Good Fortune,---Or a Ripoff?

[justin]

I'd say the $485 was for a Honda Certified replacement seat cover (or whole seat!) plus an hour or two of labor. The $85 upholstery charge would have been replacing a small section or patching the seat somehow - probably almost zero for the materials and an hour of labor. You are getting a different service at the two places.

 

[FinanceDude]

Dealers will send the job out to the same shop that you went to anyway. They just mark it up.

Also a dealer will get good will money from the factory for things like this. Usually good will is extended up to 75K miles. After that your on your own.

No, they won't. Also, goodwill is NOT extended to cars up to 75k. The dealership has two choices:

1)if the customer is a good one, they could eat the cost and charge it off to a "policy work" account.

2)If the factory has issued a TSB (technical service bulletin) regarding problems with fabric on 2003 Accords, the factory will usually show some latitude to fix it for reduced or free based on a case-by-case basis.

Sounds like Honda is being fair........maybe they want you to consider them for your next car.

 

[73ss454]

FD,

Trust me, the dealer can extend goodwill up to 75K. I've lived it for 35 years.

Just be nice to the dealer or you'll get what you have coming after the warranty expires. Nothing!

 

[FinanceDude]

I had the same thing happen........sort of:

I bought a used 2003 Honda Accord in February, with 34k. About 4 months ago, the display on the radio kept getting dimmer and dimmer until I could barely see it. I took it to the nearby Honda dealer, and they told me it was a common problem, and it would be $800 to repair it, as they would need to put in a whole new display module from the factory, as it is a one-piece part. The car was out of warranty.

I told them this was my first foreign car in 20 years (true), and that the reason I bought a Honda was reliability, and could they see if they could help me out on the repair. The service manager called Honda, told them what I had said, and Honda agreed to pay for the part if I payed for the labor ($100 tax included). Done, and I will consider Honda for my next car purchase.........

 

[FinanceDude]

FD,

Trust me, the dealer can extend goodwill up to 75K. I've lived it for 35 years.

Just be nice to the dealer or you'll get what you have coming after the warranty expires. Nothing!

I worked in a service department too, and know nothing of the 75K "guarantee" of which you speak. I do know GM replaced a guy's Cadillac that had 112k on it, because he drove a ton of miles and bitched so much about his lemon of an STS he got a brand new one...........

 

[73ss454]

I worked in a service department too, and know nothing of the 75K "guarantee" of which you speak. I do know GM replaced a guy's Cadillac that had 112k on it, because he drove a ton of miles and bitched so much about his lemon of an STS he got a brand new one...........

Not a "guarantee" Good Will that is extended from the factory to the dealer for customers. It is not always offered and cannot alway be used but it's there as a tool. If you work in a dealer that does not abuse warranty claims then there's a lot of room to get it covered.

 

[FinanceDude]

Not a "guarantee" Good Will that is extended from the factory to the dealer for customers. It is not always offered and cannot alway be used but it's there as a tool. If you work in a dealer that does not abuse warranty claims then there's a lot of room to get it covered.

Ok.............now you and I are on the same page.............just make sure you buy a car or two at the dealer at some point..............goodwill to all............

Agree that is the dealer doesn't abuse the privilege, the factory is willing to work with you.........