MrChad

Well, long time on the board but the wife and I just moved to the Chicago-land area. Plainfield-Romeoville area to be more exact, I have 2 questions.

1. Since we have the extended warranty and a much-much smaller garage now I would like to service the TSX at an Acura dealer for the time being. Are there any recommended dealers in the area that use true Honda motor oil (vs. quaker state, etc.) or maybe that offer full synthetic Castrol/Mobil 1 as an option (at a cost of course.) I'm pretty anal about my dealerships so I'm looking to board for recommendations. I had only 1 I trusted back in Ohio-land.

2. My comapny car (test mule for tint shop and our TSX needs a good tint job. What are some of the recommended tint shops in the area. I assume the TSX will need the full moleskin job, we don't have Navi but I'd still concider ceramic tints. My Accord has all metal tint 35% and I wasn't too happy with my Ohio installer.

Sorry for nagging a post like this again..LOL
I chose not to use the "search" as maybe some noobs to the board might have dealers in Chicago-land they like. Plus summer is coming and tint is always needed this time of year.

JayRoam

I just bought my TSX at Muller's Woodfield Acura last week. My friend works the parts department. Give them a call!

Be careful about tints in Chicagoland. I learned the hard way on my CRX. Anything behind the front seats is legal, but cops (state, county, and city) always contend that any tint at all is illegal and will write you a ticket anyway.

fedlawman

Hey MrChad,

How do you like Plainfield-Romeoville? It looks like I'll be relocating to Chicago from Seattle sometime this summer, and I've spent countless hours surfing Remax.com looking at houses/neighborhoods. Can you offer any advice on nice places to live? I'll be looking for a 4 bedroom house (wife, kids, and stuff take up a lot of space) in a kid-friendly neighborhood with good schools. I'll be commuting mostly to the West Chicago area (looks like it's about 15 miles north of Plainfield, accrding to Mapquest.com), and I'd really like to stay below $400K (the lower, the better).

I'm interested in hearing about your moving experience.

msnegur

Not like you’d have to bother driving that far, but at any cost avoid the Bob Rorhman’s Arlington Acura in Palatine! They’ve sold me my brand new TSX with a minor cosmetic defect, but a defect nonetheless. I’ve been back and forth with the Acura Customer Service (what a bunch of quacks, after owning 7 Hondas my family and I will never buy another again) but nothing got resolved. I service my TSX at the Libertyville Acura – the customer service there is impeccable!

Mokos23

Oh yeah? I know where that is, what Acura dealer do you go to down there in Plainfield?

Hey msnegur how is the service at Pauly Acura? Yeah after the TSX, I might want to try Infiniti or Lexus next.

msnegur

If anyone is interested to read this garbage, here is the complaint I filed with the BBB:


Consumer's Original Complaint :

I purchased a brand new 2004 Acura TSX from the Arlington Acura/Lexus on Saturday, November 6, 2004 with 10 miles on the odometer (VIN: JH4CL96884C046488). On Tuesday, the 9th, while showing my new purchase to my co-workers, one of them asked me about the holes on the bottom of the rear bumper. As I looked down, to my surprise, I saw three 1/4 of an inch holes positioned precisely about 6-8 inches away from each other with the middle hole located strictly in the middle. It's quite evident that the holes were drilled from the inside out, because the shavings from the drilling were sticking outward. In addition, it looks like the drilling was done well after the bumper was painted. Another evident piece to this "modification" is that in order for those holes to be drilled from the inside, the bumper would have to be removed, since the foam inside would prevent any kind of tool from reaching in. After this discovery, I called the Sales Associate, Greg Z., who sold the car to me. For the record, Greg has been the most customer-oriented car salesman I've ever met, and he's been nothing but help. I asked him to find out if those holes were there for a reason. When he called me back, he told me that the only other TSX that was on the lot didn't have any visible holes. He also advised to have the Service Dept have a look at it. Since I already had an appointment that evening to have the splashguards installed, when I came to the dealership, I showed the drillings to the service associate. He told me that these holes were probably there for an underbody kit, which is an optional feature. To double check, I walked over to the Parts department and asked the man at the counter to show me the blueprints for the kit installation. After looking through the printouts I found out that the factory predrilled holes for the kit are located on the very bottom of the bumper (parallel to the ground), as opposed to the drillings on my car, which are about 45 degrees adjacent to the ground. Since Greg was off that evening, his manager Jeff F., along with the Finance Manager, Justin A. came over to the service area to verify the drillings. For the record, both of them have been very supportive and helpful in solving this issue. Jeff told me that he would have to advise with the General Manager, Jeff J., who was gone for the evening. Next day, on Wednesday, I took the liberty of calling Greg to follow up. After returning my call Greg told me that Mr.J. said that the dealership would replace the bumper. Since I didn't know what else could possibly be wrong with this car that evening I came over to speak to Justin about purchasing an extended warranty. While negotiating the price, I asked for Mr.J. to see what kind of a discount I could get. When Mr.J. came over, he told me that they (the dealership) would replace the bumper. After he left, while signing the paperwork for the warranty, Justin and I got into a conversation about how and where the drillings could take place. He told me that if anyone but the Acura-certified technicians were to remove the bumper, it wouldn't be put back the same way. As I was signing the warranty papers, Mr.J. came back and astonished me by telling me that he wouldn't replace the bumper because, supposedly, before the delivery there are 3 inspections that SHOULD HAVE taken place, and at least one of the technicians WOULD HAVE noticed the holes. I was shocked how the person of the highest level of authority could not stick to his word bumper replacement for longer that a few minutes. He also told me that if I wanted I could contact an attorney. When I came home that evening I told the whole story to my wife. She told me that on the same day we bought the car, while driving behind me, she noticed the spots but thought that they were part of the decor. That evening I called my lawyer and he was surprised that I would get such grief from a place as prestige as Acura over such a petty thing. He advised me to try to resolve this issue by communicating with the dealership once again, before starting a case. After calling and telling Mr.J. about my conversation with a lawyer, his views suddenly changed. He told me that he would communicate this issue across to Acura and see what they would say, and will get back with me the next day. Since I didn't hear from Mr.J. in the morning, on Thursday afternoon I called him myself. He told me that he ordered the bumper, but still hasn't heard anything from Acura. Judging by his annoyed voice over me calling him, I didn't dare to ask if by "anything" he meant whether it would be the Acura covering the bill or myself. On Friday, November 12th, about 24 hours after the last conversation I called Mr.J. to follow up on the progress. He told me that he hasn't heard from Acura, and when I asked him on the approximate timeline, was when his response completely stomped me. He angrily replied that he would no longer replace the bumper. Moreover, he said, "You made those holes." When I asked him to repeat to what I thought I misheard, he said once again, that it was I who drilled those holes. I asked for Bob Rohrman's phone number, and then politely ended the conversation. Immediately after our conversation I called 765-448-1000 and the operator told me that the customer complaints go though Craig G., who was with the customer at that moment. I decided to call him back later and called the Acura Client Services at 800-382-2238 (case # B…..). After explaining the problem, the operator said that the complaint will be forwarded to the management and I should expect to hear from them in a couple of days, but also advised for me to call Bob R's group back again to see if the issue would be resolved quicker. I called Bob R's group again and was able to speak to Craig G. He asked me to compose an email with a detailed description of what happened and told me that he would forward my message to Mr. R. himself. I never heard from R's group since. On Tuesday, November 16th, I got a call from an Acura representative, Erin (800-382-2238 option 3), and she told me that Acura decided not to replace the bumper, and there's nothing Acura could do for me regarding this issue. She also advised me to contact an attorney. Later that week I called my lawyer and he told me to get an estimate on the repairs. He told me that if the estimate is less than 6% of the MSRP there is, probably, not much he'd be able to do for me. I got an estimate from the Acura of Libertyville body shop, and it was only about 3% of the value. To my disbelief a customer service like this, or lack there of, occurred in a highly thought of business like Acura.


Consumer's Desired Resolution:
Bumper replacement

BBB Processing
12/13/2004 Complaint Received by BBB
12/16/2004 Member or MIP Complaint Validated by BBB Operator
12/16/2004 Send Acknowledgement to Consumer
12/16/2004 Inform MIP Member of Complaint
01/03/2005 No response to first notice to business
01/03/2005 Consumer - Have You Heard From the Company
01/03/2005 Second Notice to MIP Business
01/14/2005 Member Company No Response - Third Notice
01/25/2005 MIP Final Notice to Company- Certified
02/10/2005 Receive Business Response

Mr. S. took delivery of an Acura TSX on November 6th, 2004. On November 9th, Mr. S. called the dealership and spoke to Greg Z., his salesperson, saying that his bumper had some damage on it and that he would like to have it fixed at no charge because he said, “the car came like that from the factory.” Remember this is three days after he took delivery. Since the car was not in front of us, and since Mr. S. insisted that the car came from the factory that way, we told Mr. S. “if it is factory damage, Acura will fix it.”
Mr. S. finally brought the car in for the inspection, and we had it inspected. We had our Service Manager as well as technicians inspect the vehicle. They all concurred that someone had drilled holes in the bumper to install back-up sensors. They all agreed whoever had drilled the holes in the bumper, was trying to install back-up sensors ( a cheap aftermarket version), decided that the job was too difficult, and gave up.
Even after all the investigation, we tried to help Mr. S. We called Acura and tried to have it covered under warranty. But they refused, saying ther was no way they could have put those holes in the bumper. When informed of the factory decision, Mr. S. became very abusive and threatening. Having given up all hopes of resolving this issue amicably, we even offered to cancel the deal and offered Mr. S. a complete refund. He still refused (since at that time the car only had 200 miles.)
Our contention is that there is absolutely no way Acura Motor Division would deliver a vehicle with holes in the bumper to an Acura dealership. It is not possible for the porter to accept a vehicle from the transport person with holes in the bumper. There is no possibility of a mechanic doing an inspection of the vehicle and not pointing out to someone that there were holes in the bumper. Our New Car Delivery Person would have noticed holes in the bumper, or maybe the salesperson, Mr. Greg Z. would have noticed holes in the bumper.
And finally, the customer taking delivery of the vehicle would have asked someone, “Hey, what are those holes for?” At least five people at the dealership looked over the car before it was delivered and they all concur there were no holes in the bumper.
At this point there is nothing we can do for Mr. S., except maybe sell him a new bumper at our cost, and install it for him at a discounted labor rate. If this is acceptable, please have him call Jeff J. at (847) 991-9000.


02/11/2005

Dear BBB,
Al lot of information Mr. J. claims in this letter (his response) is false. However, it does not surprise me since he was lying to me in front of his employees the day we met (11/10/2004) about first fixing the bumper at no cost and then changing his mind about it. I would like to make corrections to his intentionally untrue information by taking the quotes from Mr. J.'s letter one at a time and telling my side of the story.
In the first paragraph he states that I said that my '' bumper had some damage on it and that he I would like to have it fixed at no charge because he I said, '' the car came like that from the factory'''', and also that I '' insisted that the car came from the factory that way''. This information is false since I never put the blame on either the factory nor the Arlington Acura dealership. What I did say, however, was that my Acura TSX was delivered to me with 3 holes in the bumper.
In the second paragraph he says that the inspectors all agreed that '' whoever had drilled the holes in the bumper, was trying to install the back-up sensors ''. This information was never told given to me at any time. In my defense, and to prove that neither I nor anyone else outside the dealership drilled the holes, in my original complaint I included the conversation from the 11/10/2004 that I had with the Arlington Acura Finance Manager, Justin A., who told me that if anyone but the Acura-certified technicians were to remove the bumper, it wouldn't be put back the same way. Even without Mr. A.'s expertise, it's quite evident that the holes were drilled from the inside out, because the shavings from the drilling were sticking outward. In addition, it looks like the drilling was done well after the bumper was painted. Another obvious piece to this "modification" is that in order for those holes to be drilled from the inside, the bumper would have to be removed, since the foam inside would prevent any kind of tool from reaching in.
In the third paragraph Mr. J. stated that I '' became very abusive and threatening''. This is an absolute lie. Unless by the ''threatening'' he means me contacting my lawyer, which Mr. J. himself suggested on 11/10/2004. Also, in this paragraph, his letter says that I was a offered a complete refund for canceling the deal. This information is false since not only was I not offered to break the deal, but when I myself asked the deal to be broken, Mr. J., in front of Justin A., told me that he would not cancel the deal since the car is damaged (referring to the holes in the bumper).
In the fifth paragraph Mr. J.'s letter stated that I as a customer '' would have asked someone'' as to what are the holes in the bumper for. Typically when a customer purchases a brand new car his/her concerns would be of the cosmetic issues (dents, scratches). It certainly would not be something like the holes that are drilled precisely about 6-8 inches away from each other with the middle hole located strictly in the middle; especially when the holes are about 45 degrees adjacent to the ground, which makes it very hard to notice without lifting the car on the rack.
In conclusion, Mr. J.'s conditions of the bumper replacement could not meet my satisfaction. Since the damage to my car was not made by my party I do not believe I should be responsible for any charges suggested by his letter. My satisfaction will be met upon the replacement of the painted in my car's color bumper free of parts and labor charges.
Sincerely,
MS


02/15/2005

mr s. continues to lie and tell half truths.here are the facts.we did offer to cancel the deal when the car had less than a hundred miles on it(which we cannot do now).fact the car did not come from the factory with holes in the back bumper(we spoke with many people who looked at the car or worked on it).fact you do not need to put the car on a lift to look at the holes(another lie).fact,mr s. was threatening and abusive(we have witnesses).fact is that we regret the fact that we sold mr s. a car.we wish him well but would request that in the future he should take his business elsewhere.


02/23/2005

Since Mr. J. was able to lie to my face, why would he behave any differently in writing? To clear any confusion, I will state once again that per the phone conversation with the Arlington Acura's salesperson Greg Z., Mr. J. did offer to cancel the deal upon my arrival to the dealership, but for no apparent reason, changed his mind when I arrived the next day. According to our face-to-face conversation Mr. J. would NOT cancel the deal not because of the mileage but because the bumper was damaged, which he was aware of in the first place.
Not at any point in time did I mention that the car had to be put on the lift to see the holes. However, I did say that one would have to lean down to find them. It is quite evident to all of us that a consumer would not be looking for any uncommon damages as such when buying a brand new car! Typically customers would look only for visible scratches or dents, which is what I did before signing the release form.
The most ridiculous thing out this ordeal is that Mr. J. claims that I was ''threatening and abusive''! If he has anyone to testify to this, and, according to his response he does claim to have witnesses, let them come out and speak. The only people I remember dealing with while trying to resolve this issue were the sales associate Greg Z., his manager Jeff F., and the Finance Manager, Justin A.. If any one of them are willing to false-testify to Mr. J.'s untrue claims, let them; in turn I'll be able to provide a large number of people who have known me for a long period of time and will attest that I'm a quiet, intelligent, and a reasonable person, and being threatening and abusive is not my nature.
In conclusion, it is unfortunate that the Arlington Acura, which is owned by a prestigious Bob R's Group, is managed by someone as unprofessional as Mr. J. However, I do not regret buying my car from the Arlington Acura since other associates at this business (salesperson Greg Z. as an example) were customer oriented and did provide a high level of customer satisfaction. Because of this unfathomable incident I'll will indeed take my business elsewhere in the future.


03/15/2005 Case Closed AJR

msnegur

I’ve been servicing my family’s and my previous Hondas at the Libertyville Pauly Honda and the service has always been outstanding. Haven’t been to the Pauly’s Acura yet, though. Highland Park is a little out of my way. Plus the Libertyville Acura has done a heck of a job so far.

MrChad

msneger I wouldn't give up on Acura-Honda because of one dealer.

When my Accord was new I had a warranty claim at Jeff Wyler Honda in Cincinnati it was a very frustrating experience that almost lead to selling the Accord. But after finding another dealer the car has been great and I still own and love the Accord.

Like I said, I'm picky about my dealerships, a good dealer can make all the difference.

msnegur

I absolutely agree with you that giving up on a brand based on a bad experience from one of its vendors is unreasonable. However, after the Acura Customer Service tells you over and over again that they cannot be held responsible and thus would not replace the damaged part, and that they do not get into the dealership’s affairs, this is where I draw the line. I was even able to get the phone number of the Vice President of Operations. After leaving him a voicemail asking to intervene, guess who I got the call back from – the same agent from the Acura Customer Service I dealt with previously. Same agent – same response: their cars come from the factory damage-free and they do not have any control over what happens once it leaves the docks. Why would you pay more for an Acura if you can get the same reliability from Honda? Sure you get a slicker body style and a more comfortable ride. But you also want to believe that you’re getting an upgrade on the customer service, don’t you? As much as don’t wish for any of you to ever be forced dealing with the Acura CS, if you ever do you’ll understand my frustration.

MrChad

Ok I did a quick search from Acura, one of the nearest dealers to me is Continental Acura of Naperville. They appear to use Castrol oils. I assume this means I could pay the premium and get Syntec during my scheduled dealer service. I've always had good luck using Syntec in my other cars.

Anyone know much about these folks, they had the prices of service available online which is always a plus to see they are honest up front about the costs.

Any feed back, our 10,000mi service is close approaching and I may use them for the service. Since we have the extended warranty I've had good experience going through dealer network a time or two for an oil change yearly to show a record of servicing. It's helped me out with warranty repairs (I've even had them find things and repair them under the warranty.) in the past, even when the car was out of warranty--I've had minor repairs covered.

So I'm thinking our TSX may visit them for oil changes, especially come winter when it's snowing out

BlackAc036

I got mine in HP at Pauly Acura great sevicing and great people...

SHIFI

Try Mcgrath Acura In Westmount Illinois , It's Very Close To Romeoville.
I Live In Riverside And The Last 6 Oil Change I Took My Car To Them.
I Was Always Setisfied With Their Service It,s Also A Nice Facility.
About The Oil If You Change You Oil Every 3000-5000 Miles Like I Do, It Does Not Matter If You Using Sintatic Or Regular Oil.
My Car Is Less Then A Year Old With 22508 Milles On It And Included Some Track Driving And Runs Like Just Came Off The Show Room.
By The Way Westmount Acura Using A Semi Sintetic Motor Oil By Velvoline But If You Want To Pay 87.00 Dollars For A Full Sintetic Oil Change They Game !!! I Have Some Nice Pic Of My Tsx But I Don't Know How To Post Them IT'S too Bad That You Can't Just Copy And Paste To This Massage!!
So Long And Happy Racing Fellows
Shifi Da Hun