Strange handling of Car service

[Cigar Mike]

We own a 2005 Honda Accord. We needed it serviced and to get some recall items fixed on the car. Minor stuff but we wanted to get it done. The car has only 39,000 miles on it and has never given us a problem. We took the car in the early fall when the weather was still fairly warm. As soon as we started getting temps near freezing the power steering started to act funny. It started to make a winey noise and dumped a puddle of power steering fluid on the ground. As long as it stayed cold it made the noise. But as soon as it warmed up the noise stopped.

We called the dealer and reported the problem. When I took it in I asked if they put the wrong fluid in. They had serviced the power steering under some factory recall. I told them that it was fine when we brought it in and to put it back to the way it was. This is where it gets strange. They had the car for two days. When they called me they said they could not reproduce the problem but had changed a seal that might have been sucking air onto the unit and that the car was running perfectly. I wouldn't have thought much about it. But they did replace a part on the seat belt that gave a false light on the dash. When we go to pick up the car and sign the paper work and get the key. The service manager comes over and tells the lady getting ready to pull up the paper work that he would take care of us and escorted us to the waiting area. In a few minutes he came in handed us the key and told us we were good to go.

This is a Honda dealer. You just don't leave without paper work and leave without your wallet being a bit lighter. The service manager acted funny like he could not get us out of there fast enough to avoid any questions. The car is working like it should so far. It just seemed strange to me. What do you guys think?

 

[670cc]

What do I think? I think this illustrates why I do all the vehicle repairs and service myself.

Aside from that unhelpful comment, it looks as though they made mistakes and want to cover it up and send you on your way. It probably happens in one out of three car repairs. Most people just never know.

 

[DC-Honda]

A lot of mechanics aren't any better than someone with a tool-box at home. Difference is, they can **** it up proffessionally and under license. Actually, they can't be wrong, since they are proffessionals.
If you do anything yourself, it ofcourse was a job bad done. It wouldn't even matter if you are the guy who designed the engine, as long as you do not work in a car-workshop, your skills and knowledge are non-existant.

Luckily i do know a workshop that does not work like that.

 

[Cigar Mike]

I used to do all the work on my cars. I really try to avoid it now. Fortunately I put so few miles on them there isn't much to do very often. I don't even like to work on the bikes anymore. In this case it was all recall work except for an oil and filter.

I wasn't sure if I was reading something into this that wasn't the case.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I owned a Honda dealerhip for almost a quarter of a century. Because of law suits and lawyers most dealerships will hire only mechanics that have graduated from a motorcycle mechanic's school.

Myself and my dealership shop supervisor both went to the motorcycle school of hard knocks working as mechanics for dealerships in the 1960's (just were no schools in those days). As a owner of a Honda dealership I was amazed to see that most motorcycle school students who graduated from the motorcycle schools could not even properly change tires. After complanits from many of us motorcycle dealerships to the motorcycles schools, the motorcycle schools now teach tire changing. Most motorcycle school graduates can handle complete motor overhauls with no problem as long as they have the book next to them at all times. It is a lot more economical to learn anything in a classroom........ It does take about 5 years of working in a motorcycle dealership shop to learn what someone with a motorcycle school diploma learns in one year in a motorcycle school.

However, diagnostic skills are something that does take a few years out of school, working in dealership shops for most folks to develop. Learning what this sound, and that vibration means takes time to learn. That is why an experiance shop foreman is a must at any dealership. With out the experiance of the good shop foreman things do go bad quick. All the diplomas in the world can not replace experience.

 

[jayceegee]

I think that they made a mistake and the fellow was trying to smooth things over by not charging you HOWEVER now you have no proof that the repairs were done and no legal leg to stand on if that were needed in the future.