It has been a week since my last visit to Honda Workshop. The left-side damper, the problem has surfaced once more. It is producing the same sound. I have yet to get any updates from Honda Service Center with regards to my engine mounting problem. The service manager advised of me come back after 3 months for the replacement of the mounting part. Why 3 months? Based on the service manager response, they are aware of the problems and it will require 3 months for them to modify the part in order to resolve the problem.
Last week my car was in the workshop for the damper issue. I didn’t notice this un-professionalism was because when I was washing my car. I was shock to see the paint job on my car was totally ruined on the left-side where the damper was replaced. I could notice it because my car was also dirty at the same. The advertisement on the papers about keeping the car clean outside and inside really is a BS! I couldn’t complain because I took my car on Monday, and I cleaned my car on Sunday, which I had no proof unless I checked it immediately while collecting the car.
Therefore, I urge all car owners who send their cars for servicing or repair. Please check your paint work for scratches and dents. The service manager will do the same when accepting the car, but you should also do the same when receiving your car back!!
Now, the left-side panel of my car and my bonnet has fine scratch marks which are about 3cm thick, zigzagging up and down. I believe it was created from the dirty cloth which they use to clean their hands! It is dry and dirty, but they still wipe it on my one-month old paint job!!
Today, I notice another new problem. This is major and very worrying. My car fuel indicator for low-fuel is lighted up at 2 bars. When I start my car it was showing the 2 bars. But just after 5 minutes of driving, the 2 bars disappeared. That really kept me worried like HELL. So, I immediately drove to the nearest station, and when I put my car to idle, 1 bar popped up instead of nothing. If I was going through bumpy roads or climbing steep hills or what so ever, the irregular change in the indicator would sound reasonable. But this case is not what happen.
Gosh, just coming into one month, another new problem has surfaced.
Is buying a new car, truly based on luck to get a good and problem free car? Where is the Quality Assurance as Honda being one of the top selling brands from Japan?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Updates on my Honda Civic problems
I finally managed to get my car back yesterday evening around 4:30pm. They finally rectified my left-side damper tak-tak sound problem. My right-side problem with the dung-dung sound coming from the front-side has yet to be solved. The service manager said they will have to order the mounting part for which was causing the sound. That happned yesterday, 15/9/08.
Today the service manager called advising me that Honda Malaysia recognizes this problem and is in the midst of modifying a new mounting part for the problem. This process will take a three months before it can be available in the market. The service manager advises me to come back in December 2008, to fully rectify the problem once the part is made available.
So, is this the quality of parts that we are expecting even after paying an amount of RM100K++ for this Civic?
Honda Malaysia should have taken the initiative of making sure that all parts purchased are of high grade or level of quality. Honda Malaysia should not take the path of modifying the parts just to close a problem reported. Sounds to me like a temporary solution and once waranty is up in 3 years time, we, as the consumer will have to pay the bomb for rectificating a problem Honda Malaysia created since day one.
Today the service manager called advising me that Honda Malaysia recognizes this problem and is in the midst of modifying a new mounting part for the problem. This process will take a three months before it can be available in the market. The service manager advises me to come back in December 2008, to fully rectify the problem once the part is made available.
So, is this the quality of parts that we are expecting even after paying an amount of RM100K++ for this Civic?
Honda Malaysia should have taken the initiative of making sure that all parts purchased are of high grade or level of quality. Honda Malaysia should not take the path of modifying the parts just to close a problem reported. Sounds to me like a temporary solution and once waranty is up in 3 years time, we, as the consumer will have to pay the bomb for rectificating a problem Honda Malaysia created since day one.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Part 2 - Problems with my 1-month old Honda Civic
Today is my 5th time sending my car into the service center (15/9/08). The front damper part has arrived and was replaced on Friday, 12/9/08. I had no choice by to send it in today, because the problem was still there after the replacement. In actual fact, more sounds are coming from there, sounds like some loose wire knocking against the body. Probably the mechanic left out some wires dangling around. Hope it isn't some electrical wiring that can electrocute the passenger or burn my new car.
My other problem which sounded like "dung-dung", which I noticed it coming from the rear at first. After driving together with the foreman for 10 minutes around Jalan Chan Sow Lin area, he noticed the recently damper problem was still there and at the same time, he witnessed the "dung-dung" sound loud and clear, but instead of the rear side, he said it was front the engine compartment. His initial suspect was the engine mounting. But when discussed with the Service Advisor, the Service Advisor informed me that they will check further.
Sent my car in this morning at 9am, but right now is about 3:20pm (6 hours) and I have yet to hear from Honda. I hope they can close the cases once and for all with a clean/complete job.
My other problem which sounded like "dung-dung", which I noticed it coming from the rear at first. After driving together with the foreman for 10 minutes around Jalan Chan Sow Lin area, he noticed the recently damper problem was still there and at the same time, he witnessed the "dung-dung" sound loud and clear, but instead of the rear side, he said it was front the engine compartment. His initial suspect was the engine mounting. But when discussed with the Service Advisor, the Service Advisor informed me that they will check further.
Sent my car in this morning at 9am, but right now is about 3:20pm (6 hours) and I have yet to hear from Honda. I hope they can close the cases once and for all with a clean/complete job.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Unsatisfactory of my new Honda Civic
Recently I have purchase a new Honda Civic 1.8S. My previous car was Honda City I-Dsi. It was a simple upgrade from my perspective. But today is coming to my first month of receiving the car, unfortunately I have sent my car into the Honda Service Center for 4 times already. The quality that Honda is giving is getting worst by the days. Is it because of the volume or number of cars they have to produce to meet the demand? Which has resulted in lacking of Quality Assuarance for the consumers?
Even though the demand is more that supply, Honda should constantly maintain the quality of the cars that they produce everyday.
I cannot advise further on how or what are the priorities that Honda should or should not pay attention, but I can share with the readers of my blog are my pains ever since buying this Honda Civic.
1) A couple of days after I have received the car, I notice there is a sound that is coming from the rear end side of the driver's seat. I can hear a noise which it sounds like solid metal knocking on each other. I have report the problem three times already and everytime they say they thighten some screws and Mr. Customer please try again. They even gotten the foreman to drive my car, and he did hear the problem, but unfortunately after the repair, my car is still having the sound.
2) Plastic panels. A week into driving the car, interior plastic covers keeps popping out. I reported twice, and everytime they do, I think they just press it back to place and not trying to figure out why it popped out in the first place. Is this because of the cost savings Honda is trying to do, which is to get lower grade of products. The places where the plastic is popping out are shown in the pictures.
3) Front left suspension noise. I can hear "tak-tak" noises coming out from it whenever I come off the humps. According to the foreman, they will required to replace the damper for me. Fortunately it took on two days for it to arrive. I will monitor further because my new damper was just installed on the 12/09/08.
4) The engine noise, which has a rattling sound whether the car engine is cold or hot. In the morning the sound is much more visible, but the afternoon was noticeable too. It is a nuisance until I feel like I am driving a 10 years old car!! I asked the foreman's opinion and he too agree that the sound should not be like this. Btw, the engine compartment is really noise and Civic should come with better insulations. Even my last Honda City has a much quieter engine if being compared.
5) The air-conditioning system. This too have a rattling sound whenever it is turned on above 3-4 bars. I did compare my car with other Honda Civics, but theirs do not have such loud noise!! and their car is more than 2 years, as oppose to mine, 30 days!!
It is really an unsatisfactory purchase of my Honda Civic. Frankly, I do feel my Honda City have a much better quality of products installed in it, if compared with Honda Civic. Sadly this expereince really teaches me to think twice when the demand of it has increased, there are bound to be some negligence in other areas. I have written a letter to the Managing Director, but I guess it will never reach his desk. If it does, I hope he can re-attention his priorities to producing quality cars for the consumers and not paying attention only on SALES figures.
Even though the demand is more that supply, Honda should constantly maintain the quality of the cars that they produce everyday.
I cannot advise further on how or what are the priorities that Honda should or should not pay attention, but I can share with the readers of my blog are my pains ever since buying this Honda Civic.
1) A couple of days after I have received the car, I notice there is a sound that is coming from the rear end side of the driver's seat. I can hear a noise which it sounds like solid metal knocking on each other. I have report the problem three times already and everytime they say they thighten some screws and Mr. Customer please try again. They even gotten the foreman to drive my car, and he did hear the problem, but unfortunately after the repair, my car is still having the sound.
2) Plastic panels. A week into driving the car, interior plastic covers keeps popping out. I reported twice, and everytime they do, I think they just press it back to place and not trying to figure out why it popped out in the first place. Is this because of the cost savings Honda is trying to do, which is to get lower grade of products. The places where the plastic is popping out are shown in the pictures.
3) Front left suspension noise. I can hear "tak-tak" noises coming out from it whenever I come off the humps. According to the foreman, they will required to replace the damper for me. Fortunately it took on two days for it to arrive. I will monitor further because my new damper was just installed on the 12/09/08.
4) The engine noise, which has a rattling sound whether the car engine is cold or hot. In the morning the sound is much more visible, but the afternoon was noticeable too. It is a nuisance until I feel like I am driving a 10 years old car!! I asked the foreman's opinion and he too agree that the sound should not be like this. Btw, the engine compartment is really noise and Civic should come with better insulations. Even my last Honda City has a much quieter engine if being compared.
5) The air-conditioning system. This too have a rattling sound whenever it is turned on above 3-4 bars. I did compare my car with other Honda Civics, but theirs do not have such loud noise!! and their car is more than 2 years, as oppose to mine, 30 days!!
It is really an unsatisfactory purchase of my Honda Civic. Frankly, I do feel my Honda City have a much better quality of products installed in it, if compared with Honda Civic. Sadly this expereince really teaches me to think twice when the demand of it has increased, there are bound to be some negligence in other areas. I have written a letter to the Managing Director, but I guess it will never reach his desk. If it does, I hope he can re-attention his priorities to producing quality cars for the consumers and not paying attention only on SALES figures.
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