[kaptag]

On 07/30/15 my left rear started squealing on the way home from work. I performed a visual inspection on my 2014 Honda Ridgeline Sport. It was easy to see the rotor, caliper and pad through the wheel. Rotor is already tore up from the drive home and needs turning or replacement, brake pad is completely gone (metal on metal).
My wife took it into the dealer on Friday morning 07/31/15. The dealer wanted to charge my wife $30 for a brake inspection. Smart wife, she called me and I spoke with the service advisor (dirty word for undercover salesman) and advised him why a visual inspection is sufficient. He advised me they would waive the inspection fee. This is not going well.
Received a call from the Service Rep and Service Mgr. telling me all the reasons why this is NOT covered under my 3 year 36000 mile warranty. I'm not an idiot, in my previous life I was a mechanic for several years and there is clearly something wrong. ie. sticking caliper, Emer. brake sticking, VSA Controls not working or possibly anti-lock brake system not functioning properly.
I called Honda Warranty and they also made a similar claim (after they put me hold and obviously called the dealer) stating it's not covered under warranty but they may do a "friendly service" after seeing I've purchased more than 5 Honda's from this dealer (the last 4 all brand new).
It's now Tuesday evening 08/04/15. I've gotten in an argument with the dealer, called Honda Warranty, have a CM assigned (Crystal) and my case was supposed to be urgent and I was supposed to be contacted by her NLT yesterday. Have not received a call yet and the dealer still has my car.
I've called Honda Warranty every night and I'm told "they'll send her (CM) a message". Whose going to pay for my rental and where do I go from here? Should I be calling my lawyer next? Any advice is appreciated. Obviously, this is not about the money, it's about a manufacturer standing behind their product. I bought a new car so I wouldn't have to work on it and it seems like every time I go to the dealer they claim whatever the problem is, it's not covered under the warranty. Advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[OhSix]

On 07/30/15 my left rear started squealing on the way home from work. I performed a visual inspection on my 2014 Honda Ridgeline Sport. It was easy to see the rotor, caliper and pad through the wheel. Rotor is already tore up from the drive home and needs turning or replacement, brake pad is completely gone (metal on metal).
My wife took it into the dealer on Friday morning 07/31/15. The dealer wanted to charge my wife $30 for a brake inspection. Smart wife, she called me and I spoke with the service advisor (dirty word for undercover salesman) and advised him why a visual inspection is sufficient. He advised me they would waive the inspection fee. This is not going well.
Received a call from the Service Rep and Service Mgr. telling me all the reasons why this is NOT covered under my 3 year 36000 mile warranty. I'm not an idiot, in my previous life I was a mechanic for several years and there is clearly something wrong. ie. sticking caliper, Emer. brake sticking, VSA Controls not working or possibly anti-lock brake system not functioning properly.
I called Honda Warranty and they also made a similar claim (after they put me hold and obviously called the dealer) stating it's not covered under warranty but they may do a "friendly service" after seeing I've purchased more than 5 Honda's from this dealer (the last 4 all brand new).
It's now Tuesday evening 08/04/15. I've gotten in an argument with the dealer, called Honda Warranty, have a CM assigned (Crystal) and my case was supposed to be urgent and I was supposed to be contacted by her NLT yesterday. Have not received a call yet and the dealer still has my car.
I've called Honda Warranty every night and I'm told "they'll send her (CM) a message". Whose going to pay for my rental and where do I go from here? Should I be calling my lawyer next? Any advice is appreciated. Obviously, this is not about the money, it's about a manufacturer standing behind their product. I bought a new car so I wouldn't have to work on it and it seems like every time I go to the dealer they claim whatever the problem is, it's not covered under the warranty. Advice is greatly appreciated.

There is normally an area administrator tasked with mediating warranty claims. Don't know if that's the person/people you've been talking to, but... unless the T&C's of warranty specifically exclude brake components, which they do not, Honda - and especially the dealer who needs your future business - must provide a reasonable explanation why they won't cover this manufacturing defect. Its really this simple: there is no "wrong way" to step on the brakes. Any component failure stemming from this defect is not the fault of the owner, in fact, short of demonstrable user abuse, no failure of covered components is exempt from a warranty claim. Depending on who you are dealing with, I predict they'll move off TDC when they are made aware of they're ever increasing cost exposure as your rental car expense adds up - due to their delays.

 

[Slider]

Replaced mine at 38k. Just replaced the Thermo Quiets I put on at 38k at 135k because of a sticking caliper. Replaced the wifes rear brakes on her Accord at 20k. I think it's a Honda thing.

 

[rollinhonda]

"Better Call Saul".... seriously, that sucks big time. It is obviously a factory defect causing the damage. Normal use & wear can not explain it.

 

[Carsmak]

Replaced my rear pads at about 62k, just did the fronts at 76k, pads only. There is no reasonable or acceptable reason they should be replaced at 25k

 

[cccbock]

This is aggravating as hell. I suppose they are trying to get away with this on the assumption that brake pads are wear items and not covered. That might actually work with the soccer mom crowd, not a former mechanic. I suppose it is possible that there was a defective brake pad on that wheel.

I agree with others. There is no believable explanation for this unless the truck has been abused. Something is wrong and it should be covered. They could have put a new brake line and caliper on and sent you on your way. I suspect they are denying the claim because they have had some similar ones and Honda refused to reimburse them.

 

[xrdad]

Sounds like typical dealer bs to me.

Yes, you should have your pads/calipers serviced regularly.. this style of brakes needs periodic service (here in salt country, every 16000 KM)!

Your post isn't clear if the pad material came of the metal backing plate, or if the pad was seizing in the bracket and just wore out?

If in 25000 miles, you hadn't serviced the rear brakes, I can understand that this could happen. But as a repeat customer, if I were a dealer, I would have good willed that job and reminded you to have the brakes serviced as per the maintenance schedule (and possibly sooner depending on where/how you drive).

Hopefully, the servicing dealer is 'servicing' the brakes correctly! As a mechanic, I'm sure you know the issues with these brackets. You MUST remove the SS clips, file away any corrosion in the bracket and lubricate with a quality brake lube. The clips will be fine and just a quick wipe will do. Service both the front and rear brackets this way, at least once a year and brakes on this truck should last a long long time. I service mine 2x a year - when the snow tires go on, and when they come off. I also give the calipers and misc parts a quick scrub with a wire brush and get some black brake paint on there (and the rotor hubs). Makes it much nicer to look at.

Sorry to hear that another dealer is missing an opportunity to satisfy a customer with a relatively inexpensive repair (for them). As soon as they quoted for an 'inspection', I knew this would go bad.

Why would you charge someone for a potential gravy job!!!???

On another note... is it mandatory that dealers have no idea how to build long lasting customer relationships? Do you have to make $1 on EVERY job? Don't they understand that you spend some money to make more!?
Rant over...
:act060:

 

[AG87BlkLX]

Totally sucks a pad would wear down in 25K miles & the dealer is claiming wear item.

I'd propose this question to them. If this is normal wear then why are the other 3 pads in good condition?

 

[ravill]

.... There is no believable explanation for this unless the truck has been abused......

Totally sucks a pad would wear down in 25K miles & the dealer is claiming wear item.

I'd propose this question to them. If this is normal wear then why are the other 3 pads in good condition?

I want to know how a dealer can claim that you can abuse just ONE rear brake pad??!

I couldn't do that if I tried!

 

[Jack]

Same issue happend to me 3 days after buying my Ridge new in 08. Said it was a wear item and was not covered. Three days!

Stuck calipers on all 4 wheels caused the disks to heat up and glaze the OEM pads. Damn thing wouldn't stop unless you threw out an anchor!

Tried to charge me $300+ for break work, less than 300 miles!

Not a pretty scene at the dealership!

 

[Dnick]

Escalate........

 

[kaptag]

On 07/30/15 my left rear started squealing on the way home from work. I performed a visual inspection on my 2014 Honda Ridgeline Sport. It was easy to see the rotor, caliper and pad through the wheel. Rotor is already tore up from the drive home and needs turning or replacement, brake pad is completely gone (metal on metal).
My wife took it into the dealer on Friday morning 07/31/15. The dealer wanted to charge my wife $30 for a brake inspection. Smart wife, she called me and I spoke with the service advisor (dirty word for undercover salesman) and advised him why a visual inspection is sufficient. He advised me they would waive the inspection fee. This is not going well.
Received a call from the Service Rep and Service Mgr. telling me all the reasons why this is NOT covered under my 3 year 36000 mile warranty. I'm not an idiot, in my previous life I was a mechanic for several years and there is clearly something wrong. ie. sticking caliper, Emer. brake sticking, VSA Controls not working or possibly anti-lock brake system not functioning properly.
I called Honda Warranty and they also made a similar claim (after they put me hold and obviously called the dealer) stating it's not covered under warranty but they may do a "friendly service" after seeing I've purchased more than 5 Honda's from this dealer (the last 4 all brand new).
It's now Tuesday evening 08/04/15. I've gotten in an argument with the dealer, called Honda Warranty, have a CM assigned (Crystal) and my case was supposed to be urgent and I was supposed to be contacted by her NLT yesterday. Have not received a call yet and the dealer still has my car.
I've called Honda Warranty every night and I'm told "they'll send her (CM) a message". Whose going to pay for my rental and where do I go from here? Should I be calling my lawyer next? Any advice is appreciated. Obviously, this is not about the money, it's about a manufacturer standing behind their product. I bought a new car so I wouldn't have to work on it and it seems like every time I go to the dealer they claim whatever the problem is, it's not covered under the warranty. Advice is greatly appreciated.

UPDATE: After calling Honda Warranty and leaving my work ph# for Crystal, my son calls me from home and states she just called. The short end of it is she is less than friendly and proceeds to quote bible, chapter and verse from p. 9 (if I remember correctly) of the warranty. She then states they will not cover it under warranty but she will talk to the dealer about a "good will" repair. Crystal promises to call me back by COB. I don't hear from her again. I'm tired of dealing with this situation and go to Honda City, Liverpool, NY where my truck has been for 6 days. I pick up my car, stop at the parts store on the way home, spend less than $100 bucks on new pads and a rotor. Returned home and did the brake job, in my driveway myself. As a final note, the lug nuts on my left rear tire had never been removed and the the bolts on the caliper had not seen a socket or wrench until I put mine to it.

I did go in and speak with the salesman and GM concerning my problems with their service department. Apparently the two departments never talk to each other. To his benefit the GM Salesman both "listened". They apologized for situation and asked what he could do. By this time I've had enough and thank him for listening but take my car home to do the job myself.

I would like to congratulate the Service Team at Honda City, Liverpool for costing the dealership my business. My last 6 cars . . . Element, 06 Ridgeline, 12 Accord, 13 Civic, 14 CRV, and my 14 Ridgeline were all purchased there because I liked my car buying experience there. With the exception of the Element and 06 Ridgeline - All these cars were brand new. They lost my business of close to $150,000 in car purchases over less than $100 in parts. Talk about stepping over a $100 to pick up a penny (stupid). And that is my 2 cents. Lesson learned, buy a new Honda, don't plan on them backing their product.

I called Honda Warranty Wednesday night and requested Crystal's boss call me as I'm done dealing with her incompetence. The CS rep, Leonard tells me Brian will call me before COB tomorrow. Crystal calls me the following morning (Thursday) and proceeds to tell me that we played phone tag several times yesterday and she is now calling me back. I call her a liar and hang up the phone. I can only assume Brian talked to her as she calls me back 5 minutes later, tells me she talked to the dealership and "they have another offer". I tell her it's too late, I did the repair myself and hang up the phone. Note: Brian never calls me.

Time it took to have my car serviced at the dealer: 6 days and the service was never performed. Time it took for me to do the brake job, myself in my drive way, about an hour (and I was taking my time).

 

[cccbock]

I'd like to say something nice but there are just no words. Sorry you had to end up doing this yourself, which is what I would have done too. What a bunch of short sighted nitwits.

I complain a lot on here about the local Honda dealer. I don't know if they are any better or worse than other brand dealers, but you have added to my long list of supporting stories. One customer at a time, Honda is eliminating their good reputation.

 

[himmlerd]

Is Honda trying to become General Motors?

 

[Rich M.]

From the various posts that I have read on this forum, it seems a lot of Honda dealerships should talk training lessons in customer relations. In a lot of cases, a happy customer is a returning customer. The OP was one until this experience.

I am fortunate, I go to Heritage Honda in Parkville, Maryland. They treat me well. When I had a cracked windshield (famous heat element issue), they fixed it without any questions. During a routine service, my battery showed signs it was weak after just 18 months, in went a new battery that was covered under warranty. My service advisor, Mark, never pushes extra service. In some cases he tries to get me to stretch out the fluid replacements (I do my fluid exchanges sometimes earlier than needed, mainly the oil).

At times, dealerships do charge more, but since I am unable to do it myself, I find solitude in going to the dealership. Over the years I have tried other independent shops, but was not as satisfied. In one case, a simply oil change could not be done correctly. They used the wrong filter. Took it back, but the shop could not find the problem, even after I pointed it out. Took it to the dealership and they corrected it for free.

By the way, the mechanic at the dealership that I insist upon drives a '12 Ridgeline and has been at the dealership for 15 years. He always talks to me before he starts any work so he knows what the problem is and ends the conversation with, "I will treat your Ridgeline like it is mine." Now it may help that I take donuts with me to each service appointment, but I am sure he would do excellent work with or without the donuts.

 

[cdepuydt]

Kinda interesting the different experiences folks have at different dealerships. You'd think they would have taken care of this based on the OP's number of vehicles purchased there alone...especially considering the fact they get the parts for next to nothing and the job would have taken a decent mechanic 30 minutes to do. Unbelievable.

I also find it hard to believe the dealership/Honda would fall back on the "it's a wear item and the warranty does not cover wear items" BS. Yeah, I think we all understand the 3 yr/36000 mile warranty does not cover wear items, but it should cover DEFECTIVE wear items. If the pad was bad and it damaged the rotor, that should be a warranty item, not a wear item, and should have been repaired under the warranty.

That's why I refuse to buy another GM product. They found every excuse under the sun why repairs could not be done under warranty. I got so tired of their song and dance, I told them I would never have another GM product in my garage EVER again...and I sold that S10 and have never ever even considered buying another GM product. I still get calls from a GM dealership salesman, asking if I am interested in this that or the other thing...and I just remind them how badly I was treated by their service department and that is why I will never buy another GM product...and to stop calling me.

Personally, I would not have fixed this issue myself. I would have gone directly to the dealer owner or manager, reminded them that I had spent well over a $100,000 at their dealership, and they were about to lose ALL my future business over a $60 repair. No way in heck I would have did this repair on my own time/dime. That's BS.

 

[rollinhonda]

The more ignorant the service writer, the quicker they are to blame the customer.
I guess that can even flow uphill to the divisional managers who make the final decisions.

Of course I have met some very cordial service writers who still did not know their fan belt from their muffler.

 

[Dnick]

................


Personally, I would not have fixed this issue myself. I would have gone directly to the dealer owner or manager, reminded them that I had spent well over a $100,000 at their dealership, and they were about to lose ALL my future business over a $60 repair. No way in heck I would have did this repair on my own time/dime. That's BS.

^^^^^^^^^
'man after my own heart. :act035:

 

[kaptag]

^^^^^^^^^
'man after my own heart. :act035:

I fought the good fight for 6 days and finally asked myself this: If they're being this way about a brake job, do I really want them working on my truck now? I did go to the General Manager and he all but suggested they would do the repair (and the sales dept. would pay for it), but after 6 days of arguing with the service department, I had enough. Having bought that many vehicles from them and this is the type of service the "service department" provided me I decided I had enough. Bottom line it: I needed my truck back.

 

[Rockwood]

Even though you are in salt country that seems low mileage for corrosion of vital safety parts.
Another sign of eroding Honda quality