Reason for Visit: Service
I recommend this dealer: No
My Review of Honda of San Marcos:
I purchased a new 2006 Honda Odyssey from this dealer and at around 9,500 miles, the rear end of my van began to shimmy violently while driving around 20 mph. The dealer paid to have the van towed to their service department and for me to have a rental car. They made a lot of brake and rear end repairs and shrugged their shoulders saying they couldn't figure out what was wrong, but that maybe I was driving with my emergency brake on. Being naive and trusting that they were the experts and desperately wanting a safe vehicle in which to drive myself and my two children, I paid the $600 and took the van home. One week later, both rear wheels locked up while I was driving around 40 mph and I was barely able to maneuver it into a parking lot. I called the dealer from the spot, they sent an Enterprise rental agent to pick me up and again had the van towed to their service department. This time, they performed quite a lot of replacements and repairs on the rear end and brake parts. One week later, they called to tell me the van was repaired and I could pick it up. This time there was no charge. The service manager said "I sure hope we fixed it this time!" I was shocked at this statement as my life was in danger if the wheels locked up again. With no recourse, I accepted the van and drove it 60 miles to test it before I put my children in the van. After 60 miles, I was feeling confident, so I turned around to head back home when all of a sudden, the front right and both rear wheels locked up while I was driving 65 mph on Interstate 35 north of Austin. A witness wrote a statement describing the shocking event and the police report states that the possible cause was defective brakes. This time, Honda of San Marcos was much less interested in helping me. Because it is my belief that the Honda Odyssey is defective, I tried to avoid making a claim to my insurance agency so I paid to have the van towed to the dealer again. I gave them full permission to investigate the cause. Two days after the third incident, I went to see the Service Manager to obtain a full set of their records on my car and when the service manager, Cody Davis, noticed the $600 charge from the first incident, he said "we never should have charged you that. You have my word that that money will be refunded to you no matter what." Every week I called to ask when I would receive the refund and Mr. Davis kept putting me off until he finally said I would have to speak to the owner of the dealership, Rando Ammons. Rando Ammons wouldn't accept my phone calls, so I went into the dealership six weeks after the promise was made to see him in person. He refused to see me, saying that he was in a meeting. He wouldn't tell his receptionist when he would meet with me, so I waited outside his office. He came out very angry at me telling me he would not discuss my van with me at all and that I was to leave the premises. I had not raised my voice, had not made any threats, had not acted in any aggressive or rude way, so I told him I would only leave once he made a commitment to return the $600 that Cody Davis had promised. Rando Ammons had one of his salesmen call the police. I waited patiently and silently until the police arrived. They issued me a warning for Criminal Trespassing and escorted me, one on each side of me, through the dealership out to my new car (a Toyota!). The decision on the part of Rando Ammons to evict me from the premises through police force was uncalled for. This is my complaint about Honda of San Marcos. My experiences with American Honda, Inc. regarding my defective van is a whole other story which can be viewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/complaintsearch.cfm, complaint number 10191329 (please be sure to view the document search). Please contact me if you have had similar experiences or advice. My email is kimharrell@austin.rr.com
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