another stealership story

[nytennisaddict]

last week came back from my stealership to get an inspection (mistake!). going in I knew I needed brakes (but were not making any noise). later that day I get a call saying that I they can't do inspection because I needed brakes. I asked how they determined that, and the service mgr said they "measured it to be 2mm" left. asked what the minimum is, he stated 2.5mm??!!! (and they wanted $1G+ for brakes and rotors)... needless to say I picked up my pilot and promptly got it inspected at a non Honda garage.

afterward when changing my brakes and rotors I noticed I definitely had some pad left before hitting the squeal tabs on all 4 corners.

just pisses me off that they waste my time goin over there and (IMO) he was using scare tactics to generate business... even mentioned "that he might have to remove my current sticker" (it was 2 days til it expired)...

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[2010exl]

If it was a legitimate failure, they should have entered it into the computer, gave you a paper receipt stating the reason for failure, and charged you $37 for the inspection.

$37 is the downstate safety and emissions inspection, I believe its the same upstate.

They absolutely cannot remove the sticker if it has not expired.

[Arizonaadam]

Sounds like crap to me. Call Am honda.

[mmm666]

yeap. Thats why I don't want to visit to the dealer for any services..

I read online about how to change vtm, atf fluid... so I can do it myself. .

oil change/oil filter/rotate tires cost $69. If I do it myself, it only cost $21.

[krazykarguy]

$1000 for brakes? Are they kidding?!?

I can go to AutoZone (best parts prices, IMHO) and get new pads/rotors all the way around the car for $194 + tax. Maybe 3 hours of labor.

$1000 is not in the same solar system as I am...

[TomStromie]

It's not just Honda dealers. I took my Jeep Liberty in for a transmission issue and they wanted about $1,200 to change the brake pads and rotors installed, plus another $30 for cleaning off the battery terminals.

They just changed the transmission control module, but not before adding in $18.88 for miscellaneous shop and recycling fees (otherwise known as screw the car owner fee). They probably also wonder why business is down for them.

[osudelt69]

uhh it never ends! Our Pilot is at the stealership, they accidently replaced the motor mounts!!!! UMM HELLO we didn't ask for that and we did that last year!

Needs rear brakes, front struts, alignment, oil change. I am cringing what the bill will be! After this I don't know if the wife is going to be allowed to make service appointments anymore lol

[nytennisaddict]

funny update.. Honda (or some 3rd party rating company) called to ask how my last visit went (ie. the visit described here).

I went off on them about how terrible the experience I had was. They promptly said, "we'll get a manager to get back to you".

The service mgr that i spoke with had the cojones to deny parts of my experience (ie. "I never said the brake pad min is 2.5mm... I was just conveying what the service technician said..."). Nice, so first you lie, then you throw your tech under the bus.

I've come to the conclusion that the techs are really the knowledgeable folks (generally, when I've had the opp, techs typically just like talking about cars). It's the service mgrs, the folks writing up your bill, who are under pressure to drive revenues... and can resort to very shady tactics to do so. Many times they are "good" at talking to folks that have no idea what it takes to fix an issue... but when they come against someone that does know, they really don't know how to respond (ie. good service mgrs will have wrenching experience... but most I've encountered, have none)...because all their BS'ing, and obfuscating tactics (sales tactics) are no longer effective.

One habit I now do, is to ask the svc mgr to explain in layman's term's what the issue is (even if I know exactly what it is)... a technical person will be able to do that easily, a non tech will squirm, and either lie, or call a tech.

[ant-ny]

this is why i get sick every time i have to take a car in for anything. i know less than d!ck about cars or how to fix anything associated with them (except a basic oil change). it is very difficult to find a service shop that you can trust when you know nothing. one would expect the dealership to be honest, but sadly, that is not always the case. i usually end up asking friends or family who do have some type of knowledge of repair work where they take their cars, and hope for the best. but i am sure i have been ripped off a number of times without knowing any better.

[94eg!]

Originally Posted by ant-ny

this is why i get sick every time i have to take a car in for anything. i know less than d!ck about cars or how to fix anything associated with them (except a basic oil change). it is very difficult to find a service shop that you can trust when you know nothing. one would expect the dealership to be honest, but sadly, that is not always the case. i usually end up asking friends or family who do have some type of knowledge of repair work where they take their cars, and hope for the best. but i am sure i have been ripped off a number of times without knowing any better.

^This is what forums like this are for. If something seems off to you, just decline the service and come post on this forum. There are lots of knowledgeable people on here that may know more than your friends or family. In this industry there are a lot of myths and old wives tails that used to generate revenue. The problem is those tales tend to filter down to become law with friends & family. I try my best to help dispel some of the ones I know of.

BTW: Here is a nice rule of thumb for ya. If you aren't getting vibration during braking, don't replace your rotors. In most cases, rotors don't even need to be machined before switching pads. Especially if you use the same pads as before. The installer should just do what's called a "hard break-in" and you will be good to go.

Acura even released a service bulletin stating that dealers need to cut WAY down on unnecessary rotor cutting. It only serves to shorten the useful life of the rotor.

[ant-ny]

thanks. i have never been a "blogger", but when I first bought the Pilot, I found this site. Now that I have a different vehicle, I found a site for that too. You are correct. There is a wealth of information on these forums and I now visit them daily. A lot of good people on these sites. Wish I had found them sooner, could have saved me some headaches!

[94eg!]

It will save/cause you future headaches too.

[nytennisaddict]

Originally Posted by 94eg!

It will save/cause you future headaches too.

Hehe, yeah, I have date with frozen nuts this weekend... (sway links!)


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[noront]

I have to give my local Acura dealer credit - my 03 Pilot recently sprung a fuel leak just in front of the tank. The dealer quickly took a look and said that two lines needed replacement but the problem is that the subframe needs to be dropped to do this The advisor then told me that while they weren't equipped to repair the lines, there are several indy garages that could do the work. So instead of $1400 for two new lines, I spent $250 to have two sections replaced, thanks to the advice from the dealer Apparently, this is a fairly uncommon problem - I couldn't find a reference to it here or anywhere else on the net. I drive in the land of salt and snow.