USNA93

I've read enough posts to know that good will repairs by the dealer, authorized by the "district office" or "corporate office" exist. Does anyone how it works and how it gets decided/approved? I requested such a repair and the dealer asked me what I was looking for as far as "good will", which I interpreted as "how much will you be happy with". But I wasn't really asked any other information beyond my contact info. So it sounds like there's some variation in total amount that can be requested to the district office by the dealer on your behalf. I really didn't know how to answer so simply stated that all labor and the cost of the part based on my research is what I think is fair. Then I started wondering if I should provide more information to bolster the request (e.g. the car has been cared for, well serviced, etc). If anyone has advice on how to increase the chances, would love to hear your example. Thx

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Depends on why Acura/dealer would pick up part or all of the costs.
What was the situation? There's no one answer that would cover all situations.

b15

Did you just walk into a dealer and ask them for goodwill on a 10+ year old car? What's the backstory here.

Nytetime6

Thats why it pays to have a good relationship with the dealership. I pretty much get everything done at the dealer, oil changes, tranny fluid changes, a/c work etc. One time I had an issue with a headlight and they replaced for free since I was a valued customer. I had a ignitor replaced by them and then a couple of months later I went thru a car wash and had condensation in the headlight. It was so sever that It blew out the bulb.

Went to the dealership and they replaced the entire driver side headlight assembly, bulbs and everything. I wasnt expecting that at all since they just replaced and ignitor.

So if I were you, i would try to build up a relationship with your local dealer.

thoiboi

what kind of rapport have you built with said dealership? how often have you gone there? oil changes? free swirls aka car washes?

Nytetime6

Oil changes, tranny fluid changes, compliance bushings , a/c clutch repaired, ignitor, brakes , brake fluid, heater control valve , timing belt, and an alignment. All within a 5 year span.

There prices are very comparable to indy shops in the area and way cheaper then places like Goodyear, Firestone etc

thoiboi

i was talking to OP, I didn't see your

USNA93

My apologies for the lack of info. In retrospect, I can see how some context would help. To answer your questions, I asked the dealer about a goodwill repair for my increasingly cracked dashboard which started last month (it's amazing how quickly it keeps cracking). I think I have a good relationship with them. Have they done all the maintenance? No...but they definitely do all the big ticket stuff and have most recently done the timing belt and water pump. Plus I've been very lenient and forgiving when change has disappeared from my coin slot after service years ago (and yes, I told them about it).
Anyway, that's why I went in to see them. Thanks to this forum, I actually learned goodwill repairs exist. Talked to the service manager directly and he let me know/confirmed that they can make the request and it's out of their hands on decision. However the questions I received about how much goodwill I'd expect gave me the impression there's another layer here. Thanks again.

b15

Having the dealer do one or two big ticket items isn't the same as building rapport via routine/regular maintenance visits. Dealers prefer the latter and will probably be more willing to work with the owner.

Goodwill is honestly at the dealer's discretion when it comes to a car of this age. If we're talking about newer cars here, the regional offices can probably get involved and approve goodwill on service items that the dealer wouldn't normally. IE) dealer still gets paid.

In your case, since Honda has failed to recognize a cracked dashboard as a design defect + no real relationship with the dealer service dept + car being 10+ years old, I would take what you can get, if anything. Just because they asked you, doesn't mean they'll offer you anything so treat it like a negotiation. Start with something reasonable and see what they offer back. Anything you get will most likely be directly out of the dealers margin for the applicable services/parts

USNA93

Good info thanks. I get the rapport thing and do what I can based on my auto needs. The dealer has to my recollection done great work when I go there but I've been fortunate to also have a Honda specialist shop in my area that is completely fine with me sourcing my own Honda parts and and just paying them labor to install with average savings being $150 per ticket. But I agree, whatever they offer is what I'll consider. A 2005 TL is also not worth much these days so spending $1500+ for a dash is nuts because it will likely repeat.
Your's is the first post I read about the dealer having the call with good will repairs. Most of my research comes from posts from users with my situation and car age and I thought I read that the district office/corporate has the decision...and like i said earlier, the service manager said the same thing. Yeah, my car is 10+ years old, but I also think they understand that how they treat this design defect experience with 1 user sets the tone for future Acura / Honda purchases and simply even having Honda/Acura as a vehicle to consider...and as we all know, a happy customer tells a few people their story. A dissatisfied customer goes out of their way to tell many. Thanks again for sharing. Just curious, are your experiences with good will based on a personal experience, prior employment with Honda, or research like me? The info is appreciated in any case.

truonghthe

I THINK the goodwill repair heavily involve in how often you service with dealership, your relationship to that particular dealership, ownership length, brand loyalty. IF you got a good relationship with your dealer then they might help you file a claim with cooperate, IF you are one of those "dealership, oh that over price place" then good luck get anything out of it. Remember after all you asking them to cover some of the cost for a 10-14 years old car (they are not obligate to accept your request) but play nice and choose your word wisely.

All 3 of my Acuras has full services from the dealership since new, I am not the first owner for these vehicles but I had good business relationship with my dealer where they waive the diagnostic charge even I decline the repair.

USNA93

Thanks for the input. This is the kind of info I'm trying to understand better, so thanks. I was purely speculating on what the criteria and "behind the scenes" on good will is like and that's what led me to post my question to see if someone has some real life experience or knowledge of how it works. If "good relationship" is strictly about how much you've paid them for service, then I'm in the middle of the road. My car is no stranger to them and I tend to use them for services I don't want anyone but the dealer to handle (e.g. timing belt, clutch, etc) which are generally big ticket items but when I can get some of the other A and B services done with the same quality and parts for 1/3 the cost, it's a no brainer. I'd rather save that money real-time than bank it by paying for higher priced services in the hopes of currying favor down the road that I may not end up cashing in. But I guess we'll see what transpires and how my experience compares to the others before me who went down the same path.

truonghthe

From what I understand if you contact the cooperate office they will able to pull up and see how many Acura/Honda you had under your name according to the VIN#. I service everything at the dealer and here is why.



1. The dealer only charged me for straight labor (no shop BS charge, no waste fee) since I work with them so long they are comfortable to let me bring my own part.

2. Oil change at the dealer only cost me $8.00 after tax (I brought my own motor oil and filter) but on the plus side I got free loaner with free gas (some time I keep the car for the whole weekend).

3. I will have every single record on the Carfax in case I misplace any repair bill (I do have hard copy) of what repaired at the dealer. That will help me sell the vehicle better (should I go down that road)

4. They specialize in Acura alone so I had respect them as "they should know their stuff"

5. There is one instance where I bough a used key fob from Ebay and have them cut + program for my RL and for some reason the key can't be programmed. They let me know that they had spend 2 days trying to wipe and reprogram the key but unsuccessful, I asked the service advisor "how much I owe you today" and to my surprise he responded "No Charged". I went and buy a new key fob from Delray and have them cut and program (which worked) even then I only paid $135.00

6. I deal with plenty of shop where I got response as "the car come to the shop like that" or "it wasn't like that when it leave the shop" or some of my shit got broken and dirty interior (I got Taupe on the TL-S). One of the shop was trying to lend my personal car out as their "loaner" lol.

7. Pricing for the dealer is $100.00 reputable shop will be around $85.00 where it will have a lengthy list of waiting time.


I think relationship between you and the dealer is more importance as they will heavily influence your coverage for good will warranty, IF they said something the cooperate think its something REALLY need to be corrected.

b15

It depends on the case. When waiving diagnostic fees or knocking down labor costs.....i highly doubt the dealer is contacting regional/corporate for approval. It's at their discretion.

I don't think there's any clear guidelines of when they'll do what unfortunately but maybe someone here that is an SA can advise you further.

good luck with the dash. An alternative to keep in mind too is the coverlay dash cover. Not as good as a replacement but better than looking at cracks

USNA93

Thanks B15. Yeah, I'll report back on what happens. If they don't confer with the district office, I would be surprised the service manager himself would say tell me they can make the request but the decision lies with the district. If that wasn't the case, I would hope he wouldn't fib about it. I read some other posts where people commented on some price breakdowns that had a mention of the district good amounts and that's what leads me to believe there's some potential collaboration /dialogue there with the dealer.
As far as Coverlay, I actually ordered one already and it's sitting in my living room, arrived today. It was $80 cheaper than going through Coverlay so I just went and bought it...worst case is I just hold onto it for a later install, Plus I'm only partially optimistic the price I get back with good will factored in, will be reasonable enough to go through with it; I've read some high prices from other people. I also know that even if they do put a new one on, it'll likely crack sooner rather than later because I can't help but think that the "new" part is closer in age to the car's age. (I don't know how long parts continue to be in production after release date)

Levon05TL

08KBP_VA

My guess he was asking to gauge your tolerance for pain. Regarding poor word of mouth via social media not sure theres much of an issue for them if your true experience is posted and reader weighs that against the age of the car and your expectation not sure youll get much sympathy.

Not saying dont try and hitting high is ok but he was likely testing the waters with you. Now if youve had big ticket items done there or had this issue in for repair multiple times then I could see "goodwill" applied. If all youve done is oil changes and the like Im not sure theyll come back with a reasonable offer. I would price out cost of labor and parts and offer to pay for least expensive as another option. Im sure labor will be pretty high.

USNA93

I actually found on Ebay via Carid"s Ebay store...they also sell the exact same thing via their main website but much more expensive. They're just a drop-shipper...mine shipped strayed from Coverlay.

USNA93

I gave them a price in the $250 range saying I can fix it myself via a cover. While the cracks because of the age of the car might not get much attention, I know a reputation for a design flaw and an issue that is not isolated, will get more attention. I did find another post by a guy who I think said worked for a dealer and said what he saw is that the service manager combined with the corporate office weighs in but the SM is the main decider. Assuming he really worked at a dealer, it's good to have some live experience come into the discussion. Still waiting to hear back from the dealer.

USNA93

Here's the good info the other user posted: Just here to clear up some Information. I previously worked as a certified Acura technician and been up to date with this issue since 2009, this issue is a manufacture defect. Let me stress this, it will happen EVENTUALLY to almost every 3rd gen TL. It has happened to many 07-08 TL base and type-a models. Cracks almost always form in the same location. Most common on the right side of passenger airbag and center speaker to the top of the gauge cluster area. Over time they will spread, they will form elsewhere, there's no simple fix. Temp difference is the killer of all. With super cold temps, the dash is put through extreme contraction, and the heat expands the dash.

Those know this very well in winter seasons, with defrost vents blowing super hot air most cracks shrink (Dashboard expands, closing cracks). The vinyl dash becomes brittle over time and can't handle the constant expansion and contracting therefore it cracks. With anything extreme, high heat-blistering cold will put stress on any dash. Bumps and vibrations "can" cause a crack to form but only hen the stress levels are at that breaking point. It's a defect, Acura knows and will do little to help. The right way is replacing the dash. Go file a claim with Acura customer service (corporate), take it to the dealership and start the long process of goodwill assistance.

Not everyone will get help, not everyone will get the same offer. Dashboard are now limited. This car isn't made anymore. For those that get their dashboards replaced , it will happen again. They never changed the design or material. I can tell you my dashboard was just replaced under goodwill assistance. 70/30 to be exact. Engineers have said never to put any type of cleaner or conditioner on these dashes since they "breathe".

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-p...005-tl-906961/

truonghthe

good info. thanks I am glad they actually paid 30% for you.

Octanee

I work in a dealer and the good will is generally for people just outside of warranty and something happens. Good will is also an allowance given to the dealer, so It's at their discretion to do it or not. so a dealer will pick and choose their battles basically. doing it too much or on a big item may consume their allowance so they are unable to help anybody else. Company's do funky things. like when you go in and order something, If you decide you don't want it or return it. they will take it back however they cannot just simply send it back to said place, They get a refund allowance for sending parts back generally quarterly or a percentage based on what they purchased. Also, sad to say manufacturers only care for the product to make the warranty period. After that they will drop you so fast. So on the used car market that most people are in, you want to try to find the most reliable car for your money and or/type of car you want. And honda over the years seems to have just that.


so If you got 30% out of them then thats surprising.

Slpr04UA6