Local Dealer Doesn't Want to Do Shifter Recall

[Kev250R]

Anyone else dealt with this yet? I bought my Trail used last summer from a private party who originally bought the bike from out-of-state. When I bought my Trail the PO gave me a letter he got from Honda last December stating there was a recall for the Shifter. It doesn't really concern me and at the time I had more pressing matters (like getting my Trail legally registered in California, which took most of the first month I owned it) that I set the letter on my desk and forgot about it.

Found the letter again this week, called my local Honda dealer (which I've done a fair amount of business with over the past 15 years or so). Got in-touch with the owner who tells me because I didn't buy my Trail from his store, he won't do the recall because he's too busy. I then let him know of my prior purchases with his Dealership (including other bikes and annual Valve adjustments on my TRX450R) and was told he'd look into it and get back to me. That was three days ago.

Has anyone else dealt with this issue? On the letter from Honda it says I can take it to any dealer and to contact Honda if there is a problem, which I think will be my next move. Truth is my shifter seems fine, I'm really not worried about it and may upgrade it to another type of shifter eventually anyways but in California we have a law which states that a vehicle with an open recall can't be re-registered until that recall has been performed.

There are other dealers in my area, however the one which (so far) is denying the recall work is the only one I can ride to easily (it's ten minutes from my house). The whole thing is a bit of a bummer since up until the last year or so I've always been happy with this Dealer.

What say the collective?

 

[SgtAlf]

Anyone else dealt with this yet? I bought my Trail used last summer from a private party who originally bought the bike from out-of-state. When I bought my Trail the PO gave me a letter he got from Honda last December stating there was a recall for the Shifter. It doesn't really concern me and at the time I had more pressing matters (like getting my Trail legally registered in California, which took most of the first month I owned it) that I set the letter on my desk and forgot about it.

Found the letter again this week, called my local Honda dealer (which I've done a fair amount of business with over the past 15 years or so). Got in-touch with the owner who tells me because I didn't buy my Trail from his store, he won't do the recall because he's too busy. I then let him know of my prior purchases with his Dealership (including other bikes and annual Valve adjustments on my TRX450R) and was told he'd look into it and get back to me. That was three days ago.

Has anyone else dealt with this issue? On the letter from Honda it says I can take it to any dealer and to contact Honda if there is a problem, which I think will be my next move. Truth is my shifter seems fine, I'm really not worried about it and may upgrade it to another type of shifter eventually anyways but in California we have a law which states that a vehicle with an open recall can't be re-registered until that recall has been performed.

There are other dealers in my area, however the one which (so far) is denying the recall work is the only one I can ride to easily (it's ten minutes from my house). The whole thing is a bit of a bummer since up until the last year or so I've always been happy with this Dealer.

What say the collective?

Contact Honda, like the letter says.

 

[m in sc]

that dealer can get into deeeep shit not doing a recall. years ago, when i worked at a Honda and Toyota dealership (yes both in the same building) we were obliged to do all recalls on the primary makes.. AND Acura and Lexus. If they wont do the recall, they are violating their franchise dealer contract agreement.

 

[op46]

Mine wanted me to bring my two bikes in and keep overnight or longer, due to backlog of work. He is over an hour drive way so I would have to make two trips and get picked up and taken back twice or trailer them both. So I said I would put on. They said no can do. I ordered my self and have them as spares while carring a extended toe shifter as on board spare. Didn't buy my CB500X from them. Won't buy anything from them again. Gas would have cost me as much as a shifter did unless I trailered. The aggravation would have been really, really, high.

 

[Kev250R]

that dealer can get into deeeep shit not doing a recall. years ago, when i worked at a Honda and Toyota dealership (yes both in the same building) we were obliged to do all recalls on the primary makes.. AND Acura and Lexus. If they wont do the recall, they are violating their franchise dealer contract agreement.

That was my understanding as well. However I wasn't certain it was the same rule for MC's. I'll be contacting Honda Corporate.

 

[Kev250R]

Mine wanted me to bring my two bikes in and keep overnight or longer, due to backlog of work. He is over an hour drive way so I would have to make two trips and get picked up and taken back twice or trailer them both. So I said I would put on. They said no can do. I ordered my self and have them as spares while carring a extended toe shifter as on board spare. Didn't buy my CB500X from them. Won't buy anything from them again. Gas would have cost me as much as a shifter did unless I trailered. The aggravation would have been really, really, high.

That would be annoying. In my case I don't mind if they want to keep my bike overnight, I'm more concerned with the difference between loading my bike into my truck and driving it to a Dealership farther away as opposed to just having a friend follow (or meet me) at my local dealer which is an easy 10 min ride from where I live.

This situation is just another reason why I'm generally not a fan of Dealerships. When will we be able to buy new Honda's off Amazon LOL!

 

[m in sc]

no, that's the way it is.

My dealer handed me the part by my request. i brought them the original one a few days later. thats basically in violation of their dealer agreement as well, but they get to charge the time to change it to honda, and i know its done right. win win.
If I were you, I'd contact Honda and tell them they refuse to do a safety recall. watch how fast they step into line.

 

[Shoot870p]

I believe m in sc says it best- just watch his fast they step into line!

 

[AZ7000']

They did mine while I waited, about 45 min at a dealer I hate. Good???

Dealers make money on utv tune ups, financing, doc fees, and accessories…. $4000 bikes are not their wheelhouse, I’m guessing they get paid $50 to swap it out?
As far as stepping in line, Honda of America doesn’t give 2 about price gouging or ridiculous mark ups, looking forward to hearing how it turns out

 

[m in sc]

but they do care about product image, particularly in quality. Also, they don't need federal DOT to find them or one of their franchises in violation of the NHTSA. I have 1: worked for them and 2: supplied to them on a corporate level. Honda corporate will give a shit, make no doubt.

 

[dmonkey]

As others have said, your dealer is obligated to take care of the recall. They gave you a hard time, so don't feel shy giving them one back talking to Honda corporate.

Don't be suprised if they don't book your service appointment months out, like January, though. Many motorcycle shop service departments are booked months out. They'll often squeeze you in if it's to their benefit or if you've got a broken down bike and are from out of town, but if you're a local, you didn't buy the bike from them, AND you're getting warranty/recall work done which isn't worth the time it takes to them (but is an obligation of theirs), you're likely to land at the bottom of their list for service.

 

[m in sc]

with the eye of the area rep on them after a complaint like that, they'll take care of it quickly i'm sure. drop the hammer on them.

 

[Kev250R]

with the eye of the area rep on them after a complaint like that, they'll take care of it quickly i'm sure. drop the hammer on them.

I agree. It's been four days since I last spoke with them. I'll be reaching-out to Honda tomorrow.

 

[Kev250R]

As others have said, your dealer is obligated to take care of the recall. They gave you a hard time, so don't feel shy giving them one back talking to Honda corporate.

Don't be suprised if they don't book your service appointment months out, like January, though. Many motorcycle shop service departments are booked months out. They'll often squeeze you in if it's to their benefit or if you've got a broken down bike and are from out of town, but if you're a local, you didn't buy the bike from them, AND you're getting warranty/recall work done which isn't worth the time it takes to them (but is an obligation of theirs), you're likely to land at the bottom of their list for service.

Yeah, in the beginning I wasn't wanting to make a fuss, especially since (at least on my bike) this recall isn't that big of deal. Now though, I'm ready to escalate things with Honda and will be doing so.

I'd actually be okay with an appointment a couple of months from now; like I said in my state I have to have this recall taken care of before I can renew the tags on the bike for another year, however my tags are good until next July or August so I'm in no real hurry. That said though I would rather handle this sooner then later so I can take it off my que.

What's really sad is over the years I have given this local dealer (even back when I didn't live close to them) a lot of business, both on my own buying bikes, having repairs made and buying parts but also in referrals. Will they notice the loss of my business? Nah, it won't even be a blip on their radar. Though it will make me feel less guilty about buying my parts on-line and the next time I get a craving for a new bike I can tell you where I won't be buying it from...

 

[Tman]

Here's my experience with a dealer and the recall . . . when I bought mine from a dealer 2 1/2 hours away, they forgot to do the recall before letting it go out the door, called me at home and asked if they could send someone to do it at my place. The service manager himself drove 2 1/2 hours each way to get this done. I understand that my dealer was more motivated because they were in error in the first place but I'm still impressed. I had asked them to just ship the part and I could install it but they weren't comfortable with that.

 

[SneakyDingo]

Honda Corporate would absolutely make moves here because a recall is a liability to them. Can you imagine the lawyers rubbing their hands together with the sounds of, "Honda issued a recall, the dealer refused to fix it, and then it broke and I had immense pain and suffering because of that"? They can practically smell the dollars as you walk in the door.

This is a pretty "human" problem. Randy Pausch has a section in his Last Lecture about brick walls that stop us from getting what we want, and how some brick walls are made of service managers. His point there is to find what they really want, what would actually satisfy them, and go down that path instead. If a parking lot replacement would appeal, great. If they just need evidence that the shifter is no longer in public, then they just need you to hand them a shifter and for you to have some sort of shifter (either OEM ordered or aftermarket). And if the brick wall is for some reason immutable, punish it with a letter to corporate and/or calling other dealerships until you find one that deserves your business.

"But remember, the brick walls are there for a reason. All right, the brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something, because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people."

 

[Kev250R]

Here's my experience with a dealer and the recall . . . when I bought mine from a dealer 2 1/2 hours away, they forgot to do the recall before letting it go out the door, called me at home and asked if they could send someone to do it at my place. The service manager himself drove 2 1/2 hours each way to get this done. I understand that my dealer was more motivated because they were in error in the first place but I'm still impressed. I had asked them to just ship the part and I could install it but they weren't comfortable with that.

Now that's some good service!

Maybe it's just the region where I live but Customer Service has really gone down the tubes here (at least for the most part). Two years ago I bought a brand-new KTM street bike from a local dealer and they didn't want to help me load it into my truck ("too much liability" the Owner of the place said). When I offered that their other option was to deliver it to me he relented and allowed his Salesman to help me push it up a ramp into my truck.

That said, there are some places which do still have good Customer Service. I try to reward those places with as much of my business as I can. There's a Diner about 15-20 minutes away (and not convient to get to) in the area where my GF lives. We eat there twice a week because the staff is friendly, knows us and their food is good. I hope things get better, but with every place seemingly complaining about staffing shortages I don't see it turning around anytime soon.

 

[Kev250R]

UPDATE:

About ten days ago I contacted American Honda via a webform they have on their site for just such a problem. I explained clearly and briefly what my situation was, what I was told by my local dealer and that I no longer felt safe riding my motorcyle (which isn't true) then pressed send.

Someone from American Honda called me yesterday and explained that they had reached-out to the dealership and been told the same thing by the same person I had. The rep from Honda then said that he spoke to the actual owner of the Dealership, explained the situation and was told by the Dealers owner that his employee was mis-informed and that they would now be happy to make the needed recall repair to my bike.

The bad news is the Dealership then told Honda that they have no ETA on when they can complete the work as they only have one Technician on staff. If I don't hear back from the Dealer in 30 days with a date/time for me to bring my Trail in, I'll reach-out to Honda again as apparently that's how you get the Dealers attention.

I'll keep the thread updated but at least so far it's nice to see that Honda Corporate will go to bat for their owners.

 

[SneakyDingo]

IMO, f**k those guys. I'd have zero faith that the supposedly single technician isn't going to intentionally f**k up the job because you're the one ruffling feathers. I'd speak to Honda Corporate and see if they can arrange to have the part sent to you and do it yourself. Mechanically it's a very simple job.

 

[Shoot870p]

I personally do not think they will go for that but who knows.