TMREED

Read if you have the time.I have a 2003 Honda Accord EX V6 automatic. I explained to corporate Honda the problems that I’ve had with this car. Below is the history of the problems that I’ve had with this car.
First, I explained to her the problem that I had with the bulb that went out for the power sunroof button and that the black weather molding that goes on the roof, down to the front windshield was peeling off the roof.

I had to come back to have the bulb for the power sunroof button replaced. The dealer had fixed the bulb that went out for the power sunroof button under warrantee but the service department person did not find anything wrong with the black weather molding.

I told the service department person from the dealer that the bulb/indicator for the heated seat switch on the driver side went out. For the second time, I also reported that the black weather molding that goes on the roof, down to the front windshield was peeling off the roof even further. To show that I was not imagining this, I had the service department person following me out to my car and I visually showed him what it looked like and how far the damage was. He then said that the part, along with the drip molding clips and the heated seat switch for the driver’s side had to be ordered. When I picked up the car, the oil change was the ONLY thing done.

I brought my car back to have a new heated seat switch for the driver’s side installed as well as the black weather roof molding done. They replaced the heated seat switch, but not the black weather roof molding because this dealer ordered the wrong part! So my car had to stay there for another 2 days! I then had to get a loaner car, which my dealer was out of.

When the right black weather roof molding and clips came it, the technician had broken my front windshield when trying to install the roof molding! Now I had to wait another week for a new windshield to come in. I asked the service department person if a rush delivery could be done to have the windshield in sooner and he said that he would try his best. However, it took a week for it to come it because he said that it was a delicate item and cannot be damaged in the delivery.

Well, at the end of 7 days, I get a voice message from the service department informs me that the new front windshield came in delivered as damaged! It had a crack in the windshield. So now I had to wait another week for them to order another brand new windshield. Now it’s taking longer than I had ever anticipated.

After installing this windshield, I was notified of the job being completed. I finally was able to pickup my car just over 2 weeks later. But before I picked up my car, I complained to them that I want to be compensated for this. I spoke to main service rep. and I said that for this inconvenience and all these mistakes; I should have some form of reimbursement. I told him that when I brought my car in clean, I picked it up very dirty!!! The service department forgot to wash my dirty car. I was told that washing the car has to be requested, which I did. But they said they were busy. So I had to pull off from the dealer
in my dirty car.

The next day I called to speak to the head/lead manager of the service department. I requested that I have some form of reimbursement, such as a couple of free oil changes with tire rotations included and for my car to be washed each time. He said that they “do not compensate Honda customers like that. I know you have a problem with your car and that my technician made an error and broke your windshield. But no one is perfect and I’m sorry that this happened to you. But I cannot give you that. We do not negotiate like that. I can only give you one free oil change and tire rotation. As for your car being washed, you have to request that each time you come here.” I told him that’s not good enough. Not having my car for over 2 weeks was very much inconvenienced.

He said, “The best I can do is give you one free oil change and tire rotation.” I had no choice. So I then had him document this in their computer that on my next scheduled visit to have free oil change, tire rotation and car wash.

Moving forward, about a week later, I had a new problem arise. The entire console for the radio, climate controls and the display for the odometer, tachometer and other indicators were not lit up. I could not tell what radio station I was playing nor what temperate the settings were for the climate control. The buttons for all of these functions were not illuminated!

Therefore, I had to make a fifth trip to this Honda dealer and have a scheduled appointment to have the bulbs replaced for all of these functions.

I will now explain my most recent problems that have happened, starting on Sunday, October 23, 2005. I was about 5 minutes from arriving at home when my car jolted from 3rd gear to 2nd gear when I was approaching a stop sign. One mile later, it happened again. The next day, October 24, 2005, my wife was driving the car with our baby and on her way to work, the automatic transmission got worse. It jolted every gear from 1st to 4th and also in those gears when coming to a stop. The transmission was so bad that when trying to get to highway speed, it was not able to get to fifth gear at all!

My wife barely limped to work with this car, as she had to stay in the right lane the whole time she was on the highway. She called me told me that she was so scared that she’s not going to drive this car at all and that it is going to have to get towed by AAA to this dealer in Freehold, NJ.

This, she did have done 2 hours later that morning. The man from the tow truck said that when he tried to put the car on the lift, he was not able to put it in reverse and said “the transmission is shot!” When he lowered my car at the dealer, he had to put it in a spot where the technician from the dealer. Now according to my dealer, my car had to have a new automatic transmission.

In addition, while my car was there during this time, I also had my wife explain to the service department there that the driver’s side door handle on the inside of the car had the silver coating started to have the ripple and wear take place. This was a problem because it was very possible for one to get a cut from it when trying to open the car door.

Well, the next day I drove my car, I noticed that this dealer still did not fix it. My wife called the service department and spoke to the service rep. that was handling our repairs and I told him that it still was not fixed.
“they were not told about it.” My wife said that on the invoice it was mentioned and that they forgot to do it.
Also, my car was not washed again, from which there was more dirt on it than when I dropped it off. The service department told me “they only wash the customer’s car when the person requests it.”

My car performed well after I picked it up from the dealer saw that they drove my car and test-drove it. However, another problem arose. The next day, November 2, 2005, my wife noticed that next to the tachometer, the green and red lights or bulbs are out for when the driver selects the gear to put the car in. So my wife and I were not able to tell if the car was in N, D, D3 and the rest of the gears except when it is in Park. Of course we were able to tell the difference between being in Park or Reverse. But on the dashboard, the indicators for these gears were completely out.

Now my wife had to make an appointment to have this repaired since the service department failed to check everything that has to do with the transmission. This is also another of many inconveniences that will require taking a 40 minute ride to get this worked on by my dealer. This has been troublesome because having to bring this car back to this dealer for all these problems has taken away a great amount of time from being with my family! This is over 20 hours worth that has been taken up from dropping the car off, waiting to be help and then picking it up.

When I called here at Corporate Honda and spoke to a person named Cristina, I told her that my transmission completely went on me. I described to her that it started suddenly, from slipping in one gear to all the gears when increasing speed to braking. She then asked for my VIN #, which I gave to her.

I told her that this has been a complete inconvenience and a pain. I said, “If this happened to you, what would you do?” How can you be faithful to a manufacturer when you don’t know if your new car is going to continue to work?” Cristina said that she understands my problem and Honda is working on this issue. But owning this car has not been a Honda, “The power of dreams.” It has been a nightmare!




With this in mind, my Accord was at this dealer more times this year than my 1990 Honda Accord of 221,000 miles and 1997 Honda Civic of 111,000 were at the repair shop for maintenance combined and repairs combined. This is very frustrating! My 2003 Honda Accord is not even 3 years old yet and I’m having all of these problems!

A week goes by and the regional rep. that is handling my case has not called me back. I was calling Corporate Honda every other day.


Finally, she calls me back at work, well after the time I stated in the previous voice messages to reach me at work, which she ends up leaving her own voice message. She stated that “we have been missing each other’s phone calls.” But this was the first time she had got back to me!

Another week goes by, which I kept calling back and she finally calls me today. She offers me a free 45,000 mile service. I told her that my dealer already offered that to me, which includes a free oil & filter change along with a tire rotation. She then tells me that she’ll offer me a 60,000 mile service for free. I asked her what that includes. She said that it includes a free oil & filter change, tire rotation, the replacing of the duct/pollen Hepa filter for the cabin. I asked her “what is the value for that?” She said between $300 to $400 that also includes inspecting the brake system, exhaust system, and the suspension. I said I had these things checked and the brakes were just done 5,000 miles ago.

I told her the bottom line is that this offer is at least a year and a half away to be compensated for and that we will see what happens first when I get this free service done for the 45,000 service. So I believe that this is the best Honda corporate can do. Disappointing!!!