I know this isn't ITR related, but it seems the ITR guys are some of the most informed guys plus some of you guys have dealt with Honda's warranty issues.

So the story goes, recently one of our 4 Hondas, a 2000 Accord V6 has run into some trouble. To put it simply the dealer said it has a spun bearing and wants us to buy a new engine.

One day, the oil light came on while driving and my brother pulled over. When he got out he saw oil all over the rear quarter panel and rear wheel wells. He checked the oil, saw that it was low and refilled it. When he started the engine, it made odd noises, so we had it towed to the dealership.

There they determined that the engine had a spun bearing and needed a new engine. The reasons they had given me sounded like bs, a improperly put in dipstick and non oem oil filter. The improperly placed dipstick they claim caused the car to lose at least 2 quarts of oil, and thus starve the engine of oil.

Any ideas on what I should do? Honda corporate looked at the engine as well and they agreed with the dealer. I really don't see how the engine can lose that much oil through the dipstick and I know that the dipstick was in properly. The problem is that I can't prove that.

Any help would be appreciated. It's disappointing to be such loyal Honda customer (we bought 4 Hondas in the last 6 years) and for them to disregard their warranty duties like this and pawn a new engine off a spun bearing.

 

what kind of bearing did you spin........rod bearing?........i don't see why they would deny warranty work when you have been such a loyal customer.....that is a very ignorant move on their part.......

 

If you were losing oil due to a loose dipstick it would have been smoking like a ****! You would have known it.

Ryan

 

I don't know why they are being so difficult. I don't know what kind of bearing it spun, I'm guessng they didn't take it apart but just diagnosed according to sound. I pray it's not a main bearing.

I know it would be smoking like a ****, but I doubt they are going to take my word for it. I've been calling the guy assigned to my case like 4-5 times a day, and he returns my call like once. Phone tag sucks. The dealer isn't returning my calls either.

Honda cars may be great but so far their customer support sucks.

 

My suggestion: Go to s2000online.com and search this topic. Quite a few of those guys have had dealer/honda problems and have some very good advice.

 

Just got a call from the dealer quoting 7800 to repair the damage.

 

personally it sounds bogus. i would hire a lawyer.

 

have your parents get involved(assuming since your brother was driving u live with ur family); it's amazing how radical the change in treatment is when they're dealing with someone who they "know" has a higher income than they do. If your parents can't help a lawyer can-rob(who has the best of both worlds, a parent who is a lawyer )

 

This is why you always check the oil level before you drive the car.

 

Jesus, how could they keep a straight face. HTF is 2 quarts of oil going to pour out of dipstick passage w/o someone noticing(i.e. smokescreen), uh huh, it won't. And my god, they back it up with another cause being the non oem filter. Talk about excuses. Good luck, they should be fixing that for nothing.

 

In sense we Type-R guys can help, but we have a stronger force on our side and that is Acura Customer Service. You see, Honda is not very good at following up on their sales as Acura does, that is why your having a crappy time. Acura likes to have the reputaion of having the "Luxury" car, and I guess the "Luxury" service.

If I were you I would as to have the car inspected by the Regional Service Manager, he won't BS you like a dealer because he works for Honda, and not the dealer. The dealer does not have the power to void repairs on warranty, only Honda does. If that does not work call Honda Customer Service.

 

Very true, but honestly, how many people really do check. Maybe the car enthusiasts, but I guarantee your everyday family doesn't.

And on top of that, I don't think checking the oil would have done much. This wasn't a slow leak, but a huge sudden one.

Thanks for the support guys, this really makes me want to lynch them...

 

if it was a huge sudden one, you have to figure out where it came from.
it should be very obvious where the oil went. a dipstick being loose can
cause oil loss, but it takes time, possibly an hour or driving to drop a lot of oil.

 

Damn...I check mine every 3 days...but every day

 

I'd like to look and see where the leak came from. However, my brother had it towed to the dealership and they've had it since. I haven't had a chance to look at it myself.

The fishy thing is that they looked at it for about an hour and then said we need a new engine. They can't diagnose it that quickly can they? They claim there are no leaks, except through the dipstick. I doubt the dipstick could cover the back half the car in oil

 

i can daignose a spun bearing in seconds.
and the dealer solution for that is to replace the engine

 

The sound is quite distinctive , and you don't need to pull anything apart to know what's wrong.

 

Warranty fraud is a two way street. There are many people who haved cashed in on warranty work when they weren't 100% entitled to the repair. I for one believe that if I'm still paying for a car and I befall the misfortune of a major engine failiure
(any reason besides forced induction) you better believe I'm gonna be all over that service manager like white on rice, till they fix my car.

Do gooders say what you want, but I bitched and complained till Acura replaced my entire head. After they denied me 3 times for the same repair! Not all, but lots of dealers have raped unsuspecting people who simply lacked any car knowledge at all. So why should I take the fall when the dealer quickly tries to brush me off and get me to spend $3000.

If I were you I'd fight this toot and nail. F*ck 'em!!!

 

I bet all the oil came from the oil filter. I bet the o ring leaked... If there was aoil all over the panels, then it came out squirting most likely...

Thus the engine starved for oil becuase there was no oil pressure possibly from a leak there.

If the oil light actually went on, your WAy lower than 2 quarts down I believe.

Not to hate, and just to be honest I have 2 things to say..

#1 I don't think they are liable for it, it is the customers responsibility to make sure the car has oil at all times. I mean no offense, just basic policy.
#2 You can get that fixed by a good mechanic for well under $1500 including all the labor. POSSIBLY, if the crank is fixable...

I might bet that if that rod bearing melted from no oil, all the other ones are horribly scared up as well...

This could also mean that your cylinder walls are all scared up, your cam caps are all scratched up, and everything else...

So, it might take a new longblock, worse case schenario.

I believe a bran new longblock is like $6500. used is probably under $2500.

I hope you feel better and get it solved.

Jeff

 

The oil filter is an interesting idea, but the dealer didn't find any oil around there.

About your points,

1. Yes is the customers responsibility to make sure there's oil in there at all times. But really, how many variables can the customer control? Oil leaks from a defective part and that's the customer's fault? I find that hard to accept. There has to be a point where the manufacturer accepts liability, because the company could always say, but if you did this or that it wouldn't have happened. Like, "Well if you regularly checked the oil pan gasket, then you woulda caught the problem before it happened." Who really checks the oil pan gasket? The car has 32k on it.

2. That's good to hear that it a mechanic can fix it for 1500, but that also proves that the dealer is trying to gouge the crap outta me.

I appreciate your honesty, but I definately don't feel better after reading your post.

 

Exactly. I'm suppose to just be given a 7800 dollar repair estimate and say okay? When they've given me only bs reasons to justify the repair?

Btw, I don't see this as warranty fraud. It's a 99.9% stock car (.1 with a non oem oil filter), properly cared for. Hell if I improperly cared for it, this still wouldn't have happened. The only thing I've done to this car is change it's oil, and I just hope Honda doesn't try to use this to worm out of the warranty. Otherwise that would mean that every one of us who tries to save some of our own money by working on our cars is screwing ourselves when a warranty issue comes up.

Talked to the Regional Manager today, he seeemed to be actually interested in helping. Hopefully he can help, else I'll need to be calling my lawyer soon...


[Modified by DarksideDC4, 6:06 PM 6/27/2002]

 

no, you ned to understand...the dealer..

does not buy used junk yard parts, and does not go looking for parts.

he offers you NEW parts. You can go get a motor on your own, and pay the dealer to install it, which will be alot of labor, but it will save you 3k.

I know you don't feel better, I think the only way you could feel good is if the dealer did the entire job for free.

But that won't ever happen, so I just offer my condolensces.

I hope this never happens to you again.

Jeff

 

I do understand the dealer does get me new parts, and that's why it costs so much for a new engine.

But that's a rather hasty conclusion isn't it? Spun bearing=new engine
That's almost as bad as broken engine=new car.

Maybe broken con rod and hole through block=new engine but not a spun bearing. Yes I know if it was a main bearing it's a different story but they don't know that without opening it up.

I think the dealer is hoping to make a quick buck off me as he has the motive to profit off me by selling me a new engine and the labor involved. He wouldn't make nearly as much if he were just replacing the bearings and possibly crank.



[Modified by DarksideDC4, 6:58 PM 6/27/2002]

 

Look at it from the dealers standpoint.

They are not going to put ANYTHING in your car thats used, because they have to assure, they don't have any problems with it and its done the first time.

 

I'm not saying he should use used parts, since dealers never do that. But I know the dealer does sell engine bearings new, which is hopefully all I need.