Consumer rights with Honda main dealer?

earlofbarrett

Where do I start? I won't bore you with a comprehensive list but lets just say my car's got more electrical problems than the National Grid!

The result is I now have very little faith in my local Honda Dealer as 1st time I took my 04 Accord CDTI Tourer in they told me it was a keycode, 2nd time it was a new battery and ECU update (£180 so far), and now 3rd time their telling me it needs a new "Gauge Control Module" at £703 + £140 labour which may or may not resolve the other 2 faults of glow plug module 2 & 3 not working!!!

The point is if I get this work done with them and it doesn't solve the issues where do I stand with my consumer rights as I'm not a bottomless pit and can I claim the first £180 back that proved pointless?

Anyway as a contingency plan I've managed to track down the Honda part No: 78120-SEG-E11 (METER ASSY., SPEED & TACHO & FUEL & TEMPERATURE) from a Scrappy at £50 delivered and will see if an auto electrician will fit it a lot cheaper!

Thanks in advance.

recalcitrant_mule

The only thing i can think is to try to get them to sign something saying that the problem is ...and if this does not solve the problem they will further ivestigate for free with any linked problem? worth a try

Strider590

It's Honda dealership policy to do "first time fix", so what they tend to do is replace everything that could possibly cause a given problem, whether or not it's genuinely causing a fault.

For example, if your passengers electric window stops working.... They replace the motor/mechanism, the door switch, the door loom, the master switch (drivers side) and the control unit.

They'll fix your fault, but it could cost you £££££, when the problem is actually just a simple 20p wiring connector.

MattHawkins

I've had similar issues with my local dealer.

The central locking stopped working on the drivers door of my Accord (not bad for 15 years of use!). They quoted £300. That was for a new door actuator/servo and a new central locking controller. I bought a servo from a scrap dealer for £20, fitted it myself (took a few hours!) and it fixed the fault. Nothing wrong with the central locking controller. Just a worn servo.

If they had given me the options I would have happily agreed for them to simply replaced the servo with a new one and taken my chances on the controller. I think they wanted to replace both components to increase the overall chance of sorting the problem. It would have sorted the problem just fine but I would have paid for a component I didn't need.

Same for other dealers. Broken door handle on Peugeot Partner. Dealer quote : £150 (£50 part + £50 paint +£50 labour). Actual cost : £15 (new handle from Poland) + £10 paint from Halfords + my time. New wing mirror : £100 .... or £50 off the internet and 10 mins to fit myself.

My advice is join a good forum for your specific car (TypeAccord.co.uk for you lucky Accord owners) as you can often get a good idea of how easy these jobs are to do. Some of the users may well work in a dealership and be able to give you a inside perspective. At least when you go to a dealer you will be better prepared for any crazy quotes.