Richard *****
555 Rubicon Drv..
Gastonia NC, 28051
(555) 555-5555
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
P.O. Box 2220
Torrance, CA 90509-2220
310-532-9811
September 5, 2001
Honda of America,
“The Power of Dreams.” I too had a dream, a dream that I
could depend on the manufacturer of my 2001 Rubicon. I have never thought
twice about investing in a second Honda product, until now. After
investing thousands of dollars into a Rubicon, I was expecting nothing
short of high quality and excellent customer service. I, like several
others, have been experiencing quite the opposite: poor quality and poor
customer service.
On November 7, 2000, I had purchased a 2001
Rubicon. As early as April 19, 2001, I experienced my first major
problem: a defective water pump. With an optimistic attitude, I arranged
to repair the problem at my local Honda shop. Within three weeks,
the pump was repaired and I had planned a riding trip. Much to my
surprise, I was presented with my second problem on May 13, 2001: a defective
transmission. The transmission would not gear down from fifth gear.
On May 14, 2001, I once again arranged my Rubicon for repair. About
mid June I contacted Honda’s service department because of the length of
time it was taking for the repairs. I was informed that the repairs
would be completed by July 5, 2001. Regrettably, it took the local
shop nearly seven weeks to finish the repairs. Not until July 4,
2001, I received a call informing me that the repairs were finished.
Although my local shop was closed on July 4, 2001, they opened for a short
time so I could pick up my Rubicon. They claimed that they were doing
me a favor, due to the fact that it took them so long to finish the repairs.
On July 5, 2001, I proceeded on my trip, rode nearly fifty miles, and had
no problems. On July 8, 2001, roughly a half an hour into a ride
I noticed a grinding noise coming from the front gear casing. Admittedly,
I checked the oil level, which was fine, and continued with the ride.
On July 8, 2001, I took my Rubicon in for repairs for the third time.
On July 12, 2001, I received a phone call from the Honda dealer informing
me that it was ready to be picked up. The dealer informed me that
the grinding was “normal” and that there were “no other problems found.”
From July 12, 2001 until July 31, 2001 I rode my Rubicon with this ear
piercing grinding sound. With the advice of my father and others,
I once again took my Rubicon in for repairs on July 31, 2001. On
August 18, 2001, I received a call from the shop and proceeded to pick
it up. When I arrived at the shop, I was told that “some type of
a flush washer was not inserted properly from when the rebuilt the sub-transmission”
on May 13, 2001. They also informed me that they replaced some gears
while it was apart. Once again, with an optimistic attitude, I proceeded
to ride my Rubicon in hopes that the problem was finally fixed. Within
one hour the grinding noise was back and within three hours the noise grew
throughout the entire engine. Frustrated with Honda, I called Honda’s
service department for suggestions on what to do. I was told to take
it in for repairs. Unsatisfied with the quality of my Rubicon, I
requested a new machine. On August 25, 2001, I took it to the shop
for repairs for the fifth time. On September 12, 2001 I recived a
call from the shop that my trannsmission had come in and that it would
be installed the next day, On September 14 I proceeded to picked it up
and was not quite sure that I wanted to try to ride it again for the fear
of getting stuck miles from home or the nearest road.
With all of the problems I am experiencing,
I am beginning to wonder if Honda really is the “Best on Earth.”
Repairing my Rubicon takes a lot of time and effort. The
time, I have, but the effort is exhausted. With the motor’s aluminum
housing I realize that tearing the engine down several times may result
in premature failure of several components. Not only will I routinely
experience the present problems but also several others will arise due
to the five repairs made. This is not what I want nor expect
from a company that has been respected for several years.
Legal action has been taken on my part.
I have contacted my lawyer to see what can be done to resolve this situation
as soon as possible. I had purchased my Rubicon with my Honda Card
and on the back of the card it states, “If you have a problem with the
quality of goods or services that you purchased with a credit card, and
you have tried in good faith to correct the problem with the merchant,
you may not have to pay the remaining amount due on the goods or services.”
I believe that Honda will stand behind its name and reputation to resolve
this situation in a timely manner.
I, a loyal customer, expect a reply from Honda, with
Honda's intended actions with regards to the above-mentioned problem.
I have enjoyed nothing but excellent products from Honda and wish to do so in
the future.
Regards,
Richard *****
VIN Number: ##################
Dealer Number: ####-#####-#
Honda of ******, NC