Why I will most definitely NEVER EVER buy another Honda

Since my last post, I was contacted by Honda corporate. (from here on out I will not be capitalizing honda, they suck)  This was only after I reached out via email.  First I emailed the "customer relations manager".  After not hearing anything back for two days (zero, zilch, nada, not a peep) I proceeded to email the "senior vice president, auto sales division", the "executive vice president and coo" and the ceo himself.  About a day after sending my email to those folks, I receive a phone call out of the blue from honda customer service on June 11, 2019.  The strange thing about this is I NEVER gave them my phone number in any correspondence with them.

The customer service rep summarized my issue and promised to look into it and call me back by the following Monday (June 17).  After not hearing anything back, I called them today (June 19) to follow up.  I had to leave a voicemail for the rep.  He called back within a couple hours and told me he had spoken to the dealership and the "zone rep".  I was informed that the dealer had determined that the issue with my steering wheel was not a defect and therefore the warranty claim was denied.  The rep then continued to tell me he had inquired about an out-of-warranty goodwill replacement.  I was then informed this was also denied because of an email I sent that hurt the dealer's service manager's feelings.  The rep then told me, and this is a direct quote, "You basically talked yourself out of the goodwill replacement".  I sent ONE email to the service manager and NEVER got a response.  How they use this for a basis of denial for some "goodwill replacement" is beyond me.  Why even tell me about this option then???  The rep then told me the other option discussed was splitting the cost of the replacement with me.  I declined this option for two reasons.  First, I'm not paying to fix a material defect and second, after how I was treated by this dealer I am NOT going to be spending any of my money there.  

So at this point, I am sticking with my $17 steering wheel cover from Amazon. (Which is better quality than the leather-wrapped steering wheel on my $32,000 car)  I also plan to discourage everyone I know from buying honda vehicles.  I have been buying and driving honda's since 2007, and honda values my business so much they are willing to throw it away over something that costs them less than $250.

For anyone wondering, here is the complete email I sent to the hurt feelings honda dealer:

Hi Steve,

I was in there Tuesday to have you guys submit a warranty claim for the cracking leather on my steering wheel.  Yesterday I received a call from the other Steve informing me that the zone rep had denied the claim.  He also advised me to contact the selling dealer (Walser) in order to have them resubmit the claim to try and fight the denial.  I spoke with Walser yesterday, and the adviser there told me I should have been given a reason (by the zone rep) as to why it was denied.  Could you please send me that information?

Before I make the seemingly pointless trip to Burnsville to have Walser resubmit this, is there anything else you can do on my behalf to appeal the denial?  It is very frustrating to have a brand new car with a defect and have some random "zone rep" determines (based solely on pictures) it is not covered by the warranty.  I took pictures in the daylight yesterday and anyone with half a brain can clearly see the leather is cracking along the grain.  This is not damage caused by me.

Thank you,

Corey

Why I will never buy another Honda

In February 2019 I purchased a new 2018 Honda Accord touring.  No issues at the dealership, I was treated fairly and got what I thought was a good deal.  Now, 4 months later, not so much.

I came out to my car a week ago (6/3/19) and immediately noticed something scratchy on the wheel.  Upon further inspection I found the leather on the steering wheel to be cracking.  No problem, I thought, I will take it to the dealer and they will fix the problem post haste...I still have a factory warranty.  The car only has 4,000 miles on it, still practically new.

I end up at the dealer, they take photos and briefly explain the process.  They send off my claim and call me back 24 hours later.  I was informed the "zone rep" had denied the warranty claim.  I'm stuck, I have no other recourse available to me.  I was expected to bring my car into the dealer so they could physically see the damage, but the person making the warranty decision only needed to see pictures?!?  How is this fair?  I drop $32k+ on a car, I expect the materials to last a little longer.

I contacted Honda customer service via twitter and was told they would defer to the zone rep.  All attempts at contacting anyone at Honda corporate have fallen on deaf ears.  No response from anyone.  I sent another email off to the dealer who submitted the warranty claim, no response.  At this point I am beyond frustrated.  The biggest factor influencing my decision to purchase a Honda vs. Tesla was the dealer network if I ever needed service.  To say I am sorely disappointed is an understatement.

I still like this car, and plan to drive it for at least the next 10 years.  That being said, unless something drastic happens with this situation when it's time for me to buy my next car, it will NOT be a Honda.