There have been a lot of stories in the news lately, about Toyota and other manufacturers and their massive recalls over safety issues. I think it’s great when a manufacturer steps up and issues a recall (not so much when the NTSB forces them to do so), because we should be able to trust that these companies have our safety and best interests in mind. One thing that the Toyota debacle brought to light is how long a manufacturer will push an issue back on the consumer, even while in the public eye, before they will take responsibility?
I’ve had some positive mfgr. recall experiences, like my 2002 Chryslter 300M Special which potentially had an issue that would cause engine failure. I’d been reading about it for a while before I got the call, so I knew my options: engine replacement, or a whole new car. Obviously, I opted for a whole new car. It was painless and easy, and my sporty little sedan jumped from 12,000 miles to 8 in the blink of an eye. The whole experience made me, albeit briefly, love Chrysler. Unfortunately it seems like that was an anomaly in the auto industry.
Today I have two cars in my household, a 2006 VW Passat, and a 2006 Honda Odyssey. The VW has had its share of recalls and service bulletins since we got it, but everything has either been covered under warranty or done under a recall at no expense to us. Knowing that VW has a track record for recalls and expensive repairs, I am quite happy with how things have gone with that car. With 80k miles on the clock and only 5k miles of warranty remaining, however, I am anxiously searching for a replacement vehicle.
We purchased the Honda Odyssey just before having our second child, because I’m quite tall and our previous family car – a 2004 Infiniti FX45 – just didn’t offer the room required to put a carseat behind me. We looked at a few other brands of vans and decided that we liked the look/features/reliability of Honda over the others, although we didn’t even consider a Toyota because our first dauagher’s name is Sienna and that would be weird. At first we were very happy with the Honda, it drove great, looked as good as a minivan can look, and offered a level of convenience that neither I or my wife had ever experienced in a passenger vehicle.
The first problem we had was the steering pump. It whines. Loud and proud. Some research showed that many owners were having this very problem, and that it was caused by poor quality of the hoses in the steering system which would degrade and let abrasive particulates into the fluid, accellerating the wear and untimely demise of the steering pump. There is no recall that I’ve been able to find. Why not? Is it because it’s not really a safety issue? The second issue is the brakes. They grind and crunch and sound like the pads are completely worn through, only they’re not worn much at all. Again, some research shows that a lot of owners are having this very issue, and that most of them are getting brushed off by Honda and their dealers. Dealers are charging people to replace pads and mill rotors, only to have the issue return a few months later. Apparently Honda has even gone on record stating that this is a manufacturing defect, yet no recall has been issued (that I can find) and dealers are still giving people the runaround on the status of this problem.
I think companies should stand behind their products no matter what. If it’s a manufacturing defect, it shouldn’t matter how old the vehicle is, or whether it is still under warranty – it should get fixed free of cost to the consumer. What I think doesn’t matter though, and what you think doesn’t matter either. Companies will continue fucking their customers at every given opportunity.
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