Help needed!! - Acura dealer is trying to rip off my friend.
 

Hello, AZ family.
OK, story begins..
My friend's TL had the SRS light came on the dash, so he took it to Acura. They said that it would be covered under warranty and so he authorized the dealer to work on the car and took a loner car.
The next day, they called my friend and said that one of the tires is flat. They said that a small dent on the wheel caused the air leak. Since he offered the wheel repairing job for $125, my friend told them to do the job. The next day, they said the tire does not balance right because it has been sitting in flat condition for overnight, it would not be normal and will give a vibration ride on Hwy. Then they tried to sell their tires. My friend refused.
Today, they called and said the SRS light problem will not be covered under warranty and therefore he needs to pay $700 something for labor charge if he wants to take the car without getting it repaired or pay $1500 to get it repaired.
My friend told them that he wants to take the car without getting it repaired and not pay for it, because he authorized them to work on it only because they told him that it would be covered under warranty.
My question is..
1. Does my friend have a right to take his car off their lot and not pay for that BS charge legally?
2. Isn't it normal not to pay for it because they told him that it would be covered under warranty, but they say it will not be covered and wants money?

Oh shit..yes, if he has access to his car without hopping fences and all that..use the spare key and get it outta there..that is some bullshit! They have no right to keep your car. If no work was performed on the car, they really don't have a case. I can't believe that is even happening. That sounds like a back alley repair shop in the middle of nowhere, not a dealership!

A verbal agreement is a contract and if they stated it would be under warranty, then he should be covered. A talk with the GM should straighten this mess out. Unbelievable

I thought SRS and seatbelts, etc were lifetime warranty since it's safety related issues....

They are claiming that the SRS unit has been touched by someone and that caused the problem, which isn't true. My friend said that it just came on one day.

Time for a call to Acura Customer Care-ie: Corporate HQ
1-800-382-2238 x5 6a-5p pacific time
That will result in an email/blackberry sent to managers, especially the dealer service manager
Always speak directly with the manager not the service writer

When you take the car in the shop you sign a work order with a dollar amount listed as estimate- usually 1.5 hours labor - 150 $ Thats required by law to prove not car strippers.
Normally when warranty prob discovered- they write a new repair order as warranty and you pay nothing
Without your documented (time date discusion name of contacts) verbal approval of higher amount and exactly what that is for- they cannot charge you over the estimate amount
Its the LAW- I ran a shop I know
Call Acura and speak calmly with them and ask for help.

If he authorized and agreed to pay the $125 to fix the tire, then he is obligated to pay and the dealership can hold the car until payment is made, I think it's called an artisan's lein. They can't force him to pay extra just to get it out. Now if he signed a repair order that authorized the dealership to check out the SRS system, and that order stated somewhere that he is liable for labor if not covered under warranty, then that is something else. Although I'm pretty sure any warranty, original factory or extended, would cover any SRS related issues. And they can't just void a warranty on a part, it would have to be opened or tampered with.

Your SRS system (airbags, sensors, deployment ignitors) are covered for 4yrs or 50K miles from original purchase date. Depending on the date of purchase/mileage it may be out of warranty.

If he authorized them to repair the wheel for $125, he is obligated to pay this amount. If he authorized them to do a diagnostics check for the airbag and they disclose to him a fee for that- he is also liable for that. He is not obligated for any repair(parts or labor) he did not authorize. No he can't just jump in the car and take off with it using the extra keys.

His first step is to call Acura Customer service and open a claim #. The next is to make an attempt to involve the General manager or service director(if he isn't already involved). Acura wants to resolve all issues amicably and typically has a very liberal "Good will" policy when vehicles are out of the warranty period.

i would def be talking to the service manager, and if the doesnt satisfy you talk to the GM, if not a district manager..Unless he authorized more work, then just the tire repair, he is not liable for any charges after the tire repair..If he paid the charge for the tire repair, he could probably take the car, but I recommend working it out with the dealership before doing that.

I think Alt Acura Guy is wrong about the warranty on the SRS. I was told it is a LIFETIME warranty.

dont know where your friend is, but in Canada there is something call a "mechanics lien act", that clearly states that in fact they CAN hold a car until payment is made.

But if it was indicated on the invoice that it was under warranty, then the dealership is sol I would say.

Of course my friend will pay for the wheel repair, because it was authorized him and therefore he will pay for it. But, I don't think it is right to pay for the SRS repair because they said that it would be covered under warranty and that is the only reason that my friend gave them a repair order.
Anyways, the general manager from the Acura dealer called my friend and said that he will try to do something reasonable and let him keep the loner car until then.

sounds like your friend is being ripped off with there games.

If the vehicle is under the original factory warranty, then he shouldn't have to pay anything besides the wheel repair. I know part of the SRS system isn't covered under the extended warranty.