Originally Posted by 300k

Below is my nightmare of taking my Honda Battery to Honda for a routine charging and they tested it has a bad cell, and won't warrant a HONDA battery because I could have got it from a junk yard.


Have taken my Hondas TO Hondas for everything! For my 91 civic I have had timing belt, tensioner, water pump (AFTER IT SNAPPED), then alternator and starter and battery. Also bought two sets of tires.

My Civic sits, it's kind of a go-kart, so it sits. No air conditioning, no power steering, no radio, just heat, power seat belts and cruise control. I drive a company truck and we have the CR-V as the grocery getter, this is for when someone I know buys a neon or a cavalier, or even a v6 mustang, I drive this over and do burn outs in their driveway.

So I go to start it up and the battery is dead. Ok cool, "ain't nobody got time for that, I got bronchitis" so I take it to the service advisor and ask them to charge my battery. Instantly they don't want to charge it because it needs to be in the vehicle and I call over a tech and he confirms this b!tch is lyin'. So she's like "Ok, we'll charge this no problem" and then continues doing what she's doin'. I'm like "do you need my contact info to call me when it's done," and she's like "No we'll just let you know." The only other advisor is wearing manager style shirt and he's sitting right next to her. I went ahead and gave her my phone number because I was leaving to go take my wives battery to O'Reilly her car sat for a few months as well she drives my new one and I wanted to make sure they're movable because my parking lot is going to be repaved.

As I'm walking out, I get hawked, "hey man my names salesman we are looking for your model car right now, lets talk about trade in." I should of just told the guy to F off but I'm like "No you're not looking for my model with 300k miles on it, that's for damn sure" and he comes back "oh no man that's not even a problem I can get you great trade in value" so he asks what I want and I'm telling him I want a Pilot year 2003-07 and he's like cool I got one over here we can get you in it today. So my dumb a$$ walks over and he's like "what do you want your payments to be" and I'm like, "Nothing, zero dollars" and he's like duhrr how are you gonna by a car with no payment and I'm like yelling at this guy CASH you idiot! I'm gonna buy this outright, so we walk up and I'm not really paying attention I'm just daydreaming about driving away in my 2005 Pilot with DVD player for the kids and getting a good trade in deal on my 300k model they really want, and he's like how much do you think this is, and It seemed new like an 09, and I'm like if getting a NEWER one, maybe $13k that's all I'm gonna pay! He looks at the sticker, $32,000 and I'm like what flipping year is it, and it was a 2014 or 15 and I'm like dude wtf you're a joke I don't have that kind of money. So I get in the car and his boss runs over and is like "Man I have a 2003 MDX over there all leather for $8,000" and I'm like find me an RDX and give me 4k for this and we'll talk, they just wouldn't leave me alone at that point. My Fault.

So like 10 minutes later while I'm dropping off my wife's battery at Oreiily I get a call "Umm sir, they charged your battery ad it tested bad it has a bad cell" and I' like, "ok so do they have a new one ready for me or how does that work" and she's replies, "they'll have something for ya."

So I drive right back up there and nobody is in there, this is a Friday afternoon at like 2:30. This tech and this advisor walk out of the shop and they're kind of arguing back and forth.

The advisor is like "I don't think you can use that type of OBD reader because it won't throw the code and read fine on that but on the Honda reader it WILL show the code." The tech thinks his off brand reader is fine, which I don't know what's really right but I do know at PACT they teach to use ONLY Honda certified EVERYTHING. They call over the manager and ask him, he's like, "Nah shouldn't matter, just go ahead and use stuff that's not Honda certified won't make a difference."

At this point my customer service pot is starting to boil a bit. The manager sits down and I ask him for my advisor and the battery I gave her, and she comes walking up.

This advisor sets my battery on the counter, and gives me the receipt of the test. "Here you go it failed it has a bad cell here's the paper to prove I'm not lying this exact moment" and she WALKS AWAY!

So I stand there for 10 minutes still daydreaming about that Pilot for thirty grand and she walks back up and sits down starts messing with FB on the computer. I'm just staring at her, like seriously, she looks over and says exactly this "what do you need this time."

So I kind of go on a rant here "I don't know you tell me, I bring my battery up here to be charged you test it and say its bad then throw it up on the counter and then completely fail to acknowledge that I need a new battery. I'm waiting for you to ADVISE ME B!TCH"

Go up to the parts counter with my battery, they're just like what the f*ck did you just put on our shiny counter? Yes I have a battery here, they said it's bad so I need a new one, how much is the battery?

Oh sir this is a 10 year warranty battery we'll just warranty it out, do you have your receipt? Damn no, I brought the battery up here to be charged, it's in the glove compartment of the car this cam out of. I didn't plan on having a dead battery wtf. And he keeps attempting to warranty out and then goes back to the receipt thing "if only you had a receipt that would make this easier" but continues to try and look up my purchase. Which I didn't buy this using my vin # I just walked up to the parts counter and bought a battery at a discounted rate just like any other part I buy. They never ask for a phone number or anything so they just use their own phone number on the invoice, I take the part to the cashier, pay and she writes PD on the ticket.

SO this guy is going through every invoice of a battery sale and he's like when did you buy this, Well I bought it in 2010 and had it warranted with a bad cell in 2012. Didn't have a receipt when I warranted it nor did they give me a receipt stating this was a warranted issue. so he goes back to 2012 and is looking for like 20 minutes and he's like well I don't see anything in here and the manager walks up. "Question, this is a Honda battery, YOU guys tested and said it's bad, why won't you honor the warranty is it that big of deal I have to drive home and get the receipt for this?"

The Manager states "well you could have gotten that from the junk yard and are bringing it up here saying it's bad" Oh Now I'm a Criminal!!! FIRST OF ALL, I didn't know this battery was bad!!!! I brought it up here for a simple recharging and you test it and say it's bad ok. I would like a working battery and this guy keeps going on and on about a 10 year warranty, I don't care if it's pro-rated to 2010 it's not that big of deal.

Then I remember "I bought this at the other Honda up the road where I had a friend mechanic that worked there" and the manager is like, "oh it doesn't matter where you bought it we'll honor any battery" and it's all coming back to me now!!

I HAD my receipt when I warranted this battery because I brought it to this Honda and the SAME manager I'm dealing with now, told me I have to go to the dealer I bought it from for replacement! And I took it up to the other Honda and they had replaced it no questions asked not even a receipt.

So my bad I go to get my receipt. It gets WORSE! I have every parts and labor invoice EXCEPT the battery. And now I'm wondering if that receipt was in my old hatch because I used that when I went with the receipt and they replaced my battery and didn't ask for the receipt.

So now I just drive up to the Honda I bought the battery from, and explain to them I don't have my receipt and I wasn't asked for it last time, but I believe this was originally purchased in February of 2010 and I agree to a pro-rated warranty replacement.

So he's like well we can just look that up in the system especially if you received a discount, and what year did you have it warranted. 2012. "Sorry they just came with a new computer system and we cannot go back before 2013 in our records."

ARE YOU SERIOUS? So I'm an idiot, that's OK but still. This battery came from Honda, was purchased at Honda, has a 10-year fricken warranty but because I don't have my receipt which is probably in a car I sold and your computer system got revamped so I'm completely SOL. So much for Honda giving a **** that I have bought over 10 of their vehicles and now have historic models as well! 3 of which were purchased at a Honda dealer!

I'm about to call that salesman back and tell him I don't want to buy a car from Honda because they're making such fuss about a battery.

Called corporate, they made a record, offered nothing else, says the policy is:
"without a receipt I'm out of luck."

I feel so guilty just flat out buying a new battery and giving them my old one WHICH IS DEFECTIVE WITHIN THE 10 YR WARRANTY for an $18 core. Are you kidding me????

Originally Posted by 300k

Honda wouldn't warrant a battery he didn't have a receipt for.

Originally Posted by NotARaCist

Aww, how cute, another idiot that actually thinks the customer is always right. They have no way of tracking your purchase. They have no way of verifying that you bought it from them. You lost the receipt. You have no way of proving you bought it from them. They, as a business, have every right to protect their interests. now stop being a ********, find your receipt, or stop harassing them.

Originally Posted by oneheadlight

but about your problem, you can complain all day long, but I doubt they care to help you. They got your money, they could care less now. I've also found more of the Honda branded batteries are bad than I've encountered at Advance Auto with their Autocraft branded battery.. Which is made by Johnson Controls. Johnson Controls also is supposed to be manufacturing Honda's battery.

Originally Posted by 300k

I can get a Napa for $80 with a discount and a core. I'm gonna stay away form Johnson Controls if this is the case. Can anybody make testament to quality of Napa products. I'll have a 5 year warranty and a receipt...