Complaint Review: American Honda Motor Company Honda Automobile Division Honda Motor Co. Ltd. - Torrance Blvd. Utah

If you are thinking of going to a Honda dealer of your choice and buying a HONDA CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE you might like reading the below Rip Off Report real good. http://ripoffreport.com/reports/0/413/RipOff0413391.htm this below is a link to the vin, http://www.carfax.com/cfm/gvh_display.cfm?Inventory_ID=51363250 google the vin, 2HGFG12877H507001 small section of what car buyer posted We feel it will be worth a try. To back up our claim, we contacted our salesman, and asked him for a copy of the Carfax. He was happy to help. On 1/2/2009, he accompanied me to the Used Car Sales Office and they printed out a copy of the Carfax and the Total Black Book Valuation, which is used to determine trade-in values. The gentleman at the counter said, That we definitely would be had gotten more money if the car had not been in an accident". On the morning of January 7, 2009 I was reading the Arizona Republic. Curiously I looked in the classified car section and looked up what a 2007 Honda Civic like our daughters was selling for. There was an ad and the price was $15,977. I knew it could not be ours, as our car would be sold at auction. I decided to go to the website and look at it. As I thought, it was not our daughter's vehicle. However, I scrolled down the page and our daughter's car that we had traded in was there. Not only was it there, it was being sold as a HONDA CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE for $16,988. I printed the brochure. Not only is it Certified, under the Vehicle Condition section it indicates Original Paint, No Known Accidents, No known Bodywork and more. I could not believe what I was reading. Not only that, the CarMax, states 12/31/2008, Offered for sale as a Honda Certified Used Car. Obviously, our trade-in is what we said, immaculate and well cared for". We feel that we had been violated and defrauded. How can they get away with this kind of unethical business practice? The dealer was dishonest with us and their dishonesty doesn't end with us. I continued each morning to look on the website to see if the vehicle was still on their website. As of January 11th, 2009, the website displays Vehicle Not Found in Database". Did they sell it? Should or can we do something about it? Can we find out to whom the car was sold to? Did they realize their mistake and make things right? Should I call the General Manager? Do I file a complaint with the BBB and the FTC? Do I notify NACA? Should I contact a lawyer? Would any of the local TV stations such as; Channel 3's- On Your Side", Channel 5's- Investigations 5iTeam, Channel 12's-Call 12 for Action, Channel 10's- Investigation or ABC's 15 Investigators be interested?

People are just trying to help out. Don't be such an a*s. Get your story straight, it seems you are just "trying to get noticed" first it's $1200, then $1200 to $1500, then $1000. Which is it. I think the salespeople noticed your behavior and told you anything to get rid of you.

For those of you who submitted a rebuttal without reading the complaint and in-favor of the company that was named, before you write something that makes any sense read the original complaint. The company XM radio helped me after I purchased the automobile. They were very helpful and said that in this situation, given the facts, there should have been the required hardware installed in the car. All I should of had to do was call XM radio, enter a code after completing the complex set-up that XM radio helped me with, and the service should be available. If there is a button on the radio labeled "((XM))" that means the car has had the hardware installed. This car did not and the hardware that I would need would have cost me about $1000 more. This is coming from the manager t XM radio I spoke to. So, if you have no idea about what you are saying just writing to get noticed, go to another site where you can play those games. I took XM radio's advice, went to the Service Dept. at the dealer I purchased the car from (L.H. Miller Honda in Murray, Utah USA) and I was told you need to have the hardware installed. The Assistant Manager Technician agreed with me when he looked at the car. He said, it appears it should work with what he sees marked on the radio. he suggested I go back home and call XM radio and talk to another Manager. he was shocked that the radio would have a button marked "((XM))" RADIO/AUX, which had no other purpose, the car should have been equipped with the proper hardware so that all I needed to do is sign-up for the service, go through the connect procedure with XM Radio, and that would be ended. Also, when I went to pick up the car, the salesman told me that with the "((XM))" radio logo under a button it usually means I ned to call the company to sign-up for the service. He even gave me the pamphlet to call them and what briefly describes the service. If you want to fill-out a rebuttal and act like an expert, you will look much better if you know what you are talking about and READ the Rip-Off Report.

Well, I've become educated through this complanit. I too would have thought the XM was ready to go and all I needed to do was subscribe - even without the salesman telling me that - but especially if he did tell me that. I agree, he should have told you, when questioned, that you would have to buy additional hardware. Most likely he did not know and it was not intentional scamming but it would not suprise me if it was intentional either - I've had many salesman where I knew much more about the car than they did by the time I started shopping. Some of these guys flip flop from dealer to dealer, brand to brand, etc. They usually learn more about the car from me than me learning from them. They should not label the product "XM Ready" - that is very misleading - I'd place most of the blame here on the manufacturer - they should at least hang a tag from the radio that says XM subscription and additional hardware is required - if they are advertising XM Ready on the face of the radio. It should be plainly spelled out in the manual too. For that matter - every single car that has a radio is XM ready as for under $200 you can go to best buy and have the Roadie and other models hooked to and played through your radio. Your complaint is very very valid against the manufacturer in my opinion. As for the dealer, if intentional shame on them. If not intentional, shame on them for not having knowledgeable salespeople so this kind of thing could have been avoided from the beginning.. As for a solution if you really want XM - as suggested by another poster, go to a car stereo shop and look at the options for much less cost. You may even choose to get the add-on with a craddle version - the great thing about this is you can get a craddle for another vehicle, a boom box, a in-home craddle, etc and use the radio where ever you want - with only ONE subscription - that is what i do. Avoid getting an option where it is wireless FM modulated from the XM radio to your car radio - I've never gotten good clear sound from those - get the wired modulator in the car. Best of luck to you.

I found out that the information I was told by the car salesman who told me all I needed to do was sign-up for the service was not honest to me. He said the car was all set to get XM radio. The service department said there is nothing that will allow me to get XM radio if I call the company. I need to pay $800-$1000 and have the equipment installed. L.H. Miller Honda sales manager, are you sleeping OK at night? L.H. Miller, with al your money, can you not check-up or hire a "paid employee" to work a little at your Honda dealer and see what really is going on there?

Kent, you are right to be upset in regards to the "goose chase" you had to go through just to attempt to get any assistance in getting your Honda XM tuner working. Unfortunately, "XM Ready" (or "Sat ready") often means that the radio is CAPABLE of controlling an XM tuner, but the tuner box is not EQUIPPED from the factory. Example: I installed a Nissan/Infiniti XM radio tuner in an "XM ready" 2004 Infiniti G35. Parts cost to customer: about $300. And that's considered expensive. The fact that some (incompetent) dealer/parts desk stated over $1,000 is ridiculous! Sorry to hear that you had so much to deal with. Welcome to the real world-incompentence is the norm, and not many dealer shops can deal with even fundamental electronics add-ons without blaming every failure on an act of God. Basically, you have two choices: 1. Find a GOOD dealer to set you straight on the XM add-on tuner costs, and have it installed by a reputable stereo shop, which will cost much less! 2. Buy aftermarket equipment, and get more features/choices/lower cost, but avoid Best Buy Good luck. Someone out there actually wants to earn your business and will give you straight advice! XM is great! O & A XM202!!

The point of my initial Rip-Off Report was that I purchased a brand-new car that states on the car (rather on the radio), was told by the sales guy, and the service tech, that all I had to do was call XM Radio and I would be all set. After dealing with the Honda dealer, I did call XM Radio, because I thought the same thing. it is so darn obvious that this car HAS XM Radio by the way Honda has advertised it, even with its own button, antenna, gold lettering above the insert for CDs that read; "(((XM Radio))) Ready. The lady at XM Radio helped me for 45 minutes (approx that amount of time), and she finally told me (after talking to her supervisor) that the car is not ready for XM Radio. We tried button, codes, combination of buttons, etc. and nothing happened. She said if the car was ready for XM Radio, with the initial problem solution we went through, the XM Radio button would have worked. I later bring it back to the Honda dealer, talk to the Service Manager, and he tells me it is not ready in the sense that all I need to do is sign up for the service. I need to have some equipment installed and this is around $1000- $1400 including labor. That is the moral of this story. I was ripped off. I was lied to. Honda put a car together that is misleading. Even the service tech agreed it is very misleading. So, if I go to some other place and get equipment for a lesser fee is beside the point of my original post. I appreciate the info. but it makes this Rip-Off still that--a Rip-Off by Honda Automobile Corp, INC.

Hey Kent - it sounds like your vehicle is XM ready but not operating properly. There is no way it will take an additional $1200 worth of equipment - you can get a car XM equipped from scratch for under $200 at BestBuy. When you turn it on XM is there a code in the display? If there is go to XM.com and you can subscribe there using that code. If it does not work after that call XM and tell them you subscribed and are not getting the stations and let them troubleshoot. (remember not to be checking it in your garage as you cannot get a satellite signal there) If after that it does not work it is an equipment problem and take it to a different Honda dealer if necessary for warranty. I can tell you when you get an XM at like BestBuy and hook it up there is one channel that will display the code for that radio - but as I remember you can pick up a few other channels free too - are you getting that? I'd say if not it is an equipment problem. But I'm with you - it has got to be XM ready based on what you are saying about the emblems on the radio face and the antenna. Good luck and let us know what you find