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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask for ways to blast Honda?

62 replies

Staffielove23 · 20/03/2023 16:48

This is a follow up from my previous thread but I’ll give a quick summary of events:

I brought my car into Honda Edinburgh last Monday following a recall for passenger airbags.
I waited five hours to be told they needed to order a part (apparently they didn’t anticipate needing this particular part as it’s an issue with my car or something).
They said they didn’t have a courtesy car and they couldn’t give me my keys back because it’s an MOT fail, and I was left stranded 40 plus miles from my home.
Phoned Honda customer services to try and get a hire car as advised by Honda Edinburgh, and told no because we didn’t meet the criteria.
Eight days on and my car is still at the garage because they are still waiting on this part. We were initially told 3-4 days then told it will need a few more days and I am fearful that this will go on and on. We have another car but my husband needs it to get to work so myself and DD who is only two years old are stranded Monday to Friday as we are very rural.

I think they should provide me with a hire car or a courtesy car because it’s at the garage due to a manufacturing recall. Customer service has been at best unhelpful, and at worst quite rude and dismissive. I can’t even get the car towed to another garage as apparently it needs to be Honda who fits the airbag. I have twitted them (no response unsurprisingly) and am thinking of contacting the motoring ombudsman and Watchdog but where else can I turn? Any ideas?

Honda need to recognise that they cannot treat people like this.

OP posts:

Fluffodils · 21/03/2023 06:50

Could you sign a peice of paper to say if you die in a car crash its not their fault and they've told you it's unsafe but you are fine with that?

ZeroFuchsGiven · 21/03/2023 06:55

Surely you just wait till they have the part and the car is fixed? Why all the hoohah about it, shit happens and sometimes you end up with no car for a while, it happens to us all. Why oh why would you want to drive your daughter about in an unsafe car? They are fixing it just let them get on with their job and stop being a pita, if you cant go out for a while, you cant go out.

GPTec1 · 21/03/2023 07:02

ZeroFuchsGiven · 21/03/2023 06:55

Do you work for Honda? How absurd of you.

This situation was a 100% avoidable, its a well known, world wide fault with airbags and Honda shouldn't have started the work without all the parts required.

However, big companies can do whatever they want and Honda know they have a good rep, all you can do OP is get it out there on FB Tweeter etc

Having once had a terrible experience with a Toyota and their dealership, would never get a Japanese car again.

sorrynotathome · 21/03/2023 07:06

You do realise that the dealership is not owned by Honda? You need to be naming and shaming the dealership no the manufacturer.

KateAusten · 21/03/2023 07:16

I work at a main dealer, not Honda

We do hundreds of recalls a year

Something doesn't add up here as the garage would have done many, many recalls already so to not have the parts is bizarre

They would know exactly what is required for the job

An airbag fault is a serious fail on the mot and puts the car in the do not drive category

Whether they can legally stop you is another thing

Just bare in mind your car will almost certainly be sitting outside with a stripped dash

I'd speak to Honda UK or the Director or the dealership

They could put you in a demo if you kick up a fuss

LlynTegid · 21/03/2023 07:18

Can you travel back to the Honda dealer concerned, take a sleeping bag with you and say you are refusing to leave until they provide a car for you? Let the press know about your sit in.

Wrongsideofpennines · 21/03/2023 07:25

I would speak to the dealership manager about a courtesy car again. I know they said you don't qualify for one but that was when you took your car in expecting them to take a day to fix a known fault. They've now had it 8 days and not given you a timescale. This should surely make a difference about the circumstances they provide them. Particularly as they are basically holding you to ransom as they won't give you your own car back.

But you're going to have to speak to the dealership and not Honda itself.

Poppins2016 · 21/03/2023 07:25

Staffielove23 · 20/03/2023 21:15

Thanks. I will phone back tomorrow and ask to speak to the DP. Can they legally refuse me my keys?

Show quote history

I'd second the advice that JustLikeJasper gave, but I would add a plea on behalf of the majority of the staff... please remember that most of them won't be able to influence the situation and it isn't their fault. I'd absolutely go in, tell the receptionist that you're not leaving until you see the right person/things have been sorted and have a very firm discussion with the right person. But please make sure that it is the right person (i.e. a decision maker) that you kick up a fuss with (...from someone who used to work in a dealership and left due to being used as a verbal punching bag over matters I had no influence over whatsoever). It sounds as though you've been polite and reasonable, OP, but I'm just adding some food for thought for others reading this thread.

There will be a manager/someone superior who does have the clout to approve a courtesy car. Keep asking for people further up the chain until you reach a decent solution (and tell them what that solution is, i.e. courtesy car or repair within x days).

At the end of the day, the car should never have been booked in by the garage in until the parts were delivered. They've deprived you of the opportunity to make an informed decision about your property and your means of transport. It was piss poor planning on their part and the consequences for you are high impact. Someone should have thought about this and someone therefore needs to testify responsibility and rectify this (I'd also ask how they're going to stop this from happening to another customer, otherwise I bet the same old 'act now, think later' system will keep running).

The motor ombudsman could be useful:
www.themotorombudsman.org/consumers/make-a-complaint

Threatening to approach the motoring columns of x/y/z newspaper 'in order to warn other consumers of the appalling service' might also be worth your while.

BlueSpark · 21/03/2023 07:27

A lot of misinformation on this thread.

The car is not roadworthy, therefore it legally cannot be driven. That is a fact. If the police were to pull you over, you would get a punishment.

They cannot refuse to give you your car back but you cannot drive it.

The work needs to be done at a Honda garage. They can get it towed to another Honda that may have the part but there is no point going to any other mechanic as they cannot do the work.

They should be providing a courtesy car. The waters are muddied as the actual reason they are not able to fix has nothing to do with the recall. You would have to reason with them. You could get that part done at another mechanics.

Go on LinkedIn and tag Honda in a post. Always works. The dealer and the manufacturer.

Go to pistonheads and get advice from people who know. Not Mumsnet, where they don't.

Poppins2016 · 21/03/2023 07:28

*take responsibility!

rwalker · 21/03/2023 07:32

It’s deemed not road worthy
the issue is no courtesy car

EmbracingTheEyeBags · 21/03/2023 07:32

My DF has been without his car since 2nd feb.... also due to not being able to get hold of the part they need. There must be a delay on parts? He's luckily got a courtesy car but it's ridiculous and the customer services is no help, he's spoken to the branch manager a few times but he just says still waiting and should be done by the weekend (he says this every week). It's Evans Helshaw.
My dad has had to suspend his insurance as it's now coming up to 2 months without his car.

Hope u get it sorted quicker than him

Augend23 · 21/03/2023 07:35

Just to counter the people saying you shouldn't get a courtesy car - I had what I assume is the equivalent problem with my Toyota (faulty airbags, something to do with the explosives that propel them). They sent me a letter, I rang the dealer. The dealer booked me in (several weeks later as they had to order the parts). I dropped the car off, picked up a courtesy car and returned with the car when the fix was complete.

I agree with getting hold of someone who can make decisions about courtesy cars, because ultimately that's all you really need in this situation. The rest of it is annoying but being left carless for over a week on the basis that someone wasn't organised enough to order part in before they asked you to bring your car in is unacceptable.

BlueSpark · 21/03/2023 07:36

This is excellent advice from @Poppins2016

StrongTea · 21/03/2023 07:38

Not a lot of help to you but on local facebook pages there has been a discussion about local, I think it was Hyundai, dealer keeping cars for months waiting for parts. These owners were given courtesy cars, one driver mentioned the finance company being involved as he was basically paying for something he wasn’t in possession of. Hope someone sees sense today.

ShutUpBaggyTits · 21/03/2023 07:44

Just spoken to DH. He said you need to go straight to the top. Contact Honda UK head office and make a formal complaint.

Good luck

GoodChat · 21/03/2023 08:49

sorrynotathome · 21/03/2023 07:06

You do realise that the dealership is not owned by Honda? You need to be naming and shaming the dealership no the manufacturer.

It's a manufacturer fault and a manufacturer delay with the part.

The dealership are withholding the car because it's not safe. They can't let her drive away with an unsafe car. The only issue is the lack of courtesy car.

OP call the dealership. They've said they have no courtesy car so ask them if they'll refund you if you hire a rental.

As476 · 21/03/2023 08:58

Legally they cannot withhold the keys from you for “a potential mot fail” however, if the stripping process has been done, if the car is not finished, they cannot give you the keys. I know this as we have had problems with customers not paying, and I can only keep the keys if it is not drivable, eg has a wheel missing. If it isn’t drivable because it won’t start, I can’t keep the keys. It’s a difficult area but I’m happy for you to pm me and I’ll find out 😁

If a customer has an MOT and fails on 4 bald dangerous tyres, I cannot legally stop them driving away.

MrsMoastyToasty · 21/03/2023 09:01

Have you contacted the media or trading standards?

lieselotte · 21/03/2023 09:31

OP I suggested a few avenues on your last thread - I see someone here has said Autoexpress, you could also contact consumer pages of newspapers like the Times or Guardian; or maybe your local press in Edinburgh?

There are also motoring mediation type services.

But to be honest I'd phone them again and ask to speak to their legal team. When I worked in a company legal team we often dealt with consumer queries that the customer services team hadn't dealt with properly or at all (or they had, and we told the customer that). They can clarify the situation for you and have a word in the customer service team's ear.

In the meantime I'd be inclined to take the spare key and take the car home.

lieselotte · 21/03/2023 09:33

I have no idea why anyone on this thread, and of course Honda customer services, thinks you shouldn't have a courtesy car. This job is meant to take an hour; they haven't even vaguely met that requirement, and therefore they need to make sure you are not inconvenienced. This is down to them, not you, why on earth would they not give you a car? Their head of customer services is being a right twit, I have to say.

Hellsmovie · 21/03/2023 09:33

I think they have broke another part while trying to change the recalled parts.

And that's the part they are waiting for

lieselotte · 21/03/2023 09:34

The car is not roadworthy, therefore it legally cannot be driven. That is a fact. If the police were to pull you over, you would get a punishment

Yes but that's on the OP. Nothing to do with the garage.

And in any event, the OP has been driving the car around for four years since this particular recall started. So another few days/weeks (probably) won't hurt.

lieselotte · 21/03/2023 09:36

Hellsmovie · 21/03/2023 09:33

I think they have broke another part while trying to change the recalled parts.

And that's the part they are waiting for

You could be right, in which case their head of customer service is being even more an an arse.

OP have you asked a direct question about what needs replacing? If it's the recall part, that's one thing (although I still can't see why they won't give you a car or pay for a hire car). If it's a different part, then they really have no defence at all.

The other option here is to hire a car and then sue them in the Scottish "small claims" court for the fees you've paid. I think that you would have a good case.

Hellsmovie · 21/03/2023 09:38

Which air bag is it that needs to be replaced

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