but when i checked the car (i normally don’t check the car in detail as I have been very satisfied with them and trusted their service from previous), the filter was still sitting in my car- brand new not installed the transmission fluid was not changed (as it was still very dark brown); and the service minder was not reset. I didn’t even ask them to rotate tire as i needed to replace the winter tires with all season tires and was charged for it since they said it is included in the package. Was not impressed that I wasn charged for services that were not done and that made me think if I was over-charged for previous services that were not performed (like air filter change, etc.). Not going back to them anymore.
May 30th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
I purchased a brand new 2012 civic EX, and a week later the indicator lights start flicking on and off. I take it in to have it serviced (at this point i am really disappointed having to take in a week old car to have it serviced), and after 5 DAYS! at the service center, they call me and tell me that the problem has been solved. So i go down and pick it up, but 4 days later the indicator lights start flicking on again. So i take it in and here i am waiting for the reply from the dealership. This is the worst experience Ive had with a car, and its a brand new car! Ive had my Toyota for 14 years and not a single problem, but with this Honda it took it a week before it started causing problems. I am very disappointed and i will never purchase a Honda vehicle again!
July 9th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
I went to Honda waterloo for a diagnose and check engine light. When I went back to get the car from the dealership, the car did not start. I asked the Service Manager to fix the problem, and he came with a guy that knocked the starter motor with a wrench.
Unbelievable! This is Honda Waterloo! I paid 50+tax to get the car broken. I towed the car at home and I found that the starter motor was ok exept they wrong connected the wires!!! My lawyer will take care of this.
July 20th, 2011 at 7:12 pm
To Whom It May Concern:
I have recently taken my Honda Odyssey with 66000 km on it to The Honda Way in Abbotsford, BC, on 30150 Automall Drive. I took my Van in because there was a noise on the front Drives side that we wanted to get looked at. We were told that it was the drivers side wheel bearing. We asked if it would be covered under the 5year 100,000km warranty. They said no because it was 3 months past our 5 year. So we left it at that. We called the Customer care line and they approved the work to be done under warranty. We then called back to The Honda Way and booked the Van in. I was informed when I dropped the Van off that it is a rather quick fix, 3 hrs or so. Only to find that they replaced the wheel bearing on the wrong side and broke my ABS sensor on the same side. Honda Way then replaced the correct wheel bearing on the correct side, but damaged my ABS sensor on that side as well. Now after 6 hrs of my vehicle in The Honda Way shop, The Honda Way informs me that I am to pay them to replace the ABS sensors, that they broke, (one of which should not have been touched to begin with). As well that they would have to order the part in.
After inquiring about these sensors with 1 other Honda shop, 2 Honda certified mechanics and a local car repair shop. I find that the sensors should not have been touched, and in a case of which they are touched it would be rare that 2 need to be replaced. In fact, they don’t stock the ABS sensors because it is so rare.
I then decided to call The Honda Way back and talk to the service person looking after the work order (Lucky Kooner) and questioned which sensor broke. He then informed me that it was just the passenger side one that broke. START OF LIE #1. Earlier he said to my wife that both sides were broken. So I informed him that I was not willing to pay for the repair of the sensor on the passenger side due to the fact that there was no repair required on the passenger side, and I am not willing to pay for something that a mechanic broke on a side where he should not have been working. Lucky was not willing to take my reasoning and after an aggravating conversation of me explaining how I do not understand how I should be held financially responsible for a mechanics damage to a part on my vehicle on the side he should not have been working on, Lucky states “We will replace the part for free, and you will not be back. Correct?” At this point all I can do is agree and he hung up on me before I had a chance to ask when this repair can be done.
Assuming that Lucky made an error in his wording that both ABS sensors were damaged and he in fact meant only one was damaged it would be repaired and the Odyssey would be back to normal running order. The part was ordered and when the part came in an appointment for the repair was made. When my wife brought the Van in for the appointment she was told there wasn’t anything in the computer but they would see if they could fit it in right away.
The repair to the Odyssey ABS sensor on the passenger side was done. But no test drive. My wife then accepts the keys and leaves, only to get 2 km away and have the van disengage the fuel line and the VSA light come on.
The ABS sensor on the drivers side is now broken. (Lucky, originally stated that both were broken, then just the passenger side, and now denies working on the drivers side ABS sensor. START LIE #2.) My wife was able to limp the van back to Honda Way, where they disconnected the sensor on the driver side and ordered the part. As the mechanic brought the Odyssey around to the front he drove over the curb on the corner in front of the service center.
During the time where either of these sensors are not working my vehicle safety system is rendered useless. So if my vehicle is in an accident insurance may find me 100% at fault due to my vehicle being handicapped by a Honda Way mechanic.
The part came in, and I have since picked up the part. I do not wish to have Honda Way work on my vehicle again. I am going to have another mechanic install the sensor and inspect all work done by Honda Way. Honda Way has also denied me paperwork at the time of picking up my vehicle and parts, stating that the paper work has not been processed yet. I am confused on how this works, I should have paperwork for the work done and all parts, at the time of pick up.
I had a funny feeling taking my van to The Honda Way for a warranty repair. I had the feeling that there was something going to happen in which The Honda Way would try to charge me. All I wanted was a quoted 3 hr repair to fix the broken wheel bearing on the drivers side that the Customer Care center had approved to do under warranty. That turned into a 3 week repair, nuisance, and inconvenience and in which my van had the safety devices disconnected due to mechanics damaging them.
After been lied to and disrespected by the (service person Lucky) and told not to come back, I do not wish to deal with The Honda Way again. Not just because of (Lucky), because of the incompetence of the service mechanics on staff. However, all other service counter members, excluding Lucky, were very helpful, very polite, and I would deal with them again. But I will not deal with The Honda Way.
A more interesting fact is that I once respected Honda, and The Honda Way, and I currently own 3 Honda vehicles. After this incident I will not purchase another Honda vehicle again, and everyone I know will be made aware of The Honda Way and the way they treat vehicles and their customers.
Sincerely
August 10th, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Hello,
You will love this one! My 2008 civic started w the dash lights not coming on at 2 wks. Brakes didn’t work at 2 months. This happened 2 more times since. Am told it is my driving(!). Then, car started giving me headaches, nausea, etc. Dealer looked found nothing wrong blah blah blah. I finally had to hire someone from another province to test the car-it had mould. I am severely sensitive to mould. Car actually smelled wet. dealer said, no, we see no mould. It is dry-now I have a written report from an environmentalisr after testing, saying there is mould.
Battery needed replacing after 5000 km, drivers door lock needed replacing, power windows failed to work 1 time.
So, I stop driving it, still must pay lease, plus full insurance.
I battle, write letters to the CEO of Honda Canada (which were not acknowledged) , etc File with the BBB, 2 times, and the response is…I do this all the time(do what? buy lemon cars? )Nowhere in the response was there any mention or acknowledgement that the car was mouldy.
Car actually made me ill.
13 months left on the lease, and in talks w a dealer in another province, I am told that the leased car could be brought back any time for another. With a 1% rate drop, the latest from Honda Canada.
Please, why did not anyone tell me this before? I was told to get rid of the lease.
The dealer did not offer, nor did Honda Canada let me know.
I am in Newfoundland, by the way. And, I am a woman. Figures.
So,………….. what would you do?
August 12th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
I would like to say that I am disgusted with Honda and the two dealerships I have dealt with. I thought the first dealership being so horrible was just a fluke and decided to try another. However, the second dealership I tried turned out to be worst than the first. I traded my 2010 CRV (which I was basically) forced into buying by the 1st dealership) for a 2011 Honda Accord (which is what I wanted all along). I got a decent deal on the trade, as I expected to lose a lot in the trade. However, after the dealership agreed to buying my CRV, they took the next months payment out of my bank account.
I called Honda Canada to inform them and find out how to get my money back and they told me they could send me a cheque or I could go to the dealership and they could cut me a cheque to expedite the process. After driving the 2.5 hours to the dealership, they informed me that their accounting person was not available to sign the cheque and that they could mail it to me later that week. Let me also add that I had attempted to contact the dealership numerous times before driving there, and could never get a hold of anyone. Everyone I spoke to (including the manager) told me they would call me back immediately and that never happened (it has now been 3 weeks). Anyway, when I told the dealership how disappointed with them I was, they told me I could fax a copy of my bank statement to Honda Canada and they would rush the refund back to me. Well I tried that with no results. I then called Honda Canada yet again and they told me (after 3 weeks) of waiting for my refund that they had not yet mailed my cheque but that I could go to the bank and they could reverse the payment. Why they did not tell me this the first time I spoke to them 3 weeks prior is beyond me. Well I think the bank was less than impressed that they had to fix Hondas screw up but they did it for me.
Needless to say, I will never buy another Honda again. Great vehicles with pathetic customer service. They messed up, they should have fixed it. They also told me they were not obligated to send my refund for at least 4 weeks.
I also filled out customer satisfaction surveys re: my service work on my CRV. I was not happy with how I was forced into doing extra work to my vehicle(when I clearly refused). They insisted on rotating the tires, etc, etc. Simple oil changes ended up costing over $200 each. I never go a reply from Honda. They must think they are they too good to talk to their customers.
August 15th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
i have been through 3 sets of brakes in the first 27,000km of owning my car, now my 3rd set of brakes is not covered under warranty even tho they failed after just 8,000km since their last change. i cant even get the service manager to return my calls
September 22nd, 2011 at 6:43 pm
All I have to say is Honda does not install quality transmissions. I had a 1990 Accord – at 190,000 km the transmission went – cost approximately $2,000. Today I just got the news that my Odyssey with 206,000 km on it will need a replacement transmission – cost $3,000. Let me see, the power steering pump was changed twice, the engine mounts replaced……needless to say I doubt that I will own a Honda again……
October 31st, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Do not buy anything from Acura on Brant in Burlington Ontario. I bought an Acura TL-S 2008 back in Aug 2011 and just a few days later problems started to happen. I bought my vehicle with Acura Certified and I had to pay for that and under Acura Certified it said Mandatory replacement are Oil, Oil filter, Air filters changes and what did I see inside the air filter? A dirty air filter that’s all greasy and cabin air filters were dirty as hell too. Acura on Brant told me that they have done the Acura Certified 125 point inspection on my car before I picked it up but when I asked for proof they said they LOST the report and there’s only 1 report. I had to replace a sensor in the gas tank because gas cap light keep coming on then off and the engine mount were gone and needs to be replace right away. First day picking up the car on my way home when i brake crazy vibration to the steering wheel and cars vibrating at 100 – 120km. Salesman told me that tires are fine and that i shouldn’t be driving 120km and if I don’t drive 120km I wont get any vibration. I bought an TL-S and you tell me I can’t go 120km? BULL!! So now after fighting with Acura on Brant and going back there few times the service manager admit that they should of replace the brake pads and rotors before I have picked up the car because do to the % left on material it does not pass Acura Certified. So I asked him again about the Acura Certified report and he told me I’m not trying to be funny sir but you will never get it because I did it and I gave it to the Sales department and they lost it, So I ask Andrew (Service manager) an important document like that only got 1 copy and he said YES, but he know I wasn’t going to give up there so he said OK I will ask the Technician that’s working on your car right now to redo a Acura certified inspection for you again and I will give you the report so I was OK with that. Now after waiting 4hrs in the waiting area Andrew came up to me and said your vehicle is done sir so he handed me the invoice that they replace new Pads and Rotors and a copy of Acura Certified report. NOW LISTEN TO THIS, I look at the Acura Certified report and what did I see on it? CAR MODEL ACURA CSX V.I.N does not match my VIN and so I ask Andrew, is this my report and he reply saying YES but I go its not my car and v.i.n and he goes we already did it once so I cannot redo it under your v.i.n but ignore that car and v.i.n because at the bottom its the report of your 125 point inspection. I wasn’t sure if that’s wrong or right on what they’re doing so i just took all the paper work and left. I went to Maple Acura to get an oil change and I asked the service manager at Maple Acura about the Acura certified and how does it work so Patty ( Service manager) at Maple told me that You should get a copy of the report and that tires, brake pads must have 50% of material or more to pass Acura certified and that Oil change need to be done and replace Air filter and Cabin air filter as it’s stated Mandatory on the Acura certified paper. After finding that My Air filters were dirty as hell and that Engine mount needed to be replace and brake pads were cracking and rotors were all messed up and tires are vibrating I suspect that they did not do Acura Certified on my vehicle that I PAID FOR. I contact Acura Canada customer relation center and spoke to a Gentlemen name Ron and I told him my story and faxed him the copy of Acura Certified That i got from Acura on Brant and he couldn’t believe they would do something like that. The next day Ron called me and ask what I would like Acura Canada to do for me so i reply that this dealership is scamming me and i got proof and I just want my car to be Acura certified and get the report from it because I paid for it so he said I will contact the General manager at Acura on Brant and bring this issue to his attention and I will contact you back in 48hrs. Anyways after 48hrs Ron said he can’t do anything for me because its not a warranty or parts defective issue so i would have to take it up with the dealership, I said I have tried before and it didn’t get anywhere that’s why i contact you guys at Acura Canada customer relation center to try and help me out. Can someone tell me what I can do to get justice for this scam that Acura on Brant pull on me since Acura Canada couldn’t do anything even they know that an Acura Authorized dealership are ripping customer off. Please contact me at [email protected] if you have a solution to resolve my problem and Thanks in advance.
November 26th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
1992 Civic Ex 250,000 km with a problem of intermittent no start/and or stalling while driving. Brought it to local Edmonton Honda dealership and was told it was a main relay assembly (solder was damaged). I authorized the necessary work and I should have realized something was up when the service advisor said “hopefully that fixes the problem”. I said “well you took the part out, you said it was faulty so it must be fixed”. Wrong! Three days later I stalled while driving 70 kph on the Yellowhead; I had it immediately towed to the dealership where they spent another 2 days diagnosing (and I have now used up 2 CAA service calls). Next they said they can’t pin-point a problem because the diagnostics for the older models are not as accurate as newer models and it could be an an ignitor problem, distributor (which I had replaced at that dealership in Sept. 2010 so no longer under warranty), or an ECU which Honda doesn’t make anymore but they can get a used one for $200. I would have to say the main relay was never the problem so I actually spent almost $300 (parts and labour and diagnostics) for a CAR WASH! My car is still there because I find it unreliable and unsafe to drive. Going back on Monday to discuss my options. One of which may be a new car and not a Honda.
December 8th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
brake seized at 43300 km Honda 2009 crv.Again not Honda fault they make awful car it yours for buying a overpriced car.I remember what Made in Japan was when i was a child Honda now has gone full circle .this was my fourth and last honda crv in 12 years never again. mr Takashi Sekiguchi for shame
December 16th, 2011 at 11:05 pm
Guys & gals – deal with Funk’s Toyota in Steinbach, if you are anywhere close. They are square shooters. I purchased a 2002 Tundra in 2001 from them, which still serves us well. Funk’s does all our servicing and repairs at appointed times and stated time limits. We couldn’t be more pleased.
January 4th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
I am writing this message for warning every body from buying bettery or parts from Honda dealer, because I brought one bettery for my Accord that has 5 year warranty (spent total $150.12 include tax)on Nov.4,2009 but died yesterday (Jan 3rd, 2012) after 26 month. I went back to the dealer (on 575 kinston road, pickering) paid pro-rated cost and labor (total $93.16)to get it replaced. I was wondering if I would get warranty for the replaced one, the answere (from dealer and honda canada relations)is “warranty continue from the original purchase date of Nov.4th,2009. It means if the bettery die again today I have to pay them again!I have no trust to them at all.
January 10th, 2012 at 9:39 pm
Well, I have a Honda Civic LX bought from the Honda Way in Abbotsford. I bought the car brand new and didnt have a problem with it till it hit 90,000 kms. My engine block cracked in the summer time, however, that was covered under warranty and they fixed that, no cost to me. But a couple months prior to that, my trunk stopped working and would not open via latch or key, So while the Honda Way in Abbotsford had my car for the engine block problem, I asked them to take a look at my truck to see what the problem with that is. Well they told me the cable became disconnected and it would cost $260 or something like that to fix, we could not afford it at the time. So my husband asked some of the guys at his work and he was going to fix it and instead of Honda looking at it and letting us know what was wrong they disconnected the whole cord and instead of putting it back as it they disconnected the trunk and my gas tank latch and just unraveled it and left it there and when we called to tell them the problem, they simply stated it wasnt there fault and to pay them to fix it or they arent touching it. I am more the unsatisfied with my results at the Honda Way in Abbotsford. They didn’t treat us as valuable customers at all, its not like I made a small purchase, I paid them over 24,000 and I expect better customer service.
January 16th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
2003 Honda Accord TRANSMISSION Failure
I echo Mark’s concerns. Only 145K on my Honda Accord and the transmission is gone. Recalls sent out and apparently my “part number” was not on the recall list. What will Honda do about it and I quote “Honda has no accountability”? Known, widespread problem and the customer is left holding the bag.
January 19th, 2012 at 11:41 am
I am on my 4 th Honda now .now own a honda crv 2009 ex .Honda over the years is losing ground in big ways.gas is no way near what it should be my average in winter is 17 l /100 km .The tires and brakes wear out way too early for whats it worth yet you pay a mint to buy even if the resale seems good im sure that wont last long you can save the money.ever year its getting worse so Honda hangs on to that brand as long as you can.this car is expensive to insure and repair no value at all .can t wait for my next car it won t be a honda
February 8th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
My biggest mistake was GETTING A CAR FROM ACURA OF NORTH TORONTO ! (lease) still solving all problems with BBB now, dealership refused to deal with me, i had to contact Honda Finance and then they told me that they can not help me either !! They have my money $2,500.00 and would not return!! waiting for some reply from BBB and if not, taking to court those people ! all they do there is lie, ignore you, pretend they are always busy and DO NOT GIVE a … about their clients !!! DO NOT GO THERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 15th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
We purchased a 2006 Honda Civic and and 2007 Honda Odyssey with honda PLUS WARRANTY.
We have issues with the front power steering under 60,000 km’s and they kept telling us is was imprper air in the tires, our driving, handling at slow sppeds. We brought the van in again at 80,000 km improper air in the tires mechanic feels no difference he took it out for a test drive. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 95,000 km come we pay $100 to have a review done of the Odyssey Van and imagine our surprise ot hear the struts are blown and have been for considerable time. Dealer says warranty only good for 60,000 km’s we state we have extended warranty up to 200,000 km’s. Dealer states computer says “NO” to waranty to call HONDA Customer Service.
This was our 2nd mistake. We were then belittled by IZO their Customer Service Representative who told us we were basic idiots as he was HONDA representative and made decissions for HONDA. When we asked to place their statements in writing we were told on tape recorded phone call “HONDA CANADA DOES NOT ALLOW US TO PUT THINGS IN WRITING”
IZO our customer Relations specialist began to repeat repeat the same stupidity while refusing to answer our questions. First argument shocks were the same as struts then we we proved different there was a little clause for roadside assistance that IZO argued covered nothing. IZO refused to put his statements in writing or for us to speak to anyonelse. HONDA WAKE UP YOUR LOSING MARKET SHARE HAVING $10 CALL CENTRE POSITIONS DEALING WITH FRONT LINE CUSTOMERS WHO MAKE THE BUYING DECISION. This was a horrible experience. Buy TOYOTA. Our next step is to sue in Small Claims Court. We could care less about the $400 it is the principle apparently only principles Honda uses is their statistions calculating mean time between failure to ensure the product fails after the warranty period.Review web sites and the majority are happy with TOYOTA. I have never been so disguisted to spend the time to write about a corporation until now. Why have a customer service department – should of stayed with the dealer who has been fantastic. These poor guys are investing their time and money building a business to have a $10 call centre employee play lawyer/corporate office and will cost the dealer at least 20 new automobiles. We replace 2 vehicles every 4 years – I am 40 years old my wife is 33 – you do the math. Cost of warranty repair $400
Phone call and arguments to HONDA Canada $2000 cost of lost sales 20 @ average price present value $400,000 – PRICELESS
I feel bad for the dearler and their employees that try so hard for customer retention only to lose it to a entry level call centre job.
March 9th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
i think honda should FIRE it’s interior designers ….
they are frozen in time ….
i would buy a honda but the interiors are dated and look cheap , a two year old honda interior looks 20 years old
please bring the cars interior into this would
the design ,materials are and look cheap
March 17th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
I had 2 very poor experiences with Mississauga Honda. Rated them 1/5, I am not sure if you can provide a lower rating than that. With my Civic when the engine check light came up, paid $500 to replace a bypass valve only to discover a week later light back on. Taking it to the dealer was recommended to replace primary oxygen sensor. Price? You guessed it $500. Ended up ordering for $60 online and replacing for $25 at a local mechanic. Why after such experience I went back to the dealer 3 years later to replace timing belt and water pump on my Odyssey I can’t say. “Bring it home to Honda, heh”. $900 timing belt and pump, $185 tensioner and what I am discovering at home getting the car from the dealer? Power sliding doors do not work (they left a disabling switch off) and the bolt on the wheel is missing. My 4-year old son noticed it the next day. It turned out the mechanic wrote it in fine print on the order, but nobody even showed it to me. They of course denied it was broken during the service. Premium price, far below average service. Replaced my Civic with Toyota Venza (will see how that goes) and doubt that will stay with Honda when looking for a replacement for the Odyssey.
March 19th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Maybe this applies to all the car dealership service: this comment I am aiming at HONDA, they rip you off with overpriced parts and labour.
I just found a site on google which could have saved me a couple hundred dollars, it’s http://www.instructables.com
Honda’s invoice was $319.15 just to fix the gas tank cable which seem to have a history of breaking after time.
I am not crazy about ‘made in china’, now I am not crazy about ‘made in japan’.
Can anyone say it’s better ‘made in canada/usa’ ??
March 26th, 2012 at 11:03 am
I am incredibly disappointed and displeased with the Service Center at the Honda dealership in Kanata. We have a 2007 Honda Civic that has only ever been serviced by Honda dealerships (to ensure our warranty is honoured). We had it in for an oil change in December, and last week the oil plug cleanly fell out on the highway. We managed to pull in to a parking lot very shortly after the engine light came on, then had it towed to Kanata Honda. Their jaws dropped when they realized the plug was completely missing but said they’d need to get it up on the lift before they could say exactly what happened. When I spoke to one of the service guys, he told us it was one of three things: the plug was over-torqued, and they’d see the threading was stripped to prove it; the plug was under-torqued, and they’d see evidence to prove that; or, the plug broke off, possibly because we drove over something, hit something, etc. He said if it was under-torqued or over-torqued, it was their fault. Fast-forward a day, and we receive a call that they’ve checked the car over, and it appears that the plug simply fell out. However, now they’re claiming it’s not their fault, that it “took too long” for the plug to fall out since the last oil change. I told them it sounded as though they were either saying we’re liars and have actually taken the car to someone else when we said we didn’t, or that it is a typical concern that an oil plug might fall out between oil changes. They would not give me a straight answer (at one point even suggesting that neighbourhood vandalism could be to blame). They told us they were paying for the servicing and our rental car because we were “loyal customers,” not because they were accepting blame for the incident. I told them we were done with their dealership from this point forward. Their complete lack of integrity has destroyed any sense of trust in them, and they can be sure I will be telling friends and family about this experience.
April 2nd, 2012 at 12:22 pm
I called my Honda dealer to see if a recall notice had or was going out on 2003 CR-V’s because of a problem with low beam headlights cutting out without notice. 544,000 of these vehicles have been recalled in the US. Our CR-V experienced the same problem. I was told that there was no recall notice on our vehicle and that and |I quote from George ext 6828 a customer relation “specialist” with Honda Canada that, “managers don’t speak with consumers”.
April 2nd, 2012 at 2:44 pm
I called my Honda dealer to see if a recall notice had or was going out on 2003 CR-V’s because of a problem with low beam headlights cutting out without notice. 544,000 of these vehicles have been recalled in the US. Our CR-V experienced the same problem. I was told that there was no recall notice on our vehicle and that and I quote a customer relation “specialist” with Honda Canada that, “managers don’t speak with consumers”.
April 24th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
I have a 2002 Accord EX, with 148,000 km on it. At 45,000KM the transmission ceased up… it was replaced under warranty. A year later, another part of the transmission failed, I had to pay for that work but after following up with Honda Canada, my dealership repaid the amount and apologized for charging me for what was covered under the power train warranty.
Years lataer, my Accord was recalled for a problem with the driver’s airbag deflater. I brought it in and that was fixed, under warranty, being part of the Safety Restraint System.
Last month, my SRS light came on and wouldn’t turn off. I tried pulling the seatbelt out all the way and letting it drop back into place; I had my (non-Honda) licensed mechanic do the diagnostics on it and he said the code was 09-03. I told him not to fix it because it appeared that Honda had a lifetime warranty on their seatbelts. Honda U.S.that is.
So, I booked an appointment with my local Honda Dealer and told them I had the SRS light problem and knew what the error code was, and I asked the service desk rep if it was covered under warranty. She said I would have to bring my car in and pay for a diagnostic test to find out what was wrong, and if it was one of the right codes, it would be covered. She wouldn’t tell me if the 09-03 was covered, insisted I had to have it diagnosed by a honda dealer. I made the appointment for 10:45 on Saturday as I work out of town and need my car during the week. I thought MAYBE a couple of hours, finally phoned them at 3 pm to ask for it back. When I went to the customer service counter, the service rep was apologetic, but apparently my car’s VIN wasn’t on the recall listing, so I would have to pay for the installation of a new seat buckle myself, over and above the diagnostic fee. The seat buckle part was $85 and she thought 1-2 HOURS of labour!!!! So 4 hours later, I was no further ahead -They diagnosed it as the 09-03 code (surprise!) and did I want them to order the buckle part? (Do I have a choice? Really, what good is a car without a functioning safety belt and airbag system? ) Has anyone had better luck getting Honda Canada to stand by their seatbelt warranty? If this was the USA, it would be covered without question. I am not impressed…. I love my Honda but this makes me rethink if my next car will be one.
May 11th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
They are all the same. I live in Montreal Canada and I bought a 2010 Honda CRV last week from Honda de Terrbonne. The sales person told me the CRV was “Honda Certified”. On my way home, on the highway I applied the brakes and massive shaking of the steering wheel and brakes. Called the Director, told him what was wrong and he said to bring it in. Next day I bring it in, says all four of the disc brakes need to be changed. Really? NOT Honda certified? So I ask to replace them with original Honda disc brakes. He tells me no problem.
Next day I send a fax to a friend of mine to check my reciept part numbers to see if they indeed put original parts. Guess what, the put cheap aftermarket. I will never ever go to that dealer or every recommend it to anyway. If you live on the island of Montreal, avoid Honda de Terrebonne!
June 6th, 2012 at 10:07 am
I have had nothing but problems since I got my car – Honda Civic 2012 about 4 months old. The blue tooth stopped working and could not connect any more so I took it in and they had to reset the computer. The next week my car would no start, there was no power to it. Called Honda assist and the sent out a toe truck and he boosted the battery and then it started, he recommend I leave it running for an hour then take it for a drive. So I let it sit for an hour and then drove it to the store and it broke down again. Called Honda assist and they can and had to take it to the dealership because it would not start again, even after he boosted it. All the lights kept saying was check your power steering and about 10 other things and the light would not go out. Took it back and they kept my car for 3 days and they ran tests and said they still cant find the problem. Picked it up on a Friday and had to take it back the following Tuesday because the blue tooth went again and then some commands in the menu disappeared and would not come back. My oil said it was at 90% and then it went back to 100% and my screen went black and there was no display at all. I have asked for them to replace my car but the Honda dealer ship does not care about any of my concerns and said to keep bringing it back in every time theirs a problem. The manager said his hands are tied they wont replace my car. How is this a reliable car if things keep breaking down?
September 19th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
I have owned Hondas since 1986. (2)86 accords,an 88 accord,
a 91 accord, 92 accord, 93 civic, 00 accord, 02 accord, 03 civic, 2012 civic. (& 83 honda goldwing which i still own). You can see that I have been a loyal honda owner and that does not include what cars my adult kids are driving. However, my 02 honda accord 4 cyl. auto. has only 130 km on it and the transmission started doing strange things. It is not shifting smoothly especially from 1st to 2nd. My wife has been the main driver. When I look on the internet, they tell me that honda has had issues with their auto. transmission especially in the years 98 to 02. Why were these not recalled? My wife’s car has had the auto. serviced every 50000 km and definitely has never been abused. Now I discover that a new transmission is 3-$4000. If this is the case, it will be the last honda that I buy. If you wish to reply to this complaint, my e-mail address is [email protected]
July 29th, 2013 at 7:41 pm
I had a problem recently with my 2007 honda Odyssey. I was driving on the highway when i started smelling something burning. I pulled off the highway and to my dismay i saw the roof brake light smoking and about to burn. It was a good thing that i had a friend with me and he broke the light and pull the wires out.
Upon examination we found that water was seeping under the light and completely rust the socket where the bulb was. It had broken off and each time i touch the brakes it causes some form of friction and caused the plastic to melt and fire to start.
I have been to the dealer but they are charging for replacing the entire unit and and telling me to call honda Canada. But from the readings it seems as if i am on my own as they do not care about the customers who make them rich.
I do not know if any one else has had this problem before but i will be calling Honda Canada to see their response on to this matter.
I expect a Honda to be built with exceptional reliabiility and safety but i guess i was wrong. This is the last Honda i will buy.
May 1st, 2014 at 6:11 am
The measure of customer service, in my opinion, is how do you react and what do you do in the time of crisis? Well folks, my brakes failed on the highway on my 2010 Honda Civic EX-L. Yes, you heard me correclty. RESULT: MASTER (BRAKE) CYLINDER FAILURE with lead to boot! My Honda that has had problems since driving out of the lot. My Honda that has ONLY been serviced at Honda dealers including its brakes. So, we are talking about life and death matters here. Now, if there had been a collision or death, we all know that Honda, the insurance company etc. would be in a messy lawsuit and this WOULD be in the media. However, because I survived AND avoided an accident (not the red light however), it has taken countless hours of my time to slighlty penetrate the concrete/bullet-proof wall that we call Honda Canada. How the heck can Honda Canada reps continue to say they are not the go-to because the dealers are independent of them? Really? HONDA stand up for your product! Stand up for SAFETY! WHAT THEN IS HEAD OFFICE OUT OF GREATER TORONTO GOOD FOR? No customer should have to spend weeks on end and hours of personal time (under duress I may add, try experiencing a full brake failure…not pleasant) to be addressed in a fair and respectful manner. CSR’s on the front lines are blowing it big time (I read other posts on here that other Honda owners have had nothing but issues with CSR’s at the go-to call centre – they are trained to say NO and wear you down). I’ve seen a lawyer as enough is enough! Loyalty to the brand means nothing (reading here from others, they experience same). I get that cars are machines and can break down, but what is it going to take for HONDA CANADA to step up to some of the serious cases, including mine, and face them rather than acting like bullies that try and break you down with building a concrete wall almost impossible to break to reach someone who will LISTEN (and may I add I am extremely good with investigations…I’m around it for a living). Lawyers and Media people. There is power in numbers and in this day with social media platforms. Be careful if you have brake issues when it doesn’t make sense that you should (i.e. you get your brakes changed in reasonable increments, regular servicing etc.) as they may blow out on you.
February 17th, 2015 at 5:59 pm
My 2011 Honda Civic has become the neighborhood joke. It is guaranteed not to start on the coldest day of the year every year since I bought it. In spite of an extended warranty this car costs me a new battery every second year at a cost to me of 91.46 before taxes and this is Honda doing me a favor by not charging the diagnostic cost of somewhere around $50. And this is because I tell them the battery is dead….no diagnostic necessary . This is caused by a HONDA dealer accessory electronic anti rust system that cost me an additional $499.00 that eats into the battery life every winter. This recommended accessory by the dealer Honda Ile Perrot has been a nightmare to the cars starting ability, an ongoing embarrassment and unacceptable inconvenience to a car I was initially proud of. In spite of being a regular to Honda service, in spite of an extended warranty, in spite of buying Honda recommended accessories I am left with the cost of a new battery every second year accept this year. The latest battery was installed Jan 27th 2014 and has failed last night 1 year one month later. My recommendation to anyone buying a new Honda is to go to exterior garages for less expensive service. Charges for every possible extra will be at your cost in spite of extended warranty. I understand dealers have to make money but I begin to see now why clients move on and never stay with a dealer. But that should be the same with service….why bother being loyal and following all the rules the game is always to rape you for the max $ possible. There is zero advantage with dealing with the dealer I noticed today on the battery Honda installed it says 6 month limited warranty. What a joke. Thanks Honda….long live battery expert. AVOID dealer rip offs…. negotiate the best deal possible when buying, avoid extended warranty and take your car elsewhere for after sales service but keep ALL the bills because one way or another you are going to court if you have a problem with your HONDA.
April 22nd, 2015 at 11:20 am
I’m another Honda owner that will never purchase another Honda product. I have owned 3 Honda motorcycles and 2 cars. My most recent purchase was a Honda NC750 motorcycle. There was a defect with the tires on these motorcycles causing them to wear out in under 3000km. So I purchased an new Honda motorcycle and had to replace the tires 2 weeks after the purchase. The bike would not be safe to ride unless I replace the tires.
This is a know issue and Honda in Europe and the US has replaced these tires on warranty but not Honda Canada. The dealer I purchased the bike from discounted a new set of tires but they mark up their parts so much it did not bring the price of the new tires down to what I could purchase them for from another supplier.
The cost to Honda to provide good service in this situation would not have been much. A couple of motorcycle tires. The tires were defective from the factory. Know and documented.
Dealing with the customer service representative at Honda Canada was a very unpleasant experience. Poor communication skills and rude. There is no opportunity to talk with a manager if the service representative you get is not an effective agent.
Honda has lost everyone in my immediate family (4 drivers) as customers. I am active in the motorcycle community and will spread the word on the forums.
Do not buy Honda. Shop around, there are better companies to deal with and competitive products.
July 16th, 2015 at 11:21 am
I own a 2012 Honda Civic and I am telling you that we have had the worst experience with this vehicle. For the past 1 1/2 years the Check Emission System light on the dash constantly comes on. I don’t think I have seen my car for the past 2 months as it has been in the dealership as they are trying to find out why this light comes on. After every tom, dick and harry has driven it, I don’t feel that it’s my car anymore. The warranty is done at the end of this month July, 2015. I am surprised that the dealership is still open and they still have the idiots in service working for them. I have contacted Honda Canada numerous times now. We have blatently told them that we don’t want this vehicle back. We can’t sell this vehicle with a light on. This is the most frustrating ever. Never again will we purchase a vehicle from this Dealership (Clarington Honda in Bowmanville).
September 25th, 2015 at 10:13 pm
I’m having major issues with my pilot 2009 .honda won’t assume responsabiility. Anyone else having issues- engine issues.
April 17th, 2016 at 10:25 pm
My alarm starting randomly going off a few months ago. After trouble-shooting over the web and trying a few YouTube fixes, I brought it to Honda to get it done right as my neighbors were not happy with me. The Victoria dealership (Campus Honda) took a look and basically did exactly what I tried from YouTube and assumed it was fixed. No luck, the darn thing was going off on the ferry the next day causing a ruckus. They only charged me a $50 or so to do this so I wasn’t too choked but very inconvenienced. I took it back and asked them to look at it again and at the least to disconnect the whole system if they couldn’t fix. They told me the hood switch (which we tried disconnecting) was faulty and needed to be replaced. The again charged me a nominal amount for my 2nd visit (@$100). As per usual though, they didn’t have the part available. I ordered one and 2 weeks later had it replaced for $250. Guess what…still not fixed!!! I called Honda at this point and talked to a nasty gal named Blanca who was super-condescending and not helpful at all. I forced her to open a claim for me as I would be following up. She told me I had to take it back (4th time) during the week so the dealership could call their Honda techs back East. So, a day off work for this now. So, another trip to Campus Honda for me but this time I had a secret weapon that was the Honda complaint department at my back. After having my vehicle for 7 hours they finally called and said they found the solution. There was a loose connection in the fuse box!?! They charged me $520 for this stating it took them 3.5 hours to diagnose this! Basically, 3.5hrs to find out it wasn’t plugged in. On the invoice though it said “if this doesn’t solve the problem, I will need to replace the fusebox”. I argued and got the bill down to $400 as I was beside myself. The service mgr was nice enough and assured me they had the problem fixed. NOPE! 2 days later the alarm was going off once again. So, I called Ms. Blanca back to which she did not return my call. I called again a few days later and caught her off-guard. She was again nasty with me, no customer service skills at all and lied about not receiving my voicemail. She basically said this was normal for them and wasn’t 1 bit sympathetic to my issue. This was probably my biggest beef that she couldn’t even recognize my frustration and apologize for all the time and money I have lost. I then forced her to escalate the issue to a supervisor and I’m waiting for a callback. So, 4 visits to Honda, $800 in repairs and 1 day off work and I’m at the exactly same spot when I started. Actually I’m not….I now have pissed off neighbors! I love my Ridgeline and have been a huge Honda advocate for years as we are a 2-Honda family. My loyalty to the brand and even my Ridgeline is being seriously tested. I am not sure if Blanca truly represents Honda’s customer service culture or is just a bad employee. Regardless, I am not happy with my Honda or my dealership.
April 28th, 2016 at 1:36 pm
This complaint is with Cobourg Honda and its General Sales Manager, Bryan McQueen, and Sales Rep Chris Gadon. As background, I have owned several Honda vehicles and have purchased four of these from Cobourg Honda, the latest one being a 2013 CR-V. Recently, I told the sales rep that I was looking to replace my 2007 Odyssey and was interested in a sedan. I was invited in to look at an 2013 Accord Touring model with 31000 kms. I took the car out for a drive and told the rep I was interested. He had my Odyssey examined for trade in value. When I examined the Accord, I saw that the two passenger side mag wheels were very scratched up. I pointed this out to the rep who then went out to look and came back and expressed surprise that this was never noticed before!! I said that I would not buy the car unless the damaged wheels were replaced. He discussed the situation with the General Sales Manager who said he would change the two damaged rims and increase my vehicles trade in value by $500. This was the best deal they could offer me. Though I had concerns about how the wheels could be so damaged but the body of the car was not, I went along with the deal and put in a down payment. I had checked other dealers in the region and pointed out that Cobourg Honda’s price was high compared to others. The rep went onto the computer to check the pricing info I gave him. He in effect didn’t believe me! Anyway, a date was set for Tuesday April 19. At 8am on that day, the rep, Chris, called me and said that he had only just got the Car Report and noted that the car had had $12,000 in damage repairs recently! He got the damage report from the repair shop and explained that the owner of the car incurred the damages driving through a highway construction section and went into the concrete walls restricting the roadway. He said that neither the Sales Manager nor he were aware of this damage before taking the car in and trying to sell it! This I did not believe, especially that the Sales Manager who did vehicle assessments for trade ins didn’t notice the danmaged wheel rims, I told the rep that his manager had hawk eyes and pointed out every scratch etc. on my Odyssey and that I couldn’t believe that he didn’t see the wheel damages on the Accord!! Preposterous. I flatly rejected the offer to purchase the Accord and was quite mad at the lies to me. I got my down payment back. An interesting point in this case was that when negotiating the trade in and price of the Accord, I was told that there was very little $$ margin on the Accord. When I came back a day later to get my down payment and registration certificate, the rep told me that the dealership owner was offering me another $2000 reduction in the Accord’s price!! This fact then confirmed that I was being taken. I stated that they had now lost me as a long standing customer and that I would never buy another car from their dealership, and that I would tell friends and acquaintances about the shoddy treatment. Now, all’s well that ends well. I went across the street to the Toyota dealer who has a very good reputation in Cobourg. They offered me an additional $500 on my trade in (I didn’t need to negotiate this) and gave me a better price on a 2014 Venza with all the trimmings than the price for the 2013 Honda Accord. Both vehicles were 6 cylinder engines. My only regret at this time is that I still need to bring my wife’s CR-V to Cobourg Honda for regular servicing; but I will certainly watch out for suspect work they claim is needed.
June 13th, 2017 at 10:45 am
SHAME ON HONDA COMPANY AND THEIR STAFF THEY HAVE FAMILY AND THEY MAKE US SUFFER WILL GET SUFFER TOO, WHICH GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
Honda company said that “:” Honda will be regarded as a company that Canadians want to exist – a company Canadians can trust”
This message is for
Dave Gardner
President and CEO
SO HE WILL BE AWARE OF WHAT HONDA DEALERS DOING WITH INNOCENT PEOPLE.
LET SEE HOW TRUE IT IS?
We get the crack in our car and coolant was leaking suddenly, we contact to Honda Canada Inc, to.Simon C. Customer Relations Specialist
advised us to contact the dealership of your choice who will perform a diagnostic and advise on the steps to be taken
We got the appointment for June 6th @ 7.30am, we went to the nearest dealership close to our home which is
Castle Honda
370 Rexdale Blvd, Etobicoke, ON, M9W 1R6.
We had the worst experience due to the impolite customer service of the agent Tony Dragone, when we showed him a print out of your e-mail. He kept arguing with us if its Gmail, It might be a American car and they can’t help us with the American car, he was very rude and disrespectful, he didn’t even bother to read the e-mail. His attitude and tone of the voice was extremely aggressive which make us upset, Then we try to tell him about the problem that car have a hole in the engine and coolant leaks, then he ask for Vin number, which is already mentioned on the email print out we gave to him but he don’t even bother to read it and understand the mail.
he asked us to leave the car for the whole day or the whole week for the check up only ( there is much difference between whole week and whole day) which sounds very unprofessional.
on the top he asked for to pay $118 for the check up, even though CAA and our personal mechanic checked the problem of the coolant already so why they check again doesn’t make any sense. (Do we lied or other mechanics lied) he sounds very disrespectful and unprofessional and then I went to the receptionist who was busy having her breakfast on the main entrance reception guest service desk and her mouth was full of food can’t even communicate, I requested her is there Manager around, she get the Honda visiting card and wrote edwin service manager and then I left.
The whole world knows that Honda civic cars have problem with engine, there is plenty of complainants and reviews on websites regarding this issue as well as Airbag Inflator, Honda company change the Inflator but didn’t take action against the poor quality engines which is unreliable.
If we were aware of the Honda company engine quality we never ever purchased the Honda civic which is unreliable company and on the top Honda company show us ridiculous attitude, instead of solving and understanding the problem only thing Honda company want is MONEY NOT THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
UNFORTUNATELY, we bought this car in 2013, 9th. May – 2013, ( Mileage was 125,9000) which is approximately four years, from Midtown Honda near yorkdale. Please for your information, the Honda dealer didn’t give any information about this ongoing problem of Coolant leaking and defective engine with all Honda 2006 model cars from past years, As we searched and investigated this problem with Honda cars we found out this is ongoing issue and we are not the only victim.
Previous Mileage when we bought the car was 125,9000
Currently Mileage is only 164,160 ( within four years)
Now you can calculate how much we drove this car.
and no one mention there its American / Canadian, I never that Honda discriminates as well.
Now what you will suggest after all this unfair treatment or what did you do if you are in my shoes? .
HONDA IS NOT AN TRUSTWORTHY, RELIABLE COMPANY ALL 2006 HONDA CIVIC CARS ARE DEFECTED AND THEY ARE STILL SELLING THOSE CARS AND DECEIVING INNOCENT CUSTOMERS AND LIED TO THEM, PLEASE DON’T GET ANY BUSINESS FROM THEM AND TAKE ACTION AGAINST IT TO STOP RIPPING OFF PEOPLE AND BE HONEST WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS.
Now we are in a very complicated situation, I have family and kids and we trust Honda and bought this car and after only 4 years and not even driven to far away areas We are unable to drive this car because it is hazardous and the engine gets warm so fast, its risky to drive, so we are totally stuck.
July 27th, 2017 at 9:43 pm
Brand New Acura ILX 2017
All owners, please check your car’s headlights for cracks. I wish I could load some pictures. After two months I am told the car is safe to drive.If you own this model, check your headlights. Both sides of the lower corner 3 inches from the edge. Check in sunny day.
February 13th, 2018 at 12:38 pm
Before I go crazy and go on social media,,here is a problem,,my last car was an Acura,great service, washed the car after wards, and knew my name,,I bought a Honda CRV in 2016,,new,,front heated windshield didn’t work, drives side air bag pillar was rattling,,beside the buttons that I can hardly see,,I brought my car in for an oil change,,told them the remote car stared they installed does not work all the time,,also the car has died 4 times in cold weather,I phone roadside assistance ,ping, they are there in 3 to 4 hours,,I told Honda that during the oil change ,and on January the 9th ,they ordered the smart box,,last week ON February the 3th,after getting another Boost from Roadside assistance,I phoned the Salesman and Manager and left a massage to phone me back,,after waiting 5 hours and not getting a call,I drove to Honda and talked to the Manager about getting a working vehicle to use,as my CRV is in front of the Show Room,unable to start again,, he obliged me with a Honda Fit to use,,,,That means I have been waiting 36 days for that part,,and am still driving around with that car they gave me,,Service after sales,,you tell me