Just wrote a letter to Honda Canada

WARNING NOT MOTORCYCLE RELATED POST :hss:

I was compelled to write a letter to Honda customer service today. The issue had to do with the double standards they apply to their Canadian vs US customers in terms of product support. I have owned at least a dozen Honda cars, vans, and SUVs over the years and they have always provided excellent service and unparalleled reliability even with huge miles on the clock. My SRS light recently illuminated so I pulled the codes and found that it is a simple seat belt switch which they would replace free in the States but not here in Canada where the car was actually assembled. This gets my blood boiling! So out came the pen and I explained to them my issue and asked for an explanation of why the safety of their American customers is more important than their Canadian customers or any other customer for that matter.

Of course this is just a pathetic plea for a free switch to fix my issue but hey what the hell, the letter cost me nothing. I'll be interested in their response if I get one.

 

I would do the same Jethro, please keep us posrted

 

That's effed up... Give em hell!!!!

:chaingun:

 

Probably because you guys got free health insurance, so who cares. :wink:

 

You'd be surprised what a letter can do. My wife speaks up all the time when she encounters this type of rubbish, we received coupons for free movies, free food and other freebies because she didn't like the way the company was operating. Good luck and keep us updated.

 

Squeaky wheel gets the grease I always say. If nothin happens, nothin happens-as in speaking up and being heard
:director:

 

Does not help much with Tourmaster on their waterproof jackets but go getm'. Jethro. Can we start calling you Gibbs?

 

Kinda beats up on the dudes who, everytime a crappy dealer or dealership gets busted here come to the defense of all dealers with special emphasis on the one they are working for.

What generally are the seatbelt laws in Canada? Here at first they were made mandatory ie if the car was not so equipped, ya had to have them installed. Next was you could only get cited for not wearing one when stopped for a different offense. Big loophole in that one since if you beat one you beat the other. Now depending on the state, wearing of same is mandatory and the fines are heavy.

 

Just like helmets, seatbelts must be worn at all times here and failure to do so will result in a fine. If your car was built before seatbelts were mandatory I don't believe that you are required to install them.

The problem we have now with the new advanced technology like Air bags, Anti lock brakes, Anti skid and Stability programs, Auto park and these new Anti collision systems that apply the brakes for you is keeping everything operational after the five year warranty expires. When you buy a used car in Ontario it has to pass a safety inspection before you can register it in your name. The criteria for a pass currently doesn't include ABS because they figure that the car is safe with the standard braking system functioning properly but that is going to change soon and I can see in the not so distant future that this philosophy will apply to all installed safety systems. $$$$$

The cars cost so much $$$ we need to drive them twice as long in order to spread out the expense of ownership but failures in these systems are expensive to troubleshoot and worse to fix. I can see the criteria for purchasing used vehicles changing as people seek out cars with simple to maintain systems or with proven long term reliability. Cars like Audis and BMWs will depreciate even faster than they do now because the average Joe can't keep them on the road.

As always this is just my perspective on the whole car scene.

 

Well I did get a response from the mother ship and it pretty much was what I expected,

Good morning Mr. Taylor,

Thank you for taking the time to write to Honda Canada to report the SRS light concern on your 2002 Honda Civic.

We regret to learn of the whole situation and would like to assure you of our interest.

As you are aware of, the warranty for the SRS components, including seat belt buckle, is for the first 5 years or 100,000 km whichever comes first; once the warranty expires, any cost associated with the repairs becomes the responsibility of the vehicle owner; in view of customer satisfaction, we could review the possibility of assisting you with a portion of the cost for the repair, if the concern is determined to be consistent with a defect from the manufacturer by an authorized Honda dealer at your cost. If you are interested in further review, your vehicle will need to be assessed by a Honda Dealer at your expense. Please have the dealer to contact the undersigned at 1-888-946-6329, extension 6835 for further review, after the diagnosis with the detailed findings and their recommendation for repair.

Thank you again Mr. Taylor for contacting Honda Canada, we appreciate being given the opportunity to review.

Best regards,

So basically I need to spend some money to gamble that they may cover some of the cost. I prefer not to gamble, so I will fix it myself but what about the people who can't?

 

I'd write them back. "Thanks for your response which basically states the safety of myself and family is only warrantied for 5 years."

I own 2 Honda cars myself, and its shit like this that pisses me off to no end. Maybe a bit over the top, but this type of thing is what would prevent me from buying another honda. Not a broken part - but terrible customer service.

 

They have not answered your question as to why they accommodate customers in other jurisdictions better than here. Write them back. CC to BBB. What they are doing is shameful. If they are going to fix this type of thing for free to our friends south of the border, then they should for us too. I would also find a couple Honda forums and ask the same question there. Maybe someone else has had the same issue resolved to their satisfaction. Maybe you will learn that there is a bigger problem than your individual one and I am sure, Honda Canada does not want to see their poor performance reported in a big forum on lime.

Be a pain in the ass to them. Sounds like they just want you to go away with a reply like that. They did not tell you anything you were not aware of before, but failed to explain their actions.

 

Could ya toss in a couple of lines about those R/R's? Even a PS would do.

The mandatory seatbelt install was when I was in Texas and was driving a Triumph TR4. Had to do the same thing for a Mercedes too. All there was at the time was the across the lap belt.. The applications of the law were progressive. Even with the mandatory install I can't remember if wearing same was in the deal..

Got ya on the Dealer and factory BS.. They probably have that letter stored in a word processing program word for word. Are they really sorry? The only dudes that go for that shit are the same ones here that tell us how great their jobs are at their dealers.

Had a door mechanism go South on me recently. 1997 Ford Explorer... The bodyshop mgr., at the local Ford dealer is a legend about being honest. He showed me how to bypass what I needed to bypass and sent me on my merry way. The tab if I had it fixed back to new condition was going to be over $450.00. Took about 20 minutes to fix and a few squirts of WD40.

 

Be lucky they were willing to maybe pay a part of it. I had my seat rip in early 2009 on a 2008 Toyota 4Runner. Said I was getting in & out of it wrong. Dealer said that, regional rep said that, and basically was told to go f myself.

Guess who, after the whole family owning the indestructible 1987 HiLux, an 84 Celica, 89 Celica, 91 Camry, 2001 Camry, is not buying a toyota again. Even if a good friend does work at the plant in Kentucky.

 

Well the problem is that they really didn't commit to anything solid so this is part of what I wrote back to them,

While your response begins by indicating that Honda Canada has an interest in my case your lack of specificity leaves me with open questions and uncertainty. If you had stated that Honda Canada will cover 100%, 50% or 25% of the costs, including the diagnosis, if the fault was determined to be consistent with a defect from the manufacturer, I would have the ability to make an informed decision. Because your response is noncommittal it leaves me in a difficult position where I have to take the first step on faith with the potential cost being due immediately and I'm not in a position to do this.

Then I went on to remind them that the bigger issue at hand wasn't my little car but they way they were treating their customers different whether they lived in the States or up here in Canada.

So the game continues.

I fixed my car last night myself so I'm taking responsibility for my safety and those who ride in my car. I fear for the owners who don't have the skills and resources I have at my disposal. These are the people who we need to fight for.otstir:

 

Well put and well said. Ya may luck out and not even get a form letter back. If you get in to see an actual human being on this, spend some money on one of those solid state voice recorders or borrow onw and ask permission to record the conversation in the same words as are used when ya call any company with any sort of question. BTW the larger the recorder the greater the intimidation factor. Big mikes work really great too.

The caveat is that it's not so much that "you" wanted the conversation recorded but your lawyer wanted it.


Testing 1-2-4

 

'Universal' health insurance. Nothing is free in this world.

 

Yeah I'll be amazed even if you get a bullshit acknowledgment letter.

I wonder if it comes down to just plain economics, maybe honda does more business in USA and can afford freebies? I do know that Honda will only sell certain models of bikes to Europe while USA won't get them due to just the demand; who wants to buy a weak 50hp cruiser here in USA?

On a flip side I read that they're not making Ford Crown Victorias anymore, which are made in canada. Total bummer, I have one and love that car!

 

How about the Mercury Marguis. Did they stop making those as well? Same car with finer finishing. Those Crown Vics were comfortable cars but dangerous as hell on a gravel road. 50 MPH on a gravel road with those beasts and you were sideways. The Ford Explorer was even worse that the C.Vic. The Suburbans and Jimmies I drove you could do at least 100mph on a gravel road and stay straight even when the road got a little washboard. Probably faster but our suburbans at work were governed at 100 mph cause the employer was too cheap to get W, Y, or Z rated tires for the damned things.

 

Ah yes. Mostly correct, but there are a certain segment of our Canadian Society that gets free health care. Actually a couple groups of people, but that's OK. The rest of us will pay for it. Nuff said.