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| - Add me to the list of people who are underwhelmed and dissatisfied with this dealer. I purchased my vehicle in 2004 and had a generally good experience, once which I chalk up to bringing my Dad with me so I wouldn't get taken advantage of by dishonest salesmen (sad but true). In that time, I've only had a couple occasions to return, one being a factory recall on some part (which was repaired free of charge), an occasional oil change, and just about a year ago when my AC died. Each of those visits were unremarkable.
A few weeks ago, I received another factory recall notice on an airbag valve, so I scheduled an appointment for yesterday afternoon to have it repaired. At the same time, I asked to redeem a coupon for a discounted oil change and car wash. I left the car off at 12:30pm and was told it would be just a couple hours before it would be ready. Surprisingly, less than 90 minutes later, I received a call letting me know the car was ready. My service tech, Tom, also told me he performed a free service inspection and found a few things needed to be replaced. This is what he listed on my invoice:
Front ball joints worn out: $454
Oil pan gasket leaking: $339.95
Timing belt: $382
He advised I should have these things taken care of ASAP and he would be happy to schedule an appointment for me. I asked him which, if any of the three items, needed to be addressed right away. He said the timing belt was looking ok, but given the mileage of the car, it needed to be replaced since it hadn't yet gone out. He said the oil pan was saturated and was surprised I wasn't seeing oil on my driveway (I haven't seen a drop). He also said the ball joins were worn enough that I was risking my wheels falling off at any time. At that point, I felt pretty certain he was full of crap. I paid my $27 for the oil change and left.
Once I got back to the office, I called the wonderful guys at Jack's Austo Alignment & Brakes for a second opinion. I explained what I had been told and the gentleman on the phone pretty much confirmed my doubts. He told me to take the car in and he would look at it free of charge. Sure enough, after he put the car up and took a look, he told me there wasn't a thing wrong with the ball joints. Not only were they not even loose, neither they or the boot worn out. He expressed his disgust and apologized on behalf of the dealer. In addition, he gave me the name and number of another reputable service shop which specializes in Hondas and Acuras - the very place he takes his own Honda.
I always expect to be swindled by big car dealers. I'm fortunate enough to have family members and friends who have reputable places to recommend - not to mention Yelp! I'm thankful my car is in great shape and that once it's paid off in a few months, I'll be able to drive it for a long while before having to deal with a new purchase again. You can bet, though, that I will not shop at Showcase Honda.
One last thing to mention. Remember that free car wash which was included in the oil change? Yeah, not so much. The windshield was essentially wiped down with a wet cloth before they switched on the wipers to dry it off. How can I tell? My wipers are shot and leave streaks after each use. Also? The same dried splotch of bird crap I saw two days ago is STILL on my moonroof. I understand free is free, but seriously... if you don't want to take the time to actually wash the car when you advertise you will, don't even bother in the first place.
Stay far away from this place.
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