I took my 2005 MDX in for service this week. It has 100900 miles on it and when scheduling they told me I should go ahead and have the 105k service since I had missed the last scheduled service.

When I went to drop my car off and asked if we could just do the normal service and wait to do the 105k service the service counselor said, let me take a look at a couple of things and we can decide. He popped the hood walked around and said he recommended going ahead and doing it because the timing belt needed replacing at 105k anyway. At that time I indicated I thought the timing belt had already been replaced but because we were new to the area, he did not have my previous service records and insisted there was signs of wear.

I went ahead and agreed because I didn't want to risk it and had to get to work. Come home and my spouse tells me the timing belt was replaced in 2012 so I called the original dealer and confirmed it was done at 74k and faxed me the paperwork.

What do I do from here? I am suspicious of fraud at this local dealer. What is the likelihood a timing belt would need replacement in less than 2 years, 30k miles?

Lesson learned to have them call our old dealer to look up previous work before agreeing to any new major work. I will admit I am not the best at keeping up with the paper records and am disappointed there is not a national service records database.

Advice?!

 

looks like you drank the kool aid the new dealer gave you. from what i understand you can't even see the TB without removing the cover within the engine bay.

unless you ask for the old parts back you'll never know what the condition of the belt was.

the lesson here....you need to know the service history of the car no matter what. forgetting a TB service is kinda hard to do since it's a pricey venture. i think you're pretty SOL in this case. it's an expensive lesson since the work was already done.

i know the entire service history of both my cars...i have all the receipts and the entire record recorded into a spreadsheet. yes, i'm a little anal it's a strange disease...my dealer teases me about it.

sorry to hear that your wallet is a bit lighter...

 

^ Yea same here, I'm pretty sure you have to open up a part of the engine before you can see the timing belt.

Unless he was looking at the serpentine belt.. lol

 

Wow, you must be rich if somebody tells you you need a very expensive timing belt change and instead of double checking if it had already been done you just say "ehhh go ahead and do it, I have to go to work".

Are you sure it was the timing belt and not the drive belt? The timing belt would be at least $600 job and would take about 5 hours. Not something you can quickly get done before work.

 

Life always throws lessons at us, but you have some recourse. Call and open up a case with Acura Client Relations.

Remember most service writers receive a commision on the amount of work they bring in. I wise man once said to NEVER trust anyone on commision, even if she's your own mother.

 

AS a auto-tech myself, it suprises me that customers don't really know their car as well as they should.

I sometimes make timing belt recommendations based off the mileage and the age of the vehicle. If a customer cannot remeber being pounded in the ass near the wallet region, then we strongly suggest a timing belt job be done. I mean, who dosn't remember paying $600-$1000 for a service on their 8 year old car? All at once.

You are now a proud owner of a new timing belt, and with it comes the assurance that you have another 50,000 miles of engine life ahead of you. That is assuming that you can remember when you got your last oil change, and if they, or any shop, suggests you do a drain and fill on your transmission....BELIEVE IT !!

In a lot of cases, removing components to "JUST SEE' if the timing belt needs to be replaced is a time consuming process. Just try and take a peek into a Toyota Tundra timing cover in 5-10 minutes. You can't, and the tech isn't going to waste an hour of his time trying to look.

I'm sorry you got an un-necessary repair done on your vehicle, but what you have learned is a life lesson thats worth it's weight in gold. Next time, you'll know to have that info stored away in your memory.

I remember a customer last year who said he didn't need a timing belt on his Ford Ranger with 210,000 miles on it. "It's been done before", he said. 3 days later, it came back on a tow truck. Timing belt broke, and took the engine with it. When i looked at the part # on the belt, I called my brother, who has been a Ford tech for 18 years, and he said "yup...thats an old part #. We stopped selling those years ago, because Ford came out with a newer updated belt. It's never been done."

 

Hard lesson learned but I would make a complaint as I'm sure his behavior is not what Acura wants to be associated with their brand.

 

Sorry to hear about this. I learned harder lessons, though, so, don't feel like you're the only one in this dept. Would recommend taking this up with Acura Customer Relations. Have noticed a deterioration in service/attitude with last few visits to Acura Svc Department, locally. This, coupled with some strange updates/new models (esp. sedans), smacks of a decided and unwelcome change in a car company for which I have been a rabid exponent. Not sure they can pull out of this with current, corporate policy (insistence amidst loud public displeasure to keep the "beak" grill design, etc.) that wreaks of lingering problems from the 90's (see book, "Arrogance and Accords: The Inside Story of the Honda Scandal"). While we love our Acura/Hondas, nonetheless, they are, after all, made/sold/serviced by mere mortals.

 

This is all about money. The dealership need cash flow, the more the better. That's why they will do everything possible to squeeze money from their customers. If they don't have your service records, they will push you to do all of the items. They don't care if it's been done or not. They need money.

So, what you, the owner, should do before you go into a shop, is to be clear what you need them to do to your car. Don't let them tell you what they want to do. Remember, you are the one that hire them to service your car, not the other way around.