Ugh, so sorry. My closest dealership also screwed up, looks like they used an impact wrench to force my skid plate back on and cross threaded the bolt going into the frame, forever screwing up the frame. I haven’t been back since, and will be going to the dealership across town next time I need one.
Dealership Ruined My New HPD Wheel
Took my new 2023 Passport Elite into the dealership to have a new tow receiver installed, and a shaking steering wheel at 58 mph fixed (third request), and the engine oil topped up.
The Service advisor said the rotation and balancing machine broke and had me leave the vehicle for an extra three days. When I picked it up, the steering wheel still vibrated at 58 mph. The oil had not been topped up. The front wheel which “tested green” now was badly damaged. The ticket says they repaired the right rear…. I was just sick. I missed this until I got the car home. The car has 1600 miles on it, and I am upset the dealership isn’t being straight-forward about this repair.
The balance was blamed on me losing a weight on a wheel. That might work if the wheels were balanced in the first place. I am so disappointed in Honda. Things happen, but they needed to tell me.
I am feeling lost as to how to proceed. It is becoming clear, there is a real problem with customer service. I am taking a 1,000 mile road trip, alone, in two weeks.
Edited for brevity.
The Service advisor said the rotation and balancing machine broke and had me leave the vehicle for an extra three days. When I picked it up, the steering wheel still vibrated at 58 mph. The oil had not been topped up. The front wheel which “tested green” now was badly damaged. The ticket says they repaired the right rear…. I was just sick. I missed this until I got the car home. The car has 1600 miles on it, and I am upset the dealership isn’t being straight-forward about this repair.
The balance was blamed on me losing a weight on a wheel. That might work if the wheels were balanced in the first place. I am so disappointed in Honda. Things happen, but they needed to tell me.
I am feeling lost as to how to proceed. It is becoming clear, there is a real problem with customer service. I am taking a 1,000 mile road trip, alone, in two weeks.
Edited for brevity.
Attachments
-
1.8 MB Views: 42
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
Why would you be disappointed in Honda? Dealerships are independently owned and operated entities who happen to sell Honda vehicles. I can completely understand the frustration with the dealership. Complaining about it here may make you feel better, but in the long run it affects nothing and solves nothing. You don't even mention the dealership name, and is a bit unrealistic to project the idea that all dealerships are the same way.
Keep in mind that this site has no connection to Honda Corp. As stated at the bottom of the page.
It might help someone else down the line if you filed a complaint with Honda Corp. It probably won't help in your particular situation, but it may help push Honda to dealing with the errant deanship or even revoking their dealership. The revocation of a dealers franchise would be dependent upon the laws where the dealership is located.
It also might help to voice your situation on applicable social media, such as yelp, the dealers website, BBB, etc., about the poor customer service and situation that ensued. The way to effect change in such entities is to hit them in the pocketbook.
Keep in mind that this site has no connection to Honda Corp. As stated at the bottom of the page.
- passportforums.com is an independent Honda enthusiast website owned and operated by VerticalScope Inc. Content on passportforums.com is generated by its users. passportforums.com is not in any way affiliated with Honda Motor Company
It might help someone else down the line if you filed a complaint with Honda Corp. It probably won't help in your particular situation, but it may help push Honda to dealing with the errant deanship or even revoking their dealership. The revocation of a dealers franchise would be dependent upon the laws where the dealership is located.
It also might help to voice your situation on applicable social media, such as yelp, the dealers website, BBB, etc., about the poor customer service and situation that ensued. The way to effect change in such entities is to hit them in the pocketbook.
I assume from reading your post that you've already spoken with the Service Manager about the incident(s) that happened. If so & nothing is being done, then take it to the next step & get the General Manager involved. If you don't get some relief there, contact AHM customer care @ 800-999-1009 to file a complaint. Letting your dealership get by with this helps no one & just makes it harder for other customers. American Honda Motors needs to keep their customers happy and their independent dealerships are the direct relationship to those customers.
Calling AHM customer care @ 800-999-1009 to file a complaint will definitely go against the dealer's CSI score which in turn and in the long run can affect vehicle allocation for them. No good vehicle allocations, no good sales number either. Having said that, and as Harvey W mentioned. This is not AHM's issue but rather poor workmanship on the dealer's behalf. No Honda dealer is owned by AHM, they are all privately owned and operated. Meaning that this wheel damage situation will need to be addressed with the dealer directly. I would try to get a hold of the General Manager since clearly the Service Manager is not trying to remedy the situation. The only thing AHM can do is log the complaint against the dealer and act as a liaison between you and dealer to "attempt" to get them to do the right thing, but AHM cannot "make" them do anything as AHM does not own them. Good luck with this.
IMMEDIATELY go back to the dealership. To the Service Manager, the following need to be rectified:I am feeling lost as to how to proceed.
- The steering wheel still vibrates at 58 mph. - this was not fixed and needs to be addressed.
- The oil had not been topped up. - this was not fixed and needs to be addressed.
- Most importantly, the front wheel which “tested green” now was badly damaged. - this needs to be fixed immediately.
Oh no, that’s not good. Can the threads be cleaned up by being tapped? I always start a nut or bolt by hand threading. It is just not worth taking a chance on cross-threading and doing this kind of damage. Will you have to go up a size in bolts?Ugh, so sorry. My closest dealership also screwed up, looks like they used an impact wrench to force my skid plate back on and cross threaded the bolt going into the frame, forever screwing up the frame. I haven’t been back since, and will be going to the dealership across town next time I need one.
I completely agree. I spoke to the service manager and the site manager. They want to try to rebalance all the wheels statically again and then repair the wheel and move it to the rear of the car.I assume from reading your post that you've already spoken with the Service Manager about the incident(s) that happened. If so & nothing is being done, then take it to the next step & get the General Manager involved. If you don't get some relief there, contact AHM customer care @ 800-999-1009 to file a complaint. Letting your dealership get by with this helps no one & just makes it harder for other customers. American Honda Motors needs to keep their customers happy and their independent dealerships are the direct relationship to those customers.
We’ll see about the quality of the repair. They won’t do a load force balance. I do want to tell Honda about how much I love the product. Having said that, could they please emphasize safety and transparency with all levels of the service team because I won’t be a repeat buyer, and I am currently in the market for an EV - new Honda coming out in a year, or a hybrid. Yes …. It’s their choice. It’s their wallet.
Thank you everyone. All of this helps. I think it was the GM I took for a ride today. I got his name and phone number. The Service Manager was OK. More about wowing me with the repair person‘s reputation for fixing wheels than fixing the balance and the wheels, but I don’t think he really knew in that moment what to do. They talked about swapping my wheels for an employees wheels to make sure it wasn’t the car. Inventive, proactive, but unnecessary. I said no. The OEM factory installed set-up was perfect. The problems started immediately with the changing of the wheels bought at the dealership. There are multiple weights on the wheels. The car is now pulling to the right found on the test drive with the 2nd level manager. I am wondering if they are chasing the problem, which is getting worse since yesterday.Calling AHM customer care @ 800-999-1009 to file a complaint will definitely go against the dealer's CSI score which in turn and in the long run can affect vehicle allocation for them. No good vehicle allocations, no good sales number either. Having said that, and as Harvey W mentioned. This is not AHM's issue but rather poor workmanship on the dealer's behalf. No Honda dealer is owned by AHM, they are all privately owned and operated. Meaning that this wheel damage situation will need to be addressed with the dealer directly. I would try to get a hold of the General Manager since clearly the Service Manager is not trying to remedy the situation. The only thing AHM can do is log the complaint against the dealer and act as a liaison between you and dealer to "attempt" to get them to do the right thing, but AHM cannot "make" them do anything as AHM does not own them. Good luck with this.
I showed up at 7 am this morning before the lights went on. I called on my way home yesterday about the vibration, but no one picked up. I am concerned about the long-term damage being done to my beautiful new Honda and the possibility of being stranded on this big road trip. I’ll have the dog with me, and I have the perfect vehicle. Honda can step up. Thank you for helping me navigate the process.IMMEDIATELY go back to the dealership. To the Service Manager, the following need to be rectified:
Give them a chance to rectify the situation and if not, then go the routes as explained above (General Manager, Honda Care, etc.).
- The steering wheel still vibrates at 58 mph. - this was not fixed and needs to be addressed.
- The oil had not been topped up. - this was not fixed and needs to be addressed.
- Most importantly, the front wheel which “tested green” now was badly damaged. - this needs to be fixed immediately.
I will add out of my own experience that those OEM Continentals are not the best. On my previous Passport before my current one I had a rhythmic vibration at high speeds that the dealership could never resolve after balancing several times. My current Passport rides super smooth. So these Continentals are pretty crappy and very inconsistent in the way they are manufactured. Again just my opinion.Thank you everyone. All of this helps. I think it was the GM I took for a ride today. I got his name and phone number. The Service Manager was OK. More about wowing me with the repair person‘s reputation for fixing wheels than fixing the balance and the wheels, but I don’t think he really knew in that moment what to do. They talked about swapping my wheels for an employees wheels to make sure it wasn’t the car. Inventive, proactive, but unnecessary. I said no. The OEM factory installed set-up was perfect. The problems started immediately with the changing of the wheels bought at the dealership. There are multiple weights on the wheels. The car is now pulling to the right found on the test drive with the 2nd level manager. I am wondering if they are chasing the problem, which is getting worse since yesterday.
Yikes. Yep some dealers don’t care. I had a Mazda dealer took metal screwdriver to the inside of my BBS wheels to remove wheel weights for balancing. It left long scratches in the wheels. Like whyyy? What in the right minds of someone thinking that’s an acceptable way to do it.
Only one reason. Minimum wage right out of high school lube techs. They are the ones doing the oil changes, wheel balancing and tire rotations. So that master techs can focus on the major repairs, warranty work or gravy maintenance. Worked for several dealerships in the past not all Honda either. Most dealers operate this way. Oil changes, wheel balancing and tire rotations don't pay enough (flagged hours) to make a decent living for master techs. So they give these simple jobs to hourly lube techs.Yikes. Yep some dealers don’t care. I had a Mazda dealer took metal screwdriver to the inside of my BBS wheels to remove wheel weights for balancing. It left long scratches in the wheels. Like whyyy? What in the right minds of someone thinking that’s an acceptable way to do it.
But still, a simple $15 job turning into a $150 repair.Only one reason. Minimum wage right out of high school lube techs. They are the ones doing the oil changes, wheel balancing and tire rotations. So that master techs can focus on the major repairs, warranty work or gravy maintenance. Worked for several dealerships in the past not all Honda either. Most dealers operate this way. Oil changes, wheel balancing and tire rotations don't pay enough (flagged hours) to make a decent living for master techs. So they give these simple jobs to hourly lube techs.
I wondered about the tires, and I wondered about the wheels. I wondered about the mounting of tires to the new wheels Ugg. What did you put on your Passport instead?I will add out of my own experience that those OEM Continentals are not the best. On my previous Passport before my current one I had a rhythmic vibration at high speeds that the dealership could never resolve after balancing several times. My current Passport rides super smooth. So these Continentals are pretty crappy and very inconsistent in the way they are manufactured. Again just my opinion.
That is really awful too. We always had pride in our work where I worked, or at least most of us did. I just don't get this lack of training and lack of respect.Yikes. Yep some dealers don’t care. I had a Mazda dealer took metal screwdriver to the inside of my BBS wheels to remove wheel weights for balancing. It left long scratches in the wheels. Like whyyy? What in the right minds of someone thinking that’s an acceptable way to do it.
Interesting because I was about to ask for a master tech, but they told me the tech that worked on these wheels each time is the master tech. What you say makes much more sense. Resources flow to the highest value - tire rotating isn't it, especially under warranty.Only one reason. Minimum wage right out of high school lube techs. They are the ones doing the oil changes, wheel balancing and tire rotations. So that master techs can focus on the major repairs, warranty work or gravy maintenance. Worked for several dealerships in the past not all Honda either. Most dealers operate this way. Oil changes, wheel balancing and tire rotations don't pay enough (flagged hours) to make a decent living for master techs. So they give these simple jobs to hourly lube techs.
LOL... a new truck. I had a quick rendezvous with a Tacoma. I traded in my old Passport on the Taco but quickly realized it was just too small for my family needs and me, at 6' tall. So I sold my Taco to my single brother in law that is only 5' 7" and I got back into my current Passport. My current Passport has the Contis but they seem to be smooth. Eventually I plant to swap them out for a set of Falken Wildpeak AT Trail but debating whether to throw them on my current 20" wheels or try to find a set of used 18" Ridgeline Black Edition 5-spoke wheels. The tinkering never ends.I wondered about the tires, and I wondered about the wheels. I wondered about the mounting of tires to the new wheels Ugg. What did you put on your Passport instead?
Same situation as well. Kinda want aftermarket 18 inch wheels.LOL... a new truck. I had a quick rendezvous with a Tacoma. I traded in my old Passport on the Taco but quickly realized it was just too small for my family needs and me, at 6' tall. So I sold my Taco to my single brother in law that is only 5' 7" and I got back into my current Passport. My current Passport has the Contis but they seem to be smooth. Eventually I plant to swap them out for a set of Falken Wildpeak AT Trail but debating whether to throw them on my current 20" wheels or try to find a set of used 18" Ridgeline Black Edition 5-spoke wheels. The tinkering never ends.
I don't think it's the dealers that don't care, it's the individual workers.Yikes. Yep some dealers don’t care. I had a Mazda dealer took metal screwdriver to the inside of my BBS wheels to remove wheel weights for balancing. It left long scratches in the wheels. Like whyyy? What in the right minds of someone thinking that’s an acceptable way to do it.
I was a ASE certified mechanic for 18 years (80's-90's) and worked for several dealerships and some independent shops, I worked alongside some very talented and knowledgeable technicians along with some with drug or alcohol problems and/or just poor attitudes and work ethics.
At dealers you usually don't have a say as to who your going to get to work on your vehicle, so it's kind of a crap shoot. I've had my own experiences as a customer having warranty work done on a new vehicle and having the vehicle returned with damaged done by technicians. This is why I rarely let anyone but me perform maintenance or repairs to my vehicles, although as I get older this will probably have to change in the not so distant future.
I'd suggest photographing your vehicle inside and out before dropping off for service or repairs and developing a good relationship with a quality independent repair shop in your area.
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
Honda Passport Forum
Honda Passport Forum is the Largest 2019+ Passport SUV community & owner’s club. Your passport to adventure!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
