Honda Sold My Wife A Lemon And Now A Bill Of Goods

[barrysandal]

I really need some advice about my wife's Honda civic "lemon".

Eleven months ago my Thai wife bought a new Honda Civic. The problems began the first day out when the child safety door broke and trapped the passengers in the back. They fixed it

Then the driver side window opening mechanism broke. They fixed it.

Then the driver side rear tire budged and rubbed against the fender. That one scared the dealer and he replaced all four tires as defective.

Then a bolt somehow came loose under the hood, fell into the water pump belt, shredding the belt and making the vehicle inoperative. They towed it and fixed it.

Then the switch under the brake peddle broke, preventing the driver from putting the Honda Civic into gear.

They towed it and fixed that too.

The last two problems occurred in the evening when my wife as alone. A woman alone at night is not safe, particularly on the highway. She bought the new car to feel safe.

My wife contacted Honda and told them she would put an ad in the newspaper to look for people with the same problem as her. Honda sent three representatives from Bangkok and three more local representatives to talk to her. My wife asked for a new car and gave them one week to respond.

The dealer is very worried. He does not want to lose business in Chiang Mai. He offered the following:

1. A new car, but she must begin payments all over again or

2. Take the old car to Bangkok for a complete inspection and return it to her plus 60,000 baht.

There are two more years on the warrantee but my wife does not want to see Honda so many more times. Even the cleaning women at Honda know her now because she has been to the dealer for repair so many times.

What do you think? Do we hold out for a new car which may also have problems? Do we take the 60,000 baht or ask for more.

We need to give them an answer on April 4th.

[lingnoi34]

Did you have a monk bless the car when you first got it?

If not, then it's evil ghosts inside the car messing with you now....

Anyway, better exchange for a new one and don't forget the ceremony this time!!!

L

[Gary A]

Normally, once a lemon, always a lemon. I'd take the new car offer and see what happens. Hondas are usually very reliable.

[Donnyboy]

I would remind them about this

Lady Smashes CRV

and wait for their reaction.

Let us know what happens

good luck

edited for spellink

Edited March 30, 2008 by Donnyboy

[Plus]

Wait for their reaction?

They love waiting for their reaction, too. They can wait for years, it's their favourite game.

Seriously, if they don't do something fast, there's no point in waiting.

[Donnyboy]

my guess is that they will act smartly once told about the "CRV incident be prepared to do some damage on a 11 month old Civic , but ensure the press are there to cover the event

Im in Chiang Mai as well, so hopefully I can be there as well

I'll be the unofficial Thai Visa reporter "on the ground"

[jeffer]

Smashing up your car to get a mention in the media... Been done a few times now, might be expecting a bit much for the media to get involved again as it's no longer the novelty it once was.

[DragonQuest]

If u need the cash I would grab it, if you have enough money, get the new car, with the new body style update and loaded with luxury features like leather and moonroof fully loaded lol, sorry about the bad luck you have been having, but its either bad luck or a true lemon, you decide.

Edited March 30, 2008 by DragonQuest

[goldfish]

I don't know, there's always one isn't there? Sell them a perfectly good car and what do they do with it? Too heavy handed on the winder mechanism, breaking the door locks, even managed to break the pedal switch. Some people shouldn't be allowed the keys to a new car.

Ok, on a serious note as one poster mentioned, once a lemon...

Get rid of it any way you can

[onnut]

go for a new car but get the extras thrown in, I have had my Civic for 18 months now and only had a problem with the window not opening right, that was fix and nothing since. it must be a lemon, there are loads of civics on the roads so they cant all be that bad.

[philipm]

exactly, the lady who smashed her crv in public t.v. remind them that the car they sent to u, is a butch from the batch. tell them you want a new car, pllz do this ASAP b4 they give u more bullshit. but first u should collect all the bills and reports and photocopy them.... if honda thailand doesnt do anything, then go through honda japan.

[barrysandal]

I don't know, there's always one isn't there? Sell them a perfectly good car and what do they do with it? Too heavy handed on the winder mechanism, breaking the door locks, even managed to break the pedal switch. Some people shouldn't be allowed the keys to a new car.

Ok, on a serious note as one poster mentioned, once a lemon...

Get rid of it any way you can

Today they offered to take back the car and return all of the money, less interest. My wife said yes without me, but I think the interest will be much more than the principal returned.

[stingray]

You have to be fair. "The dealer is not in the car" Todays "Plastic Cars" arent strong anymore. For example: i can break a door handle within a second, because they use so weak material today. You should be happy if they offer you the money back and you shouldn't worry about the interest, because you drove the car, that's mean you used it for a period of time.

[philipm]

stingray, i think u under estimate customer service and customer care, importance im making sales, not to menation a huge PR campaign that can easily distort if not destroy a company's repuations, then drops the sales.....

[DragonQuest]

get a toyota.

[stingray]

get a toyota.

Toyota, Honda it's all the same. I understand that this is a sad story and i wouln't be happy either if it's happen to me. But the Honda Company do their job correct. They give a warranty of a couple years and they repair the car for free. They don't have to give you any money back or change the car for you. If they offer you the money back than it's goodwill, but they don't have to do this.

I had a 2 year old camry once and the rear electric window didn't work anymore. Toyota din't accept any warranty claims, they said, the window was used to much and therefore the plastic parts where the window is fitted was broken.

BTW, be careful if you want to go puplic or if you write stories in News papers, or media. Again this isn't America. They can suing you for lost busoness if they want. Usally they don't do, but they can. I got my own expirience. The clock in Thailand works different ways

[barrysandal]

We are taking the buy out. Basically the Honda dealer will buy back the car at the sales price and we will get the difference from what is still owed, but not interest paid.  So the car ends up costing us a bit less than 5000 baht a month for a year and then its gone.

Honda said that its current used value is 500,000, a bit of a drop frmo the 815,000 a year ago.

Thanks to all who said "once a lemon, always a lemon."

And yes, they all do seem to remember the CRV story very well.