Timing Belt Package - $389 in NJ
04-13-2011, 12:57 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Timing Belt Package - $389 in NJ
So I just called up Hamilton Honda and spoke to someone named Ciele(sp?). I asked her about the timing belt special and told her I have an 05 TL. She said it would be $389 for the timing belt, water pump and accessory belts. Does that even sound right? If this is true I will totally drive down there for $389.
Does anyone mind calling to verify this for me? I did ask her in detail and she said this was the total price, I hope she was not referring to just parts!
Btw this does not include spark plugs.
Update: I also just spoke to my service tech at my local Acura who tells me the parts alone cost more than 389. He said they might just be including the belts and not the tensioners, etc. Anyone have any insight on this?
Does anyone mind calling to verify this for me? I did ask her in detail and she said this was the total price, I hope she was not referring to just parts!
Btw this does not include spark plugs.
Update: I also just spoke to my service tech at my local Acura who tells me the parts alone cost more than 389. He said they might just be including the belts and not the tensioners, etc. Anyone have any insight on this?
The following users liked this post:
JMiles_T (02-28-2012)
04-13-2011, 01:17 PM
#3
Race Director
Actually, it's $389.99. And an extra $100 for the tensioner.
Of course, had you taken time to search the forum before posting, you would have found this:
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/timing-belt-special-hamilton-798808/
and this:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...light=hamilton
Of course, had you taken time to search the forum before posting, you would have found this:
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/timing-belt-special-hamilton-798808/
and this:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...light=hamilton
04-13-2011, 02:18 PM
#5
I sent my Mom there from Delaware to get her 06 TL done. Her local dealership in West Chester wanted $1100 for the same service. I heard about the deal on here and called to verify. We made an appt and she went on a Saturday morning and they had a loaner waiting for her. She was completely satisfied with the service and the price was well worth the trip. Go for it!!!
Last edited by LoveMyTL-S; 04-14-2011 at 06:32 AM.
04-13-2011, 03:13 PM
#6
Instructor
Thread Starter
Actually, it's $389.99. And an extra $100 for the tensioner.
Of course, had you taken time to search the forum before posting, you would have found this:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=798808
and this:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...light=hamilton
Of course, had you taken time to search the forum before posting, you would have found this:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=798808
and this:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...light=hamilton
I ended up calling them to set up the deal, but now the lady (Nicole) is telling me the price has been increased to $489 - and I can only get it for $389 if I print out the coupon.
Here is the funny thing: When I visit the Hamilton Honda site on my iPhone - the website it reroutes me to a mobile version of the Hamilton Honda website optimized for iPhone - from there I can go to specials and see the $389 coupon right there.
When I go to visit it on my computer - it is completely different and the $389 does not show up.
Can anyone possible provide me with a link to the coupon page - so I can print it out when I bring my car in?
Thanks in advance!
04-13-2011, 04:48 PM
#7
Instructor
Thread Starter
Update: I heard back from Nicole and she set me up for the deal, and hooked me up with a loaner for the duration of the service (approx 6 hours).
Thanks to everyone who helped point me in the right direction!
Thanks to everyone who helped point me in the right direction!
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04-13-2011, 05:15 PM
#8
Under construction
iTrader: (3)
Thanks for the info - I actually did do a search, and had posted a thread a few days back asking for some advice on the 105K and another member told me about this hamilton honda deal - I may have overlooked the thread you posted, but I appreciate you linking it my way.
I ended up calling them to set up the deal, but now the lady (Nicole) is telling me the price has been increased to $489 - and I can only get it for $389 if I print out the coupon.
Here is the funny thing: When I visit the Hamilton Honda site on my iPhone - the website it reroutes me to a mobile version of the Hamilton Honda website optimized for iPhone - from there I can go to specials and see the $389 coupon right there.
When I go to visit it on my computer - it is completely different and the $389 does not show up.
Can anyone possible provide me with a link to the coupon page - so I can print it out when I bring my car in?
Thanks in advance!
I ended up calling them to set up the deal, but now the lady (Nicole) is telling me the price has been increased to $489 - and I can only get it for $389 if I print out the coupon.
Here is the funny thing: When I visit the Hamilton Honda site on my iPhone - the website it reroutes me to a mobile version of the Hamilton Honda website optimized for iPhone - from there I can go to specials and see the $389 coupon right there.
When I go to visit it on my computer - it is completely different and the $389 does not show up.
Can anyone possible provide me with a link to the coupon page - so I can print it out when I bring my car in?
Thanks in advance!
04-13-2011, 11:33 PM
#11
Racer
Yeah this deal is legit. I made a thread about this last June when I went. Their facilities are great. The extra tensioner is actually only $75, or at least that's what I paid for back in June 2010.
Surprised they still have this deal, I did it once I found out last year at around 88k mileage. I was afraid to pass up on such a great deal. If anyone is within the area should def get it done even if it's about a 3 hours ride. You'll save a ton!
Surprised they still have this deal, I did it once I found out last year at around 88k mileage. I was afraid to pass up on such a great deal. If anyone is within the area should def get it done even if it's about a 3 hours ride. You'll save a ton!
04-14-2011, 11:25 AM
#16
Sonofa !!! I paid over a grand for my service last year on my old TL. Hope this is around in 3 years when I need it for my TL-S ! Friggin dealers rippin people off left and right. If one dealer can do it for that price they ALL can do it. Nice 700 dollar markup dealers are getting...or more.
04-14-2011, 01:12 PM
#17
Instructor
I just called Hamilton honda and they said I could get it done this Saturday for $389.99!!!! Hall Acura in Virginia Beach wants $950.00. Looks like Ill be going home to visit some friends and family in Philly, then drop off the TL at Hamilton @ 0830!!!!! 
Last edited by yn1scott; 04-14-2011 at 01:20 PM. Reason: Fixed
04-14-2011, 01:56 PM
#18
My first Avatar....
Just got off the phone with Hamilton Honda....
$389.99 for the Timing Belt, Dirve belts and water pump
$75.00 additional for the tensioner
$464.99....total parts and labor
with NJ tax = 497.54
They also offer a free oil change as a first time customer. The oil is Dino oil so I'm paying $35 for the upgrade to full synthetic with the filter.
The deal is legit and fantastic!
$389.99 for the Timing Belt, Dirve belts and water pump
$75.00 additional for the tensioner
$464.99....total parts and labor
with NJ tax = 497.54
They also offer a free oil change as a first time customer. The oil is Dino oil so I'm paying $35 for the upgrade to full synthetic with the filter.
The deal is legit and fantastic!
04-16-2011, 07:49 AM
#20
Instructor
Thread Starter
Review:
Alright everyone I just had my Timing Belt service done at Hamilton Honda. I guess I will share my experience here for anyone else who is thinking about getting it done.
So my appointment was at 11:30, but I didn't actually get there till about 12:15. I don't make it a habit to be late to appointments, but about 15 miles from the dealership on I-95 around the "trenton" area (I think) the highway was entirely shut down...on both sides - traffic came to a crawl. At first I saw helicopters in the distance and figured it is probably a bad accident. As I came closer, I saw a number of fire trucks and then news vans....and I figured the worst. Closer, but still from a distance it seemed as if a car had rolled off the ramp which went over the highway. Believe it or not, as I got closer, I saw a fire truck with the ladder extended into a tree - result: A man had climbed high and far into a tree overlooking the freeway, above the ramp itself....so think at a height of 5-6 stories in a building. The place was a zoo - media everywhere, photographers with those HUGE white lenses, helicopters, police, fire, medical....I just had to put this in my review - jersey is definitely an interesting place.
So anyway, back to the review. I got into the dealership around 12:15. On first glance, the place is HUGE. I don't know how big your dealership is where you live, but later I found out the service area actually has 38 bays. That is HUGE to me! The check in was pretty quick and efficient. I actually never met the person whom I had been talking on the phone to set this whole thing up - Nicole. For the most part, I dealt with Sal, who was my service advisor.
Overall, I felt they did a good job. I can totally see why they are running this special - they have such a huge facility and they are fairly new so they are building clientele. You could easily tell the dealership is heavily focused on return business - which they probably knew they might not be getting from me despite me living far away. Anyhow, when I called in (Wednesday), I got the appointment for Friday and Nicole had even set me up with a loaner car. That process was pretty quick and simple. Only difference is, unlike Acura, when you return the loaner you are responsible for filling up the tank. That cost me roughly about $8.50. The service experience there was pretty pleasant - compared to my other experiences in NJ - it was quite pleasant. After I dropped my car off, I was out of there by about 12:30 when the car went in the shop. And it was done ready to be picked up at 5:15 - washed and ready. So they worked on it pretty quickly. Here is what I had done:
Timing Belt Package + Tensioner - Which ran me the $389.98 + $75 + taxes = Roughly $500
About 1.5 hours into the service I got a call from Sal. He told me that the MTF and Brake Fluid needed to be changed. I know I was due for the Brake Fluid, and as of recently I had been noticing shifting was also a little bit "tight". I wanted to hold out for the GM fluid, but I just decided that I was getting a great deal here - they have my car in the shop and I don't know how much time I have to bring it to another shop and leave it there....so I told them to go ahead and do it.
They charged:
$123 - Brake Fluid Flush
$89 - MTF Change (They use the Honda stuff - it's "okay" I suppose)
In total my bill with taxes and all came to $727.xx
In essence, there is not "too much" to do around there. Right next door there is a shopping plaza with a bunch of chain restaurants (Red Robin, Cracker Barrel Chilli's, etc), and a few shops like Staples, Old Navy. My wife came for the trip with me and wanted to go to the mall and we found one called "Quaker Ridge" about 7.5 miles away. Nothing to write home about - it was an avg mall. We finally drove back by the dealership and went to Red Robin, where I began to notice something about NJ. They are not very "customer-centric". Not the Honda dealership in particular, but just in general. Of all the stores in the mall we went to back to the Red Robin (horrible service by the way, just terrible - food was good though). I got the feeling that they are not very customer focused. But then again I live in a state which is heavily customer focused in my opinion, so maybe I'm just used to be treated differently. Anyhow - enough of that. If you go to Hamilton Honda and cannot get a loaner car - they have a shuttle which can drop you off where you like. I hear there is a train if you want to travel somewhere (say Philly which is about 1 hour away, or NYC which should me about 1.5).
You can also stay in the facility itself while your car is done. They literally have everything there. There is a good sized lounge with a flat screen TV on the wall. A few comfy chairs. There is a deli/sandwich shop inside the dealership where you can eat lunch. They have a business center/computer room with a handful of computers and working areas that they provide for you.
So that in essence is my review of my experience in NJ & Hamilton Honda. One thing I was debating adding, but I guess I'll just go ahead and add it not to be biased. While I felt that Hamilton was very pleasant to deal with and so forth. I was pretty upset I never got to meet Nicole (I asked a couple times and Sal told me she is in the back doing something). At one point he asked me if I had talked to anyone else or called in beforehand (I got the feeling they work on commission and might be fishing - but in essence I hadn't called before or talked to him). Otherwise he was quite pleasant for the whole experience. But I feel like when the car was finished and I came back in to pick it up - it was almost a complete 180. He quickly rushed me to the payment counter - there were a few people in line. He dropped my keys and invoice w/ the girl at the register and quickly hurried back. Said he'd see me on the way out. After I paid I got to his desk and he quickly shook my hand and just got back to his paperwork. Not saying he was rude, or unpleasant - just saying I got the feeling like "okay we got your money - on to the next one". Bottom line is: I really don't appreciate people who behave in this manner because I am very big on customer service...so I'd likely not be buying a car from them (not that I want a Honda anyway) - but I just wanted to be fair and impartial so I mentioned this part also.
That being said - the actual "service" of the car experience went very well. They even threw in the oil change and washed and vacuumed the car for me and parked it outside. I suppose you get what you pay for - which is totally cool. I know if I took it to Acura they would have helped me with my wife's bags (she did a bit of shopping) transferring from the loaner back into my car instead of watching us walk through the door way with 10 bags in my hand. But then again, i also saved about $500 - so it's all good!
Hope my review helps someone who is considering Hamilton for their service. Any questions, just holler.
Alright everyone I just had my Timing Belt service done at Hamilton Honda. I guess I will share my experience here for anyone else who is thinking about getting it done.
So my appointment was at 11:30, but I didn't actually get there till about 12:15. I don't make it a habit to be late to appointments, but about 15 miles from the dealership on I-95 around the "trenton" area (I think) the highway was entirely shut down...on both sides - traffic came to a crawl. At first I saw helicopters in the distance and figured it is probably a bad accident. As I came closer, I saw a number of fire trucks and then news vans....and I figured the worst. Closer, but still from a distance it seemed as if a car had rolled off the ramp which went over the highway. Believe it or not, as I got closer, I saw a fire truck with the ladder extended into a tree - result: A man had climbed high and far into a tree overlooking the freeway, above the ramp itself....so think at a height of 5-6 stories in a building. The place was a zoo - media everywhere, photographers with those HUGE white lenses, helicopters, police, fire, medical....I just had to put this in my review - jersey is definitely an interesting place.
So anyway, back to the review. I got into the dealership around 12:15. On first glance, the place is HUGE. I don't know how big your dealership is where you live, but later I found out the service area actually has 38 bays. That is HUGE to me! The check in was pretty quick and efficient. I actually never met the person whom I had been talking on the phone to set this whole thing up - Nicole. For the most part, I dealt with Sal, who was my service advisor.
Overall, I felt they did a good job. I can totally see why they are running this special - they have such a huge facility and they are fairly new so they are building clientele. You could easily tell the dealership is heavily focused on return business - which they probably knew they might not be getting from me despite me living far away. Anyhow, when I called in (Wednesday), I got the appointment for Friday and Nicole had even set me up with a loaner car. That process was pretty quick and simple. Only difference is, unlike Acura, when you return the loaner you are responsible for filling up the tank. That cost me roughly about $8.50. The service experience there was pretty pleasant - compared to my other experiences in NJ - it was quite pleasant. After I dropped my car off, I was out of there by about 12:30 when the car went in the shop. And it was done ready to be picked up at 5:15 - washed and ready. So they worked on it pretty quickly. Here is what I had done:
Timing Belt Package + Tensioner - Which ran me the $389.98 + $75 + taxes = Roughly $500
About 1.5 hours into the service I got a call from Sal. He told me that the MTF and Brake Fluid needed to be changed. I know I was due for the Brake Fluid, and as of recently I had been noticing shifting was also a little bit "tight". I wanted to hold out for the GM fluid, but I just decided that I was getting a great deal here - they have my car in the shop and I don't know how much time I have to bring it to another shop and leave it there....so I told them to go ahead and do it.
They charged:
$123 - Brake Fluid Flush
$89 - MTF Change (They use the Honda stuff - it's "okay" I suppose)
In total my bill with taxes and all came to $727.xx
In essence, there is not "too much" to do around there. Right next door there is a shopping plaza with a bunch of chain restaurants (Red Robin, Cracker Barrel Chilli's, etc), and a few shops like Staples, Old Navy. My wife came for the trip with me and wanted to go to the mall and we found one called "Quaker Ridge" about 7.5 miles away. Nothing to write home about - it was an avg mall. We finally drove back by the dealership and went to Red Robin, where I began to notice something about NJ. They are not very "customer-centric". Not the Honda dealership in particular, but just in general. Of all the stores in the mall we went to back to the Red Robin (horrible service by the way, just terrible - food was good though). I got the feeling that they are not very customer focused. But then again I live in a state which is heavily customer focused in my opinion, so maybe I'm just used to be treated differently. Anyhow - enough of that. If you go to Hamilton Honda and cannot get a loaner car - they have a shuttle which can drop you off where you like. I hear there is a train if you want to travel somewhere (say Philly which is about 1 hour away, or NYC which should me about 1.5).
You can also stay in the facility itself while your car is done. They literally have everything there. There is a good sized lounge with a flat screen TV on the wall. A few comfy chairs. There is a deli/sandwich shop inside the dealership where you can eat lunch. They have a business center/computer room with a handful of computers and working areas that they provide for you.
So that in essence is my review of my experience in NJ & Hamilton Honda. One thing I was debating adding, but I guess I'll just go ahead and add it not to be biased. While I felt that Hamilton was very pleasant to deal with and so forth. I was pretty upset I never got to meet Nicole (I asked a couple times and Sal told me she is in the back doing something). At one point he asked me if I had talked to anyone else or called in beforehand (I got the feeling they work on commission and might be fishing - but in essence I hadn't called before or talked to him). Otherwise he was quite pleasant for the whole experience. But I feel like when the car was finished and I came back in to pick it up - it was almost a complete 180. He quickly rushed me to the payment counter - there were a few people in line. He dropped my keys and invoice w/ the girl at the register and quickly hurried back. Said he'd see me on the way out. After I paid I got to his desk and he quickly shook my hand and just got back to his paperwork. Not saying he was rude, or unpleasant - just saying I got the feeling like "okay we got your money - on to the next one". Bottom line is: I really don't appreciate people who behave in this manner because I am very big on customer service...so I'd likely not be buying a car from them (not that I want a Honda anyway) - but I just wanted to be fair and impartial so I mentioned this part also.
That being said - the actual "service" of the car experience went very well. They even threw in the oil change and washed and vacuumed the car for me and parked it outside. I suppose you get what you pay for - which is totally cool. I know if I took it to Acura they would have helped me with my wife's bags (she did a bit of shopping) transferring from the loaner back into my car instead of watching us walk through the door way with 10 bags in my hand. But then again, i also saved about $500 - so it's all good!
Hope my review helps someone who is considering Hamilton for their service. Any questions, just holler.
04-16-2011, 08:49 AM
#21
AZ Community Team
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Great Price.
I was at one of the regional Acura dealers yesterday and their service bay was DEAD.
I think they (Honda and/or Acura) are running these kinds of specials to get people into the service bays and create some cash flow. IOW - they may be more worried about cash flow than profit.
I was at one of the regional Acura dealers yesterday and their service bay was DEAD.
I think they (Honda and/or Acura) are running these kinds of specials to get people into the service bays and create some cash flow. IOW - they may be more worried about cash flow than profit.
04-16-2011, 09:17 AM
#23
Review:
Alright everyone I just had my Timing Belt service done at Hamilton Honda. I guess I will share my experience here for anyone else who is thinking about getting it done.
So my appointment was at 11:30, but I didn't actually get there till about 12:15. I don't make it a habit to be late to appointments, but about 15 miles from the dealership on I-95 around the "trenton" area (I think) the highway was entirely shut down...on both sides - traffic came to a crawl. At first I saw helicopters in the distance and figured it is probably a bad accident. As I came closer, I saw a number of fire trucks and then news vans....and I figured the worst. Closer, but still from a distance it seemed as if a car had rolled off the ramp which went over the highway. Believe it or not, as I got closer, I saw a fire truck with the ladder extended into a tree - result: A man had climbed high and far into a tree overlooking the freeway, above the ramp itself....so think at a height of 5-6 stories in a building. The place was a zoo - media everywhere, photographers with those HUGE white lenses, helicopters, police, fire, medical....I just had to put this in my review - jersey is definitely an interesting place.
So anyway, back to the review. I got into the dealership around 12:15. On first glance, the place is HUGE. I don't know how big your dealership is where you live, but later I found out the service area actually has 38 bays. That is HUGE to me! The check in was pretty quick and efficient. I actually never met the person whom I had been talking on the phone to set this whole thing up - Nicole. For the most part, I dealt with Sal, who was my service advisor.
Overall, I felt they did a good job. I can totally see why they are running this special - they have such a huge facility and they are fairly new so they are building clientele. You could easily tell the dealership is heavily focused on return business - which they probably knew they might not be getting from me despite me living far away. Anyhow, when I called in (Wednesday), I got the appointment for Friday and Nicole had even set me up with a loaner car. That process was pretty quick and simple. Only difference is, unlike Acura, when you return the loaner you are responsible for filling up the tank. That cost me roughly about $8.50. The service experience there was pretty pleasant - compared to my other experiences in NJ - it was quite pleasant. After I dropped my car off, I was out of there by about 12:30 when the car went in the shop. And it was done ready to be picked up at 5:15 - washed and ready. So they worked on it pretty quickly. Here is what I had done:
Timing Belt Package + Tensioner - Which ran me the $389.98 + $75 + taxes = Roughly $500
About 1.5 hours into the service I got a call from Sal. He told me that the MTF and Brake Fluid needed to be changed. I know I was due for the Brake Fluid, and as of recently I had been noticing shifting was also a little bit "tight". I wanted to hold out for the GM fluid, but I just decided that I was getting a great deal here - they have my car in the shop and I don't know how much time I have to bring it to another shop and leave it there....so I told them to go ahead and do it.
They charged:
$123 - Brake Fluid Flush
$89 - MTF Change (They use the Honda stuff - it's "okay" I suppose)
In total my bill with taxes and all came to $727.xx
In essence, there is not "too much" to do around there. Right next door there is a shopping plaza with a bunch of chain restaurants (Red Robin, Cracker Barrel Chilli's, etc), and a few shops like Staples, Old Navy. My wife came for the trip with me and wanted to go to the mall and we found one called "Quaker Ridge" about 7.5 miles away. Nothing to write home about - it was an avg mall. We finally drove back by the dealership and went to Red Robin, where I began to notice something about NJ. They are not very "customer-centric". Not the Honda dealership in particular, but just in general. Of all the stores in the mall we went to back to the Red Robin (horrible service by the way, just terrible - food was good though). I got the feeling that they are not very customer focused. But then again I live in a state which is heavily customer focused in my opinion, so maybe I'm just used to be treated differently. Anyhow - enough of that. If you go to Hamilton Honda and cannot get a loaner car - they have a shuttle which can drop you off where you like. I hear there is a train if you want to travel somewhere (say Philly which is about 1 hour away, or NYC which should me about 1.5).
You can also stay in the facility itself while your car is done. They literally have everything there. There is a good sized lounge with a flat screen TV on the wall. A few comfy chairs. There is a deli/sandwich shop inside the dealership where you can eat lunch. They have a business center/computer room with a handful of computers and working areas that they provide for you.
So that in essence is my review of my experience in NJ & Hamilton Honda. One thing I was debating adding, but I guess I'll just go ahead and add it not to be biased. While I felt that Hamilton was very pleasant to deal with and so forth. I was pretty upset I never got to meet Nicole (I asked a couple times and Sal told me she is in the back doing something). At one point he asked me if I had talked to anyone else or called in beforehand (I got the feeling they work on commission and might be fishing - but in essence I hadn't called before or talked to him). Otherwise he was quite pleasant for the whole experience. But I feel like when the car was finished and I came back in to pick it up - it was almost a complete 180. He quickly rushed me to the payment counter - there were a few people in line. He dropped my keys and invoice w/ the girl at the register and quickly hurried back. Said he'd see me on the way out. After I paid I got to his desk and he quickly shook my hand and just got back to his paperwork. Not saying he was rude, or unpleasant - just saying I got the feeling like "okay we got your money - on to the next one". Bottom line is: I really don't appreciate people who behave in this manner because I am very big on customer service...so I'd likely not be buying a car from them (not that I want a Honda anyway) - but I just wanted to be fair and impartial so I mentioned this part also.
That being said - the actual "service" of the car experience went very well. They even threw in the oil change and washed and vacuumed the car for me and parked it outside. I suppose you get what you pay for - which is totally cool. I know if I took it to Acura they would have helped me with my wife's bags (she did a bit of shopping) transferring from the loaner back into my car instead of watching us walk through the door way with 10 bags in my hand. But then again, i also saved about $500 - so it's all good!
Hope my review helps someone who is considering Hamilton for their service. Any questions, just holler.
Alright everyone I just had my Timing Belt service done at Hamilton Honda. I guess I will share my experience here for anyone else who is thinking about getting it done.
So my appointment was at 11:30, but I didn't actually get there till about 12:15. I don't make it a habit to be late to appointments, but about 15 miles from the dealership on I-95 around the "trenton" area (I think) the highway was entirely shut down...on both sides - traffic came to a crawl. At first I saw helicopters in the distance and figured it is probably a bad accident. As I came closer, I saw a number of fire trucks and then news vans....and I figured the worst. Closer, but still from a distance it seemed as if a car had rolled off the ramp which went over the highway. Believe it or not, as I got closer, I saw a fire truck with the ladder extended into a tree - result: A man had climbed high and far into a tree overlooking the freeway, above the ramp itself....so think at a height of 5-6 stories in a building. The place was a zoo - media everywhere, photographers with those HUGE white lenses, helicopters, police, fire, medical....I just had to put this in my review - jersey is definitely an interesting place.
So anyway, back to the review. I got into the dealership around 12:15. On first glance, the place is HUGE. I don't know how big your dealership is where you live, but later I found out the service area actually has 38 bays. That is HUGE to me! The check in was pretty quick and efficient. I actually never met the person whom I had been talking on the phone to set this whole thing up - Nicole. For the most part, I dealt with Sal, who was my service advisor.
Overall, I felt they did a good job. I can totally see why they are running this special - they have such a huge facility and they are fairly new so they are building clientele. You could easily tell the dealership is heavily focused on return business - which they probably knew they might not be getting from me despite me living far away. Anyhow, when I called in (Wednesday), I got the appointment for Friday and Nicole had even set me up with a loaner car. That process was pretty quick and simple. Only difference is, unlike Acura, when you return the loaner you are responsible for filling up the tank. That cost me roughly about $8.50. The service experience there was pretty pleasant - compared to my other experiences in NJ - it was quite pleasant. After I dropped my car off, I was out of there by about 12:30 when the car went in the shop. And it was done ready to be picked up at 5:15 - washed and ready. So they worked on it pretty quickly. Here is what I had done:
Timing Belt Package + Tensioner - Which ran me the $389.98 + $75 + taxes = Roughly $500
About 1.5 hours into the service I got a call from Sal. He told me that the MTF and Brake Fluid needed to be changed. I know I was due for the Brake Fluid, and as of recently I had been noticing shifting was also a little bit "tight". I wanted to hold out for the GM fluid, but I just decided that I was getting a great deal here - they have my car in the shop and I don't know how much time I have to bring it to another shop and leave it there....so I told them to go ahead and do it.
They charged:
$123 - Brake Fluid Flush
$89 - MTF Change (They use the Honda stuff - it's "okay" I suppose)
In total my bill with taxes and all came to $727.xx
In essence, there is not "too much" to do around there. Right next door there is a shopping plaza with a bunch of chain restaurants (Red Robin, Cracker Barrel Chilli's, etc), and a few shops like Staples, Old Navy. My wife came for the trip with me and wanted to go to the mall and we found one called "Quaker Ridge" about 7.5 miles away. Nothing to write home about - it was an avg mall. We finally drove back by the dealership and went to Red Robin, where I began to notice something about NJ. They are not very "customer-centric". Not the Honda dealership in particular, but just in general. Of all the stores in the mall we went to back to the Red Robin (horrible service by the way, just terrible - food was good though). I got the feeling that they are not very customer focused. But then again I live in a state which is heavily customer focused in my opinion, so maybe I'm just used to be treated differently. Anyhow - enough of that. If you go to Hamilton Honda and cannot get a loaner car - they have a shuttle which can drop you off where you like. I hear there is a train if you want to travel somewhere (say Philly which is about 1 hour away, or NYC which should me about 1.5).
You can also stay in the facility itself while your car is done. They literally have everything there. There is a good sized lounge with a flat screen TV on the wall. A few comfy chairs. There is a deli/sandwich shop inside the dealership where you can eat lunch. They have a business center/computer room with a handful of computers and working areas that they provide for you.
So that in essence is my review of my experience in NJ & Hamilton Honda. One thing I was debating adding, but I guess I'll just go ahead and add it not to be biased. While I felt that Hamilton was very pleasant to deal with and so forth. I was pretty upset I never got to meet Nicole (I asked a couple times and Sal told me she is in the back doing something). At one point he asked me if I had talked to anyone else or called in beforehand (I got the feeling they work on commission and might be fishing - but in essence I hadn't called before or talked to him). Otherwise he was quite pleasant for the whole experience. But I feel like when the car was finished and I came back in to pick it up - it was almost a complete 180. He quickly rushed me to the payment counter - there were a few people in line. He dropped my keys and invoice w/ the girl at the register and quickly hurried back. Said he'd see me on the way out. After I paid I got to his desk and he quickly shook my hand and just got back to his paperwork. Not saying he was rude, or unpleasant - just saying I got the feeling like "okay we got your money - on to the next one". Bottom line is: I really don't appreciate people who behave in this manner because I am very big on customer service...so I'd likely not be buying a car from them (not that I want a Honda anyway) - but I just wanted to be fair and impartial so I mentioned this part also.
That being said - the actual "service" of the car experience went very well. They even threw in the oil change and washed and vacuumed the car for me and parked it outside. I suppose you get what you pay for - which is totally cool. I know if I took it to Acura they would have helped me with my wife's bags (she did a bit of shopping) transferring from the loaner back into my car instead of watching us walk through the door way with 10 bags in my hand. But then again, i also saved about $500 - so it's all good!
Hope my review helps someone who is considering Hamilton for their service. Any questions, just holler.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/gallery?...074684&photo=1
I work in the area of the dealership a lot and I agree there is not much to do, but it's more than enough to keep you occupied while getting such a great deal.
Last edited by BlueAc; 04-16-2011 at 09:23 AM.
04-16-2011, 10:12 AM
#24
The timing belt special is run to keep "the guys busy" since the dealership is only a couple years old (summer 2009). People who bought new and CPO cars from them are only doing minor services at this time. This is what the Hamilton Honda told me when I dropped by to pick up some parts earlier this year.
Gotta keep the service bays running at their relatively large service dept !
Imagine what it takes to run a 800+ service bay operation (Toyota dealership in Saudia Arabia).
Gotta keep the service bays running at their relatively large service dept !
Imagine what it takes to run a 800+ service bay operation (Toyota dealership in Saudia Arabia).
04-16-2011, 11:25 AM
#25
Head a da Family
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: New Friggin Jerzy
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The service manager at Hamilton told me they break even on this timing belt special so I can only assume they have to make some kind of profit somewhere. My personal experience with them was slightly better than yours, maybe because they didn't want to piss off the head of the Jerzy 'family', Tony Soprano. Who knows?
But still, I have to recommend anyone in the Northeast who's due for the timing belt-water pump job who doesn't want to pay the typical Acura stealership around $1000 to seriously consider making the trip to save $500+. The job will be done RIGHT by an experienced Honda/Acura mechanic and with all OEM parts. Just be wary of them trying to sell you 'extras'.
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04-16-2011, 01:39 PM
#27
04-17-2011, 10:54 AM
#29
Instructor
Okay everyone, I just drove up to and back to from Hamilton NJ to get my Timing belt job done at Hamilton Honda. Overall the dealership is very nice, service and servicemen were great and friendly. My appointment was for 0830, I woke up at 0130 -- 0200 in the morning to make the trip up from Norfolk Va. Once I drove the car into the service department and they had my information my service guy took me into the waiting area and promptly showed me around as if I was trying to buy a house (again the service is great). Two flat screens to look at, they have a internet area, full service deli for sandwiches/bagels/coffee whatever. Needless to say I slept through my time there, the job took about 3 - 4 hours total.
Timing belt
Water pump
Compressor belt
Coolant (type2 blue)
Tensioner
Parts: $254.60
Labor: $210.39
Total: $464.99
Needed to get my brakes done but Ill get those done later. All and all I had and thought the service and hamilton was great! It helped that Im from Philly also so I made a day of it when the job was complete and went to see a few old friends. I HIGHLY recommend anyone if you can save the money and take a trip if you have to. I was quoted a cost of $1700 -- $1800 in DC and $950.00 down here in Virginia Beach. Im just glad its over now!!!
Timing belt
Water pump
Compressor belt
Coolant (type2 blue)
Tensioner
Parts: $254.60
Labor: $210.39
Total: $464.99
Needed to get my brakes done but Ill get those done later. All and all I had and thought the service and hamilton was great! It helped that Im from Philly also so I made a day of it when the job was complete and went to see a few old friends. I HIGHLY recommend anyone if you can save the money and take a trip if you have to. I was quoted a cost of $1700 -- $1800 in DC and $950.00 down here in Virginia Beach. Im just glad its over now!!!
04-18-2011, 11:55 PM
#30
1st Gear
Join Date: Jun 2010
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Just got mine done at independent service shop in San Diego CA, here's the break down:
Parts Cleaner -----> $11
Injector Cleaner --> $35
Air Filter ----------> $13
Coolant -----------> $14
Water Pump -----> $76
Motor Oil ---------> $17.5
Drive Belt --------> $70
NGK Spark Plug -> $54
Oil Filter ---------> $0
Gasket Sealer ---> $8
Timing Belt ------> $55
Total for parts $353.50, plus 4-hours of labor $360, waste disposal $5, and tax $30.93. Grand total = $749.43
Parts Cleaner -----> $11
Injector Cleaner --> $35
Air Filter ----------> $13
Coolant -----------> $14
Water Pump -----> $76
Motor Oil ---------> $17.5
Drive Belt --------> $70
NGK Spark Plug -> $54
Oil Filter ---------> $0
Gasket Sealer ---> $8
Timing Belt ------> $55
Total for parts $353.50, plus 4-hours of labor $360, waste disposal $5, and tax $30.93. Grand total = $749.43
04-21-2011, 01:56 PM
#31
My first Avatar....
Just got off the phone with Hamilton Honda....
$389.99 for the Timing Belt, Dirve belts and water pump
$75.00 additional for the tensioner
$464.99....total parts and labor
with NJ tax = 497.54
They also offer a free oil change as a first time customer. The oil is Dino oil so I'm paying $35 for the upgrade to full synthetic with the filter.
The deal is legit and fantastic!
$389.99 for the Timing Belt, Dirve belts and water pump
$75.00 additional for the tensioner
$464.99....total parts and labor
with NJ tax = 497.54
They also offer a free oil change as a first time customer. The oil is Dino oil so I'm paying $35 for the upgrade to full synthetic with the filter.
The deal is legit and fantastic!
04-21-2011, 03:27 PM
#32
7th Gear
Join Date: Mar 2011
Age: 38
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04-21-2011, 09:36 PM
#33
They have a coupon in the NJ Star Ledger every Sunday for the timing belt special. Also have a coupon for an All-Wheel Alignment for $49.95.
Interesting thing is they mention "Hondas only", but then again, an Acura is a Honda.
Interesting thing is they mention "Hondas only", but then again, an Acura is a Honda.
04-23-2011, 08:32 PM
#34
My first Avatar....
Got it all done today. Great place, smooth as silk.
Also had the tires rotated and a 4 wheel alignment done. As promised....
$389.99 for the timing belt service...dealer special
$75 for the tensioner....with dealer TB special
$35 for Mobil 1 oil change ....for first time customer
$9.95 for the rotation....they provided coupon discount
$59.95 for the alignment....they provided coupon discount
$569.99 total parts and labor
$39.89 NJ Tax
$609.88 out the door.
oh...since I scheduled ahead....free loaner car.
Also had the tires rotated and a 4 wheel alignment done. As promised....
$389.99 for the timing belt service...dealer special
$75 for the tensioner....with dealer TB special
$35 for Mobil 1 oil change ....for first time customer
$9.95 for the rotation....they provided coupon discount
$59.95 for the alignment....they provided coupon discount
$569.99 total parts and labor
$39.89 NJ Tax
$609.88 out the door.
oh...since I scheduled ahead....free loaner car.
05-01-2011, 10:19 PM
#35
I live 5 miles from this dealership...too bad I have 3 Acuras but none need a TB at this time. But I have had one relative drive 2.5hrs to get her accord done with no problems back in Jan. I have my brother in law driving 2.5hrs this Wed for his Odyssey TB/WP. My father has an '02 RL that is ready and I am hoping they will honor the $389 for that car too.
05-01-2011, 11:50 PM
#36
I am hiring a mechanic soon and will be offering this service for around $500, parts included.
05-04-2011, 06:05 PM
#37
All I can say is WOW!
I'm so glad that I'm a member for this great forum, and I'm so thankful to the OP for posting this.
I have a 07 TL-S with 104k miles, and I was dreading going to Curry Acura. Well, I called Hamilton Honda, and Nicole was super nice, and setup my appointment for next week. It's a long drive from NY, but I'm going to AC that day, so I'll drop off the car at Hamilton, get a new Accord as loaner. Gamble the savings at the casino, pickup my car, then go back to AC. I will also be getting the first time customer free oil change and car wash.
Thanks for the savings OP!
I'm so glad that I'm a member for this great forum, and I'm so thankful to the OP for posting this.
I have a 07 TL-S with 104k miles, and I was dreading going to Curry Acura. Well, I called Hamilton Honda, and Nicole was super nice, and setup my appointment for next week. It's a long drive from NY, but I'm going to AC that day, so I'll drop off the car at Hamilton, get a new Accord as loaner. Gamble the savings at the casino, pickup my car, then go back to AC. I will also be getting the first time customer free oil change and car wash.
Thanks for the savings OP!
05-04-2011, 10:21 PM
#40
Racer
So I just called up Hamilton Honda and spoke to someone named Ciele(sp?). I asked her about the timing belt special and told her I have an 05 TL. She said it would be $389 for the timing belt, water pump and accessory belts. Does that even sound right? If this is true I will totally drive down there for $389.
Does anyone mind calling to verify this for me? I did ask her in detail and she said this was the total price, I hope she was not referring to just parts!
Btw this does not include spark plugs.
Update: I also just spoke to my service tech at my local Acura who tells me the parts alone cost more than 389. He said they might just be including the belts and not the tensioners, etc. Anyone have any insight on this?
Does anyone mind calling to verify this for me? I did ask her in detail and she said this was the total price, I hope she was not referring to just parts!
Btw this does not include spark plugs.
Update: I also just spoke to my service tech at my local Acura who tells me the parts alone cost more than 389. He said they might just be including the belts and not the tensioners, etc. Anyone have any insight on this?