Hello.

I am sorry for the length of this post but it explains all the detail of my situations. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Bought a 05 Acura TSX in January of 2008.
I take my in for service and regular maintenance as per the service manual on time and it is the only place i bring it to.

Here is where the problem starts:

December 9th, 2010 - I took my car in for its regular maintenance and they performed a "Type D Service".

Got my car back and travled approximately 1500km and noticed some rattling sounds, could not find the problem until I got back home from vacation and noticed that my rear driver's side brake calliper has no bolts in it. So literally I could pull off the calliper right off the disc.

The dealer "Acura on Brant" in Burlington, Ontario. Gave me compensation for this mishap and left it at that.

Next problem.


October 31st, 2011 - Took car in for a check engine and VTC light that came on. Car was not shifting at the correct rpm and had no power.

Dealer said they have to order a "VTC Solenoid"
Call back to dealer 3 weeks later and ask where part is, they respond that port was never ordered! Part comes in Dec 7th.

Next MAJOR Problem
On December 10th, 2011. My transmission fails completely and have to have it towed to the dealership (Acura on Brant - Burlington, ON)

Next business day I go speak with service department and explain the situation, they forward maintenance records to Acura Canada because car is under warranty. I do not hear a phone call back until January 12th, 2012. Acura Canada has declined replacement due to not having a transmission flush done.

(I bought my car at 74,000km and is now at 150,000km)

I ask why this is not part of the regular maintenance and was never offered nor told about this service. They respond with (it is in your service manual which you need to follow)

Make a long story short The Dealership Owner (Leggatt Auto Group) The District Manager is willing to replace the Transmission plus 50% of the labor.

$4500 New Transmission from Dealer
$1100 Install from Dealer

I feel I should not have to pay the half of the labor because of these issues.

Not to mention the service manager at (Acura on Brant) Andrew C. spoke with me on the phone and made rude comments like: "I wan't your car outta my shop"

I have maintained professionalism and very business like with this entire transaction and should not be receiving this type of service.


PLEASE RESPOND WITH YOUR THOUGHTS

 

sorry to hear that-dealers like that ruin it for the good dealers. Did you call Acura client services and try to explain the problems you had.

 

i would have gone to a different dealer after the first one or two incidences. then complained up a storm. sorry for your current situation OP...get the car fixed then never go back there. thisis why dealers always get a bad wrap. there are good ones out there, then you have these.

 

I'd stop going to the dealer and call ACS about it.

Surely there's another Acura dealer you could go to? Or at least a Honda dealer? Or perhaps an independent at this point?

Also, what is a Type D service?

 

Sorry to hear about your story. In regards to your comment about professionalism and expecting the best service, you are not at a fancy 5 star Hotel nor a client of an investment broker.

Its a grunt shop, so you shouldn't expect best service all the time but rather be prepared to get haggled when dealing with auto shops and dealerships.


But there are good honest dealerships and auto repair shops out there, just have to find them.

 

I just expect safe and up-front service.
The thing with the brake calliper bolt not putting them back in is INEXCUSABLE. The not ordering a part for 3 weeks is INEXCUSABLE. Not just taking the matter and wiping it clean by paying out another $500 is INEXCUSABLE!

 

There has to. To be some kind of consumer law regarding these issues?

 

With your current transmission issue, I hate to say it but ignorance is your fault. If it was my car, it would have had 3 drain and fills already.You need to read the maintenance manual and follow it, and not rely on anyone but yourself. As much as you have had bad luck with that dealer, and I don't know why you keep going back to them, I would say paying $500 for a new transmissions is a good deal that Honda is giving you. I would call back the district manager and just mention to him that you would like it replaced by another dealership because of your previous experiences. Hopefully you will get some sympathy and they may cover the entire amount.

Good Luck.

 

My dealer in Canada made the effort to let me know I should have a transmission flush done. I think if you always have your car dealer serviced they definitely should've informed you of a flush if one wasn't done. To decline warranty services because of that is pretty shady of them...

 

Right, if you are any dealer you would want to make the most money from your customers. But that doesn't mean that they have to tell you this. It is your responsibility to tell them what needs to be done and when. It is possible that the drain and fill may have been part of the issue but most likely there was a fault in the transmission. I don't think the OP is getting a bad deal out of this especially for his ignorance in not reading the owners manual. If it were me, the minute that I found out that the caliper bolt was missing, you would never see me there again. This was the only reason I started learning how to repair my car, because there are many idiots out there that are so called "experts" and mess things up because of greed. They rush through stuff and don't take their time and you end up at risk.

And to the OP, if you haven't had the brake fluid and coolant replaced (at least three times now) you are advised to do that as well.

 

went to the local (20 miles away) dealer in NC. Not pleased=they tried to tell me about the brake fluid flush which I know should be done every 3 years (according to the owners manual) They also go by mileage not the MM. I plan to check out the next closest dealer which is 90 miles away-they seem to get very good reviews-Crown Acura in Goldsboro, NC. Need a closer dealer when I can not make it to the one in PA. Hoping to get a new acura in 2013 so want to find a good one in NC in case I need work done.