␈"↓λ␈ ↓→␈!↓)␈↓000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000November 15, 1985



␈↓                                        2719 Preston Drive
␈↓                                        Mountain View, CA  94040
␈↓                                        (415) 964 - 1555



␈↓American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
␈↓P. O. Box 80
␈↓Gardena, CA  90247

␈↓Dear Madam or Sir,

␈ β␈␈↓        IamwritingbecauseIreceivedunacceptableservicefromoneofyourHondadealers. Iamseekingclarificationofthetermsofyournewcarwarranty,justificationforthedealer'sbehavior,and␈ ↓→
␈↓informationaboutwhereIcanfindareliabledealerinthevicinityofmyhome.

␈ β␈␈↓        Ipurchaseda1985AccordLX3-doorfromHuntingtonHonda,Elwood,NY 11731,inlateApril1985. IhadplanstomovefromNewYorktoCalifornia,anddecidedtobuyanewcartohelpinsurea␈ ↓→
␈↓trouble-freejourney.

␈ β␈␈↓        IwasconcernedabouttheconditionsoftheAmericanHondaNewCarWarranty. HuntingtonHondaassuredmethatthewarrantywas"nation-wide"andthatIwouldhavenoproblemsreceiving␈ ↓→
␈↓warrantyserviceinCalifornia.

␈ β␈␈↓        ThecarperformedbeautifullyallthewayacrossAmerica,butdevelopedthreeproblemsbythetimeIreachedmydestination:1) theinstrumentpanelproducesabuzzingnoiseathighwayspeeds,2) the␈ ↓→
␈↓brakesmakeasquealingnoisewhenstoppingatslowspeeds,and3) duringdecelerationthecarmakesacoughing,backfiring-likesound.

␈ β␈␈↓        IrecentlybroughtmycartoLarryHopkinsHonda,Sunnyvale,CA 94087,whenthecarwasstillwithinthetimeandmileagelimitsofthewarranty. However,IwasinformedbytheHopkins␈ ↓→
␈ β␈␈↓serviceman,Mr.GeorgeLoughran,thatanyitemsinneedofrepairoradjustmentthatshouldhavebeeninspectedbytheHondadealerthatsellsthecarisnotcoveredunderthewarrantyatHopkinsHonda. In␈ ↓→
␈ β␈␈↓otherwords,becauseAmericanHondaalreadypaidHuntingtonHondafortheinspectiontime,HopkinsHondacouldnotclaimthelabortimeaswarrantyworkbecausetheinspectionhadalreadybeenperformed␈ ↓→
␈↓byanotherdealer. Therefore,HopkinsHondaconcludes,thecostmustbecoveredbythecustomer.

␈ β␈␈↓        Ifoundthistobearemarkabledisplayoflogic. MyresponsetotheservicemanwasthathowAmericanHondahandlesitsaccountingisofnoconcerntome,andthatmyrepaircostsshouldbecovered␈ ↓→
␈↓undertheconditionsofthe"nation-wide"warranty. Mr.LoughranfurtherinformedmethatthishasalwaysbeenthepolicyofAmericanHondasincethecompanywasstarted,and"that'sjustthewayitis."

␈↓        Couldthisbetrue? HasthisinfactalwaysbeenAmericanHonda'spolicy? Doesthe"nation-wide"warrantycontainsuchaclause?

␈ β␈␈↓        Mr.Loughranpreparedaworkorder,estimatingthecosttometobefortyeightdollars. Ileftthecarovernight,andtoldMr.LoughranthatIwantedthecartobeinspected,andthatnoworkshould␈ ↓→
␈↓beperformeduntilhehadspokenwithmeandIhadapprovedthejob.

␈ β␈␈↓        IphonedMr.Loughranthenextmorningandwasinformedthat:1) theinstrumentpanelwasrealignedatnocost,2) thebrakeswereglazed,andcleanedbythemechanicatacostoftwentyfour␈ ↓→
␈ β␈␈↓dollars,and3) thecarwastunedcorrectlyandthatthedecelerationnoisewasa"normalleanpopping"noise. IdidnotwanttopayfortheworkbecauseIhadnotapprovedit; Mr.Loughran'sreplywasthat␈ ↓→
␈ β␈␈↓"someonehastopayforthemechanic'stime." IinsistedthatmywarrantywasstillvalidandthatIshouldnothavetopayforthelabortime. Mr.Loughranquicklyreferredtotheowner'smanual,whichstates␈ ↓→
␈ β␈␈↓thatbrakesmaymakeanoiseundernormaloperatingconditions. Hence,normalwearandtearrepairtimeisnotcoveredbythewarranty,andthusImustpaythebill. AtthispointIdecidedthatIwasnot␈ ↓→
␈↓goingtoreceiveanyfurtherassistancefromMr. Loughran,soIpaidthebillinordertogetmycarbackandbeonmyway.

␈ β␈␈↓        Duringmyridehome,Idiscoveredthatthebrakeswerestillsquealing,andtheinstrumentpanelstillmadenoises. Inaddition,Inoticedthatthecarwasidlingroughly. Overall,Ispenttwentyfour␈ ↓→
␈ β␈␈↓dollarsandmycarwasinworseshapthanbeforeIwenttoHopkinsHonda. IturnedaroundandwentrightbacktoHopkins. IcomplainedthatIstillhadthesameproblems. Mr.Loughran(notthemechanic)␈ ↓→
␈ β␈␈↓stuckhishandintotheengineandincreasedtheidlerpmtomakethecaridlemoresmoothly. Mr.Loughrandismissedthebrakeproblembecausetheowner'smanualsaiditwasnormal. Andasforthe␈ ↓→
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␈ β␈␈↓instrumentpanelnoiseproblem,Mr.Loughranrespondedthathehad"neverheardaHondathatdidn'tmakeanoise."Ibroughtupthe"normalleanpopping"noiseagain,statingthatIhadneverheardofacar␈ ↓→
␈↓makinganormalnoiselikethat. Mr.Loughranrespondedwiththequestion: "HaveyoueverheardaHondathatdidn't?"

␈ β␈␈↓        AfewdayslaterIbeganathoroughcleaningoftheinteriorofmycar. Uponremovaloftherearseat,Ifoundthecheck-listforthepre-deliveryinspection. Whatappearstobeaninvoiceslipwasstill␈ ↓→
␈↓attachedtothecheck-list,whichhadnotamarkonit.

␈ β␈␈↓        Isthispropertreatmentandserviceforanover-eleven-thousanddollarinvestment? Certainlynot. WhenfriendsaskedhowsatisfiedIwaswithmynewcar,Iwouldsay"very." Now,myansweris"not␈ ↓→
␈↓atall."

␈ β␈␈↓        Mr.Loughran'sfinalsuggestiontomewastogotoanotherdealer. Inafewmonths,mycarwillrequireits15,000mileservice,andtobesure,IwillnotreturntoHopkinsHonda. Andatthisrate,I␈ ↓→
␈↓cannotseemyselfreturningtoHondainthefutureforthepurchaseofanewcar.

␈ β␈␈↓        IwouldappreciatearesponseclarifyingAmericanHonda'swarrantypolicy,andanexplanationofthe"normalleanpopping"noise. IfeelIdeservetohavemyinstrumentpanelfixedcorrectlyatnocost.␈ ↓→
␈ β␈␈↓IalsofeelthatIshouldnothavetopaytohavemybrakesrepaired,butifImust,theleastthedealercoulddoisactuallyfixthem. Itisobviousthatmycarneverreceiveditsproperpre-deliveryinspection,␈ ↓→
␈↓andnowmycarandIaresufferingtheconsequences. IstillhavethesameproblemsasbeforeIwenttoHopkinsHonda,andsoonmywarrantywillhaveexpired.

␈↓                                        Sincerely,




␈↓                                        JonathanGordon