First Ramzan didn’t go as well as I expected. Reason was Honda Dealership and their unbelievable rates of service. I spent my entire day getting my car fixed. The heat plus fasting only made it harder. The reason why I chose to share this short story of getting a car fixed by Honda is the rates they charge are hundreds of percent higher than a non-dealer parts shop.
Me and my brother took the Civic to Honda Fort Dealership near jail road in Lahore for the scheduled 1000 km maintenance. And while we were there, my brother asked me to reverse the car around a tight spot. Well I reversed and messed it up. It was entirely my fault I admit. Here though, I would like to emphasize that I was reversing in a very slow speed, yet, when the car hit the pillar, it made a sound like I was reversing at no less than 50 Km/H. The rear bumper got pressed and a glass part of a tail light got broken. A perfect start to fasting but I talked to myself to stay patient. The bumper of Civic is no stronger than a paper I realized. Anyhow, after the 1000 Km maintenance from the upper level was complete, we went down to the body shop to fix the newly messed up rear-body. What happened later stunned me and my brother.
Honda dealership said rupees 12000 and something for the light and 16000 for the bumper. I said we do not need a new bumper and it could easily be fixed by heating the bumper and pulling it back. A very minor part, just 1-2 cm needed repaint, but Honda people insisted that it was beyond fixing. They told me if I had to get it fixed, it would cost me 15000 PKR for the bumper only, whereas new one would cost me 16000. That’s one way to push people into buying a new bumper against their wishes.
– New Bumper = 6000 PKR
– Paint to bumper = 5000 PKR
– Removing a dent underneath the bumper on the body (which wasn’t there!) = 4000 PKR
– Bumper clippings = 1000 PKR
I protested that there was no dent on the body of the car but Honda dealership did not agree. They also said, the part near the light on the body is also dented and needed repair/denting. I checked it. Only the bumper and light were affected. How could the side of the car be damaged when it showed no sign of bending or damage. Total bill according to them came out to be in excess of 40,000 PKR and they said that the car would stay with them for 3 days minimum. My brother had to go to Islamabad tomorrow so the car couldn’t have been left with them possibly.
We excused ourselves from the body shop of Honda dealership and went out. I immediately went to my trusted denter who in the past did work on all my vehicles. He saw the condition of the car, and said the same thing: It would be done by heating the bumper and pulling it back to its original shape, plus minor paint on scratches .There was no damage on the body of the car. The tail light, he said, could be repaired easily or bought for a lot less from Montgomery Road. After giving the car to him we went to Montgomery road for the tail light.
There we were given many options.
a) Repair the light (glass part) for 1500 PKR, but it would leave marks where the light was broken.
b) Buy a Repaired /used light with few marks for 2000-4000 PKR depending on condition.
c) Buy a genuine/mint condition light for 5000 PKR.
We went for the 5000 PKR light, went back to the denter, gave him that and went home. Now what Honda people said would cost Rs 40,000
plus and 3 days. It took us 8000 Rs and just two hours to get it fixed. The car is back to original condition. Took a bit of “Khuwaari” in fasting but it was worth it as patience is always rewarding.
My advice to others: Do not get your car’s body work be done by Honda or atleast get a second estimate. Because they will charge you many times more than what is prevalent in the market and will take much more time. They saw us as probably new customers who came in for 1000 Km inspection and wanted to make the most out of us. In this process they would have painted the side body of my car as well, just to increase the bill for themselves. Pathetic thinking I would say.
Roadside mechanics arent always cheap. Most of them are extortionists and very few actually know how to work on cars.
Only Honda is not doing this, goy my 2013 Mehran hit from left side…..both the doors were damaged badly and needed replacement but no damage to vehicle frame. Got this problem fixed for PKR 49,000 from Suzuki dealership in Karachi……………Just imagine nearly half lac rupees for minor accident repairs of Mehran
First of all, you're comparing repair vs replacement. That makes all the difference in the world price wise. Secondly; The prices you were quoted for new parts including painting and fitment are actually really cheap when you consider 1) Honda part prices abroad (where I live, a taillight will run you about 80.000 Rs and a new bumper with paint around 120.000 Rs) 2) Authentic Honda parts are known to be very expensive because they have unparalelled quality and will practically last forever – your half-price China-part won't. Thirdly, Honda has a reputation to take care of – even though conceived expensive, they are never going to give you cheap backyard fixes, they will try to give you best possible quality because that's what they do.
In other words,
Dealership is expensive wherever you go no matter what country. Charging insane prices is bogus way to loot despite of low manufacturing costs. The quality of cars is pathetic in Pakistan and still charging high does not make any sense. So
, spares can not be of "best possible quality"
mujtaba abbas boss can you please share the address/name of ur trusted mechanic
First of all quality of spare parts in pakistan is not at par with quality abroad. They seem high copy (even with honda dealership).Labour is very cheap here as compared to abroad. You are highly mistaken bro. Honda Pakistan does not care for the customer. They are just money launderers. I agree with this article.
Repair vs replacement : honda gave an estimate of 15k for repair and 16k for replacement. So hardly a difference of 1k.
Where you live can you tell us how much did you get your honda for ? 😛 We get expensive car plus lower quality spares and we pay more. Andhair nagri
I have been through this .. i totally agree with you bro .. honda maintenance is just for pulling our skins off !
dealerships tou banday kee khaal utarti hain bass
A while back I rear ended some govt official's reborn and since It was my fault I agreed to pay for the repairs. Only the bumper was pressed, no other damage whatsoever, i said i'll get it fixed from the denter I had been going to for ages but thAt smug asshole kept refusing and insisted that the work was done from Honda, long story short it cost me over 20,000 to fix a pressed bumper on a reborn.
Which denter did you go to i need to get my few scratches fixed for civic to
I want to ask is it necessary to take your car to the dealer for the mentioned mileage maintenance ?
As I just bought Civic 3months ago …
hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaha.
U cant reverse ur car properly n i guess this car does have a backup camera?
the thing is that i take estimates from them n take my own decisions.
THEY PROVIDE GENUINE PARTS. so whenever a part like a filter or brake pads is needed. i always use their parts.
i had a civic which had leaked condenser due to driver error. Fort's estimate was wayyyy above my reach, even with repairs.
i got that fixed from outside n it is working perfectly.
U need to decide urslf rather than blaming them for ur incompetence to decide or think what ur car needs at the moment.
Only honda is not doing this toyota and suzuki are also doing the same thing.
acha phir kyun rakhi hui hai 😀
This reminds of when Honda tried to charge me 40k for disc pads for just the front brakes of my CL-9. Same can be sourced from Bilal Autos for 18kish. Exactly the same part with a genuine Honda seal on it.
they stamp on warranty card. Otherwise it can get void
I Agree with you Adeel. Our Pakistani brothers need to rethink twice before blaming them, this is the only reason why companies like Audi, Bmw, Lamborghini do NOT invest in Pakistan because they know we people do not understand in depth and we will not pay them for there unmatchable quality, technology and performance.
One of the Honda Body Shops in I-10 Islamabad demanded 35,000 for a trunk lock of a City 2009 model. The same lock was repaired for Rs.150 by the nearest denter.
They charge in a similar manner for the vehicles they sell.
Accidents can happen and it can happen with anyone I don’t agree with you. I myself lost my cool twice during first Ramdan and eventually realized that most people on roads are also not acting normally. He is discussing, that Honda dealerships are a complete ripoff and I agree with him. 80% parts which they sell can easily be bought from outside from as little as half the price and that too manufactured from Japan. Last of all, price is one thing and misguiding is another. He is in every way right in reporting that dealerships are misguiding people. A very well written article.
i am surprised that they were forcing you as they can give suggestions, not force anyone to do as they say.. and BTW fasting is no big deal so please dont bring that thing again and again in your daily routine.
Maqsood Hussain bro here the topic is about hondaS workshop not the honda as a brand .. so better keep your mouth shut :@ 😛
i had an accident in my cultus, front bonnet, and windshield needed to be replaced, i got it done for 25000 from a denter.(including colour)
SUZUKI'S genuine WINDSHIELD AND BONNET (with stamps), just the bumper was thai I guess.
its strange that you didn't know it before
Get your car insured. Drive with peace of mind.
Well sir, I do agree that Honda guys are Stealers but there is a difference in buying brand new and 2nd hand/used parts. The tail light you bought may be like new but its not new. Not that i am suggesting you should have bought brand new. I am of the view that head/tail lights, bumpers etc shud always be bought from used parts market. Since these parts have no defined life (i.e. they are not vital mechanical parts or consumables)
so u did the right thing, believe me i have seen Honda 3S guys getting bumpers of cars fixed from open market (heating process) i have pix to prove it! They just dont want u to go there directly but pay them heavy amounts so that they ll make huge profits n get the same work done for 500rs from outside.
But remember, for consumables and mechanical parts, ALWAYS buy OEM parts. its worth the price…
Folks, I think this is an issue with Honda Fort in particular. I recently had my car's front and rear bumpers repaired(minor scratches) and re painted. You would not believe the fact that I had to get the bumpers reprinted twice from them as their work quality was PATHETIC to say the least. Finally they gave up and said they could do no better and that too with a small piece of paint chipped from the rear bumper even before I could take possession of the car. The team there refuses to admit there is a shade difference and the paint quality was poor even when I showed them obvious bubbles. I left frustrated and angry, promising myself never to use their body shop again. Had to get the bumpers re painted from another workshop and it came out perfectly in the first go. Lesson: forget Honda Fort for body work !!
In Lahore a Suzuki dealer asked me for 125000/- for the new carburetor of 2004 Cultus, I then got it fixed from a mechanic for 1000/- 😛
Totally agree with you bro….Honda sucks Big time!!! I find it better to get the car fixed (except for engine issues if car under warranty) from outside Honda 3s dealership.
That's Why We Prefer Doing It On Our OWN….3S Can Become So STEALER And Bad For Your Pocket If You Go In Wrong Hands 3S :3
Bro there is a difference betwwen (ROAD SIDE MECHANIC) and a HONDA DEALER.
I had an accident. I am admitting it as my fault. And you are focusing on that only instead of the article. what more can i say. Period.
MY ADVICE to all people is to USE UR HEAD N TAKE A DECISION URSELF.
Take opinion from others n do what you see fit rather than crying about it over the internet.
do u think the local denter wala aint there for business?
if i had been at ur place i would have gone streight to bilal gunj n wahan sai he bumper set kerwata aur light bhe used lai leta.
bumper ka dent seedha kerna aint rocket science, anyone can do it.
neelay gumbad main yehi kaam 500 main ho jana tha jo ap nai 1500 ka kerwaya hai.
when replacing a mechanical part i would only trust honda for genuine part for my car which means it has good quality.
If i have less money i would pay less for a bad quality part or sell the car if i cant afford it.
BUY OEM MECHANICAL PARTS.
ALWAYS BUY OEM MECHANICAL PARTS.
The only way to make sure of that is from dealership.
From what angle does that look like reversing at slow speed? You clearly smashed it on the pillar. I bet you wouldn't be so pissed at dealers if you knew how to reverse.
M Hozaifa Ejaz That person is talkin abt Civic, not BMW
Farrukh Ali
Nothing beats DIYs!! but not all of the people can do it.
Brothers…. All dealerships in Pakistan are stealerships … its not only for new or normal customers but for those special customers like government cars, agencies cars, institutions cars etc all repairs they charge very high… just like blood sucking leeches
all companies workshops charge too much way too much, driving and mantaining car is a science in pakistan for every different problem there is a different solution and different place to save ur self from the stealers. genuine bumpers are made of very good material they dont break easily and can b repaired many times and put back in shape and gets repainted , lights are available in market of different mades like taiwan, china etc .. which actually makes no difference in cars work, only machanical parts should be genuine but sadly its pakistan who knows what is genuine or not.
u joker why do u need to laugh at other peoples loss shame on u.
i had same trunt lock problem in honda civic and went to pit stop while having oil change i called the denter " bhai yaar ye zara set kar do " and he did it for free 😀
Wid Khan cuz they make stupid mistakes n blame the losses on others or take their aggression on something other than themselves being lazy n stupid.
main gareeb admi hon bhai !
Talha Ahmed eh, it is not about understanding, these are luxury brands and even in developed countries these brands don't sell in high numbers. why'd they invest in a country which people cannot afford their products???? for average pakistani even civic is a really expensive ride.
Income and expenses should go hand in hand, if my company pays my dents i ll go to showroom otherwise my personal road side denter is the best.
At the end of the day i ll only care wats left in my pocket, not with stupid cars to be well maintained.
Mujtaba Abbas It is always responsible to bring issues to light that the public could potentially face, however such issues should be brought to light in a responsible manner. While your article indeed cites figures about bumper repair costs vs cost to install a new bumper and these figures may be true but for the sake of transparency you should have taken a photo of the estimate (the copy that the dealership provides) and compared it to how much it took to actually repair your car. Transparency is important especially when you take it upon yourself to lambaste a company or an institution in particular. While I emphasize again that these figures may be true and what you report may be true for the sake of transparent and responsible reporting it is indeed your responsibility to finish any doubt in anyones mind especially to the institution at hand. You should have the decency next time to show the complete picture i mean you had time to take pictures of the car before and after how long would it have taken to take a picture of the estimate?
Mujtaba Abbas It is always responsible to bring issues to light that the public could potentially face, however such issues should be brought to light in a responsible manner. While your article indeed cites figures about bumper repair costs vs cost to install a new bumper and these figures may be true but for the sake of transparency you should have taken a photo of the estimate (the copy that the dealership provides) and compared it to how much it took to actually repair your car. Transparency is important especially when you take it upon yourself to lambaste a company or an institution in particular. While I emphasize again that these figures may be true and what you report may be true for the sake of transparent and responsible reporting it is indeed your responsibility to finish any doubt in anyones mind especially to the institution at hand. You should have the decency next time to show the complete picture i mean you had time to take pictures of the car before and after how long would it have taken to take a picture of the estimate?
I have been using a corolla for 10 years and though the walton motors did charge high as all the others they did a fine job. now i have a civic reborn and they charged 9000 for the right outter tail light which was damaged simmilarly and the bulbs were the old ones. and when it came to repainting, they finifshed it with tiny bubbles and the rest of the surface including the lights was rough. the car was not washed and had blue stains on it though the car was black and it keeps on going on…