Be Persistant! Please Read
Here's the story.
I purchased my Pilot 1 week after they came out at MSRP + add-ons at NORM REEVES HONDA. I got a Red EX-L with sidesteps, crossbars, mudguards, and cargo cover.
(The dealer is 25 miles away)
I had to bring the car back 2 days later to have all the options installed have a scratch removed and have it detailed because they couldn't detail it at the time of purchase. I called the dealer later that afternoon and was told the car was finished, scratch was buffed out, everything installed and it was detailed.
When I got there, they installed the CARGO TRAY instead of the cargo cover, the scratch was NOT removed, when they attached the crossbars, the passenger roof rack cover was not reinstalled correctly (looked as if it were about to fall off) and the car was NEVER detailed.
At this point I blew up, demanded to speak with the service manager and the service rep that helped me and told me that everything was completed. Yeah right! Both gone for the day. I finally got a hold of a salesman that gave me a voucher for a rental car and asked me to bring the car back at my convenience to have everything corrected. He told me that the car would need to go to a body shop to have the scratch fixed. Apparently they knew that some of their cars were scratched during shipping, mine being one of them. And you sell them in that condition??? He couldn’t give me an answer. ARGH!!!!!
Fine, what else could I do.
The following Monday I brought the car back. They installed all the correct parts then had the car sent out to the body shop. I was picked up by the rental shop and issued a car. (A GEO METRO) about the size of a YUGO. NO WAY!!! The service guy at Honda saw that I had my 7-month pregnant wife with me and no way we will fit in that. I immediately called them back and after fuming with the service dept I got them to give me a bigger car.
3 hours later I get a call that my car is finished??? Huh??? What about drying time??? I was told the scratch was color sanded. OK, so I think to myself, sand through the clear coat to the paint and then polish. I confirm this with the SERVICE MANAGER and he says he THINKS its something like that. So I say. WHAT ABOUT THE CLEAR COAT?????? He couldn't give me an answer. Just said that it looked good. WHAT???
I ended up doing research on color sanding and was satisfied with the process. It’s glazed with clear coat after polishing. I get there to pick up the car and the roof rack is still not fixed. I’m told I have to wait until Honda makes that part available. I’m told the car is so new that the part is not available and they were not sure as to when it would be available if at all!!!! BULL****. $37,000.00 and they couldn’t even fix a get a $2.00 piece of plastic. Left fuming again.
To top it off, as I’m driving home the RATTLING starts. ARGH!!!!
Guess who calls me that night, the survey department for Corporate Honda. You know that they scored very low in my survey, now maybe something will get done. I also called Honda America and filed a complaint with them and told them that I would like to have someone higher up give me a call immediately. They said 3-5 days.
The next day I get a call from customer service from Norm Reeves to see how I liked their service. YEAH RIGHT. I gave him an ear full of complaints about how service manager was incompetent for not knowing process that he may have to answer to and all the problems that I had. He apologized for the problems and said he would get things on his end straightened out and that I would be taken care of when I returned the third time. So I asked about a rental car and he wasn’t sure if he could get me one. I told them that they had better get me one and it better be big. He says that’s up to their service manager.
HUH???
Before I return the car, I got a hold of the case manager at Honda America that was assigned to my case. I explained all the problems and what I expected them to do about. I also told them that if the problems are still there after my next visit that I would be in touch with a lemon law lawyer to attempt to get a new car and compensation for time off work. He assured me that I wouldn’t have to do that.
The following Tuesday I took the car back to Honda and explained the problems. They took the car and when I asked for a rental the said NO!! I was floored. I got on the cell phone and immediately called Honda America and gave the case number to the person that answered the phone. He read what was documented and asked me to let him talk to the service manager. Guess they got chewed out because I was given a decent size car and all the problems were fixed that day.
Now I’m happy with my Pilot!!
Although when the case manager calls me back to confirm that all is good I’m going to see if he can do something to compensate for the time lost. Maybe some free service or something.
Robinson
Redrock EX-L
