Service Problem ay My Honda Dealer
 

Background: I have bought a about six (used) cars from the local dealer, either directly or for family members. I give them new car business, but once the warranty is over I have never used their service department. I generally buy my parts from them, pads, rotors, calipers, etc, but not always.

This is a big dealer, beside where I work, very convenient for me. They have lots of sales people, a huge service depart, multiple service advisors, a fancy showroom, full of employees all day long. It's a money making machine I'm sure.

Last week my daughter's AC quit on her HRV, three months out of warranty. I dropped the car off and asked for the AC to be assessed, let me know the repair cost. Nothing else.

They quoted me $160 for the assessment, partially refundable if I did the repair.

Two days later I get a price for rear brakes, brake fluid flush, new serpentine belt, and the AC repair.

I went in person, asked for the price of just the AC fix (new O-rings, a replacement hose/tube, and recharge). She said $900 plus tax. When I asked about the assessment credit, she reduced the price to $825 plus tax. Still too high, but it's hot out, I'm busy, and it's not R134. I said go ahead.

Two days later it's done and the bill is now $200 higher: $100 for the oil change they claim they did, but the old service sticker is still on the windshield. The service manager told me I must have asked for an oil change, they never do oil changes without the customer asking for it. That's laughable, I'm way too cheap to pay Honda $100 for an oil change, and the car was 2,000 miles from the next change. I never once mentioned an oil change.

They said the AC was $100 extra because it 'took longer than expected'.

What's a fair resolution? The dealer has offered me a free oil change. :rolleyes:

The bill was paid in full because we needed the car on the weekend. I'm not their best customer, but I'm not someone that never buys cars from them either. I'm torn between escalating to corporate, and just walking away (with my free oil change) and finding a new dealer.

I think they owe me $200, which I will take as credit for the serpentine belt, and rear pads/rotors that the car does need, and I will install them myself.

I hate dealers. I was in the flooring business and I never asked for more money then my original estimate even if I had to do more work.

Me too, in fact I refused to go to a dealer when I was looking for used CR-V. I only went out of desperation when the private market had nothing but crap. When I did go in I found a decent sales guy, no BS, tell me what you want, I will call you when i have a trade in. He even found me a ca for sale privately once when the trade-in market was weak.

But the service side, all the people getting 'free' coffee from the fancy machines, watching TV with their credit cards at the ready. Makes me sick...

Is this HR-V 3 months beyond the original factory warranty expiration? Since they didn't change the service reminder sticker, are you sure they actually changed the oil?

How these people stay in business is beyond me.
The following is NOT meant to be misogynistic, only realistic - but imagine if you're a woman who knows nothing about cars going into a place like that. I hope there's a special circle in hell just for the people who think that this is an acceptable business model.

In CA, it's illegal to charge more than the estimate or do unauthorized work. I'm thinking if the oil change was done 2,000 miles ago, then you were most of the way to needing one, anyway. Some things are not worth making a big stink over. If he gets another oil change for free, that's something. The cost overrun on the AC sounds fishy. If the car was three months outside the factory warranty, goodwill should have been requested and granted.

Don’t underestimate the amount of guys that have no clue either. Probably more and more men that don’t have a basic understanding of mechanical stuff these days too.

...and yes, people who take advantage of people just because they can get away with it are awful.

I’d be pulling the dipstick to see what color that oil is.

The car is not here, but I'm going to crawl under and make sure it has a Honda filter on it...

Three months ago the repair would have been on Honda's dime. Kind of crappy that a hose fails.

I am going to try to confirm the oil change.

How many times have people heard, "That took less time than we thought so, we reduced your bill by $XXX.xx"?

I would go back and request the $200, then find a proper shop. I really avoid dealerships for any service after warranty is up, and have had a couple problems with work while under warranty, that was a large BMW dealer totally useless.

The service area is full of people that couldn't tell a spark plug from a muffler...sheep doing whatever the service rep tells them to do.

She told me 'If your serpentine belt were to break you couldn't steer the car and you might crash'. :rolleyes: I might, or I might just drive to my shop and replace, which is what I did last time that happened. And my shop was 200 miles away at the time.

That line probably works on 90% of their clientele.

That actually happened to my dad with a painter. The guy said just that and laid a bill on the table for less. I think my dad got him 5 new jobs.

I know a roofer like that, he is more busy than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.

All you need to know.

They claim they did the work, no authorization to do the work, no sticker on the windshield and they charged you, that is a problem.

I would tell them they can knock $200 off the bill or get a chance to talk to some Bureau of Automotive Repairs guys, and read the yelp reviews about them acting sketchy

https://www.bar.ca.gov/

"Took longer than expected" FFS

Are you in CA, 1990C4S?

No, not even in USA.

The dealer did change the oil, it has clean oil and an OEM filter.

I suppose if you were in Russia, you were probably treated well.

In VA you have to sign the estimate either in person or electronically or the 'contract' is not valid. Specifically when they present the estimate you are required to sign before they can proceed with the repairs listed. No sign, no obligation to pay even if they performed thousands in repairs. Same goes for any additional labor or parts not listed.

Last time I checked, all tech labor is flat rate, so irregardless of how much time it actually was whether more or less the labor price is what's listed in the estimate. Now if they called you in the process, discussed it and you approved the additional amount, nothing shady at least within the context of that agreement.

They have a system problem then, among other things.