Advice on VTi-S and Dodgy Dealership

[Mice]

My car was due for its 40,000kms service and I felt the dealership was charging too much; so I checked Hondaone, the service schedule and called the dealership for them to specify the work they wanted to do; and compared all.

All 3 were different, which is odd in itself; but the most concerning was the dealership said the car needed its 'Engine Seals' changed, and is a major job.
They said it was not covered under warranty, and that was why the price was so high.
Honda Australia could not provide any information or advice at all, including if the engine seals had been recalled.

So, does anyone know if this information is true or scam, and why would my 40,000km engine need new seals? :confused:
I was told I would never know if they really changed the seals or not and it sounds like they are just inventing to give weight to the service charge.

Anyways, any halp would be appreciated.

Thanks

[p.terribilis]

This smells like a scam to me. Which Honda dealership is this, what state?

I was once quoted $400 to do an oil change at Subaru, and when I asked why so expensive? They responded something like, oh we also need to change out the air filter. I said....no thanks

Cost me like 80$ for premium synth oil and then like 20 for the filter and crush washer. Took no more than 30-45minutes to do it. $400!! Ridiculous

Also, I put on 30,000 MILES on my 03 Acura RSX Type-S and went to drag races/autox ALL THE TIME. Probably 7-8 trips down the 1/4mile at least once a week for a year....and NEVER had to do anything but change the oil and clean the K&N intake filter.

I would get a second opinion and maybe even call the Channel 9 or 7. :thumbdwn:

[Mice]

Yas, I'm highly suspicious on these guys and no assistance from Honda Australia compounds the distrust.
The dealership is in Melbourne, Yarra Honda they are called. They also sold my car 'new' and 15 mnths later in the service centre getting my headlights fixed, they told me the car had been in an accident and hadn't been repaired to Honda standard and is not roadworthy.
So, I am vry suspicious of anything they do or say, even if changing the wiper blades lol :P

[ICYOIL]

Honda tried to charge mum $200 for changing (on the sheet it said) auto gear box oil, when she told them it was a manual. the said that it was a mistake and surely its not. youd think she would know if it was a manual or not. then after a while they came back and said it was a mistake. then a few weeks ago when it was up for its 100,000 km (last one before warranty runs out) service they tried to tell us that the timing belt needed changing (and jazzs have a chain, that dosnt need to be replaced) and to replace the spark plugs was going to be $450, then over price everything.

me and dad ended up just doing the service our selfs and save over $300, and we bought the best spark plugs you could get.

[Mice]

Yes, this ^^ seems to be the standard 'Quality Honda Care' that they advertise so much. Anyways, I got a family mechanic to do the service and stamp the book, so I have done wats was required in the book.
I have an issue with the engine tapping too, but I will get advice here before I go near the dealership, so far it sounds liek these engine seals are a complete fabrication lul

[p.terribilis]

You know, i would expect this kind of behaviour out your mom and pop shops or lube centres, but not from licensed dealers, but yea it happens a lot here apparently...what will it take to make these places more honest or to enforce dealerships to hire more honest staff?

What year is your Jazz? and you bought it "new" but it had been in an accident. I would be calling a lawyer if it were me and that hadn't been formally disclosed at the time of sale.

[Mice]

The car is 2006. I did ask the sales man about a scratch on teh alloys, and if an accident had happened, he said not, just a gutter scratch and will be fixed before you pick it up, i got a discount from it so I thought no issues.

Apparently there is no laws to protect from this, its buyer beware, according to consumer affairs anyways.
Meh, I have accepted this, but I just want to keep the engine in the best condition possible, who thought it would be such a mission.

[p.terribilis]

Maybe there isn't a law, but there should be. I wonder what would happen if everyone held out buying a car for a month or two all around Australia until some type of legislation was passed to protect buyers from dodgy dealers? It would work very well right now as car dealerships are already hurting. Maybe we need to deliver more hurt to them....

[aaronng]

If it is still under warranty, then the "engine seals" should be covered under warranty. The only parts not covered under warranty are fluids (brake, trans, engine oil), filters (air, fuel, cabin) and wear items (brake pads, discs, clutch, tyres) or if you damage them through abuse (missing your scheduled services).

Call up Honda Australia, ask them if engine seals are covered under warranty on a 2006 Jazz if they need replacement as recommended by the dealer. If they say yes, then tell them your case where the dealer charged you for it.

[Mice]

Thanks for the information on what is under warranty; engine makes tapping sounds at idle, liek ('tk tk tk tk tk') and the auto locking buzzes when its locked, so I will see the dealership for those things before the new car warranty finishes.
But Honda Australia said they cannot give me any information on the engine seals, as no one at Honda Australia has knowledge in the technician side of things, and that was after repeated emails with no response.
They wanted to charge me $650.00 for the 40,000kms, I get it serviced each 6months, so I cant understand the price, which led to this engine seal quote BS.
Im just concerned there is something wrong with my car :( being a female and this my first car, I really have no idea and I double check everything.
Honda Australia have disappointed me, I love my Jazz but not the company :)

Thanks for everyone's tips and advice, even a little helps.

[rossw]

FWIW I have had only the one service (apart from the first free one) from Hunter Honda and have had no issues at all so far. I think the bill came to $170 for the first 10K service.

[Artie]

From my own personal experience with my local Honda dealer and Honda Australia I will never buy a new Honda again. When I took my Jazz to the dealer for its first 1000km service the service manager backed the car into a concrete pillar. The car was travelling fast enough for the bumper bar to be pushed in so far that the tailgate was also dented. Since I bought a brand new car and it only had 996km on it I wanted them to replace it with a new one. Of course they refused.

They also wanted me to sign a checklist stating that a whole series of things about the car had to be explained to me. When I started to read it the guy said "you can read it later, just sign it" needless to say, nothing on the checklist had been explained to me.

When I contacted Honda Australia about this their response was that they couldn't get involved in this and that it was between me and the dealer. They were not interested in puting any pressure on the dealer at all.

This is absolutely unsatisfactory and I have not and will not ever give that dealership or any other dealership owned by the same company one cent of my money again.

[ICYOIL]

they will rip you of for parts as well, i went in with my eg to see how much a cap for the boot would be. they said that they were the only people that could get and it would be $120

then next day i ran honbits they sent it to me that day for $16, and it was oem.

[rubyjazz]

they will rip you of for parts as well, i went in with my eg to see how much a cap for the boot would be. they said that they were the only people that could get and it would be $120

then next day i ran honbits they sent it to me that day for $16, and it was oem.
What is honbits?

[rosewood]

since we are talking honda dealers I will have a go,

Having the car for 7 days, on the week-end I washed it, I opened the bonnet to take off the bonnet protector & found a spiders web with eggs around the fan. (not sure if there are thai or australian)..LOL

Also at the sale they showed me the stock car I would be getting & I pointed out the sqirl marks & a scratch on the bonnet. They told me they would be buffed out before they applied the paint protection. I looked at the paint work in the sun light the other day & found all buff marks down both sides of the car. I don't think the even touched the car . Two days before delivery I asked then if they got all the scratches out as it had to be done before the paint protection & they said they would be following that up. They rang me the next day & said they wanted to delay delivery from friday till monday to do the work but I told them I had to have on the friday so they told me it make it late in the day. Picking it at 4pm & of course there was no sunlight at that time of the day so I didn't see it. I asked if they got the scratches out & they told me just to see the service department if I wasn't happy. The tinting on the drivers windows has what looks like a moisture spot or they didn't clean it first. I am not waiting for my first 1,000 check up, I will be seeing the service manager as soon as I can get there.

[hondajazz2005]

i have bad experience with honda dealer too. :(
after 3 months i have my jazz, the paint on my front bumper start to crack ... my car is white colour, when the paint cracked, i can c another white colour paint underneath the crack paint. Bring it back to the dealership, they said, not under warranty, i need to get it fixed meself !!! i did bring my car to a few smash repair guy to check it out, they all tell me the same story, your front bumper has been scratch before, touch up paint has been applied, not a good job done. that is why the paint start cracking after a few months.

[ICYOIL]

What is honbits?

Honda parts supplier. have had no troubles with them yet :thumbsup:

[sendok]

Dealer's service charges are rip off..

[sumit]

Mice, so finally where did you service your car. Mine is due as well and scared with the quotes I m gettin from the dealers.