Another Reason to Hate Honda

I Hate Honda. And I will try to convince everybody I know not to buy a Honda vehicle.

My dad bought a Honda Civic in 2001. Within a year, it was recalled, not just once, but twice. Once for its defective radio, which we returned again for the same defect the following year, and is almost useless now, since the CD reader is busted, there is no LED to speak of, and the volume is also stupidly stubborn coz it decreases in volume if you try to increase it and vice versa.

(Did I mention that I don't like the shocks as well? Made me feel as if I was in a LiteAce or something. Bouncy. It was the first thing I noticed.)

The second time is because they used the wrong fuel band and so they recalled my car, along with 12,000 ++ units, because anytime that you're driving your car, your fuel tank can just crash out of your trunk. Beat that.

Soon after its warranty period, the automatic doors won't work anymore. Mine is the double-click system. First click on the remote is the driver's door. The next click is the rest of the doors. Then to close, it just takes one click. The right passenger side was the first to give. If we were talking about a brain, it was like the left hemisphere of the brain was going bonkers, affecting the right side of the body. So you had to manually close and open the stupid doors. You'd think that along with the driver's door, the left back door would lock as well, coz you think it was the right side of the car that was stupidly busted, and then the lights would flash to indicate that all doors are locked.

Lo and behold. After a few hours or minutes-- there really is no definite time-- the horns would be blaring and the alarms will be tripped. Why? because apparently, what you thought to be locked, wasn't really locked, but just pretended to be locked. Stupid huh? It was then i found out that the back door wouldn't really go down. It would just click, but for some stupid reason, it won't go all the way down. So no more locks.

Then the stupid automatic window went. It won't go down, and if it does go down, it won't go up.

Then the stupid clutch will get stuck in the box, so while you're driving, it'll get stuck there, so you put it in neutral, then push it to where it's supposed to go...but it doesn't again. so you try until you finally get it in.

Then recently, my dad had the car fixed. They billed us about 50k. My dad, who used to work for Toyota, really worked up a temper and called them. They then billed us 17k.

I thought it was just my car. But when I went to a wedding last January, I saw an old friend driving the same model as mine. In fact, our cars were from the same batch since we have almost the same plate number, WTL.___. I asked her if she has experienced the same problems. Confirmed, it's not just my car. One of her Hondas also have a hole in the fuel tank.

Then again, just this January I think, I had the timing belt replaced, again in Honda Alabang. They said they have to clean the engine. It will cost 80k and my car will be gone for 2 months. Or....the attendant so smartly suggested: "Ma'am kung gusto nyo, ibenta nyo nalang po yan, para hindi kayo maabutan ng sira, iba nalang yung gagastos. Kumita na kayo, tapos bili nalang kayo ng bago dito." (Translated: Ma'am, if you want, you can just sell your car and just let the second owner to pay for the repairs (ano ba ang ingles ng maabutan?). You get to earn from that, then just buy a new car here.) Is he crazy???? Who the hell does he think he's talking to? Is that really how they practice business? Then I responded, after laughing bitterly, "We will never buy a Honda again."

Yesterday, I brought the car to the shop near my house, where I have been bringin my car for some years now. There's something wrong with it because it's been very noisy. The mechanic tells me it's the bearing of the compressor of the aircon. They don't do aircons.

Ok. So I go to Rapide along Kalayaan. They take a look at my car. Yup. It's the bearing. It's the compressor.

Rapide guy: Kelan po ninyo nakuha ito?
Me: 2001.
Rapide: Grabe naman. Sira agad ang compressor.
Me: Bakit, ilang taon ba ang lifetime usually?
Rapide: Mga 10 years po.
Me: It's a Honda, what do you expect. So magkano?
Rapide: P21500.

GRRRRRRR....I almost wanted to kick the damn car.

I know a lot of you like Honda. It's the yuppie car. You might think that it's just my car, and that it happens to other brands as well. But the thing is, my family took a chance with the Honda Civic even if we were pretty happy with Toyota. Trying it out and seeing what the whole fuss was all about. So we will never really buy a Honda again. After talking with their people, from the showroom, to the tech to the corporate, the company has left a bad taste in my mouth. (Believe me, if i was just allowed to write about my case against Honda here --airbags not popping-- you'll understand why i'm even more pissed).

So if you still want to buy Honda. Go ahead. But be sure to check the warranty card. And don't believe the provision which states: "Honda reserves the right to be the final arbiter of all matters involving warranty claims." Don't let it stop you from suing them if you think you have the right.