Reliability my ASS, and no one there wants to help

I have a 2000 S2000 w/ 46k miles on it that seems to possibly have dropped a valve. The dealership wants $1300 to pull the heads. I spoke w/ some at American Honda and they offered no assistance at all. So it just sits and collects dust. I bought Honda for relaibility and as it stands now, it's the most unreliable vehicle I've owned. And I've owned some real pieces of junk.

I guess my next step is to the BBB. Then maybe I'll spray pain the diagnosis on it and leave it sitting at the dealership.

Unbelievable that Honda takes so little pride in their vehicles that they wouldn't step up and at least cover the diagnosis at one of their overpriced dealerships to figure out what went SO wrong w/ one of their $30k products after only 46k miles! Astonishing really!

A dropped valve is usually due to a cracked retainer. A cracked retainer is usually if not always due to a mechanic overrev, i.e. driver error (whether it was you or a previous owner)

I am not a Honda fanboy by any means, but I fail to see why Honda is at fault?

your car is 9 years old. It's probably had a handful of owners treating it like a piece of shit. You just bought it... what... it's a year 2000... what did you pay 12k MAX for it?

If you would have done your research before making the purchase, you would have realized that the previous owner over-reved it and then said oh sh!t, better trade it in and let some other shmuck get it. Sorry to say bro, but your the schmuck. No sympathy for you.

Dont forget, its almost a 10yr old vehicle. I dont think Honda cares.

Was it Honda Certified Pre-Owned? If not then Honda doesn't care.

Even if it is you still have to remember with anything used and that old it's "Buyer Beware".

My first S2000 was bought from Carmax. Had it three days and it dropped a valve. The engine ran, barely, enough for me to drive it back to Carmax who immediately bought it back from me. The engine sounded like someone was hitting something with a hammer.

They popped open the head and sure enough the problem was a cracked retainer. My second S2000 now has 83k on it (from the 18k I got it with) and not a single problem.

So reliability is not your issue because if the previous owner takes care of it then the car won't have any issues.


This post has been edited by Mor.gan on Sep 17 2009, 09:55 AM

He's had his car for the past 20k

Here we go again, one dude has problems with a lemon, and automatically all the people who ever told him Hondas are reliable are liars.

Yes, you're right mate, it's a big conspiracy, Hondas are actually terrible, fail constantly. They're well known for it. [rolleyes]

shalbleib, I do feel sorry that you lost a motor. I just had a 2nd motor put into my car (wasn't Honda's fault, my own doing with a heavy duty pressure plate + turbo).

I understand why you are upset, and I do wish Honda could have cut you a little break to help diagnosis the problem, but at the end of the day you have 9-10 year old car out of warranty. I am sure if you had purchased the car brand new from a certian dealer, went there every few months for routine maintenance, and had stacks of receipts for work coming out of your glovebox, they may have helped you out. However, such service is hard to come by.

Luckily, used motors aren't too expensive.

I grabbed a 2-3 year old completed motor for $2,800 shipped.

Good luck!

So, you bought a 10 year old used car with an undocumented maintenance history and zero warranty. The engine craps out after 46,000 miles of unknown use and maintenance by an unknown number of owners. And you'd like Honda to foot the bill for repairs.



Have you ever owned a new car? You do know that even new car warranties have time and mileage limits? Honda has never offered a 10 year powertrain warranty.

You could be the poster boy for our society's total rejection of personal responsibility. Why don't you sue Honda?

This post has been edited by SpudRacer on Nov 2 2009, 06:27 PM

I would love to believe and agree with the OP in the thinking that he bought a honda cuz they can withstand any amount of abuse thrown their way, but this simply is untrue. If you were the original owner of the car, then maybe they would have given you time of day, but a 10 year old car as well is kinda pushing it.

I this line.

pwnd

46k miles is STILL outside of warranty even if your car was a 2009. I understand your upset but seriously your car is SEVEN years out of its original warranty.

Play nice kids, I don't want to lock this one cause of personal attacks

Hmm, he's also trying to sell it on the forum. I wonder if it has been fixed

Sorry to hear you got a bad car.

I feel really bad for you. I'm sure if most of these guys sat back and thought about how much your situation must suck they'd be more sympathetic. Unfortunately your thought process about reliability is pretty weak and precipitated in the tough statements.

Did the motor fail due to a broken retainer that failed due to mechanical over-rev? Probably.
Should you be pissed? Yeah.
Is it Honda's fault? No.

You can't blame a manufacturer for anything when buying a 2nd-hand sports car. If you wanted the peace of mind, you should have paid up for a certified pre-owned vehicle.

I just upgraded from my factory retainers @ 96k and they had absolutely no damage. Used cars are hit or miss.

It also sounds ridiculous to refer to your car as a "$30k product" when you most certainly paid less than 1/2 of that.

You have 3 options:

1) Pay Honda tons of $ to fix it at retail costs, which effectively means the car is totaled. Unless out of the kindness of their hearts they cut you a deal...
2) Take it to a shop other than Honda and negotiate a replacement engine.
3) Sell the car with the blown motor.

Good luck.

Im with everyone on it...I bought mine at 57K, at 66K I popped it open checked all my retainers, did valve adjust, changed retainers to a newer one - still going good sir.

Bad previous owners = #1 reason for car failure. I am willing to bet that a decent domestic OR import, if not unreasonably abused + well maintained, the engine will last easily over 300K miles.

I feel for you. Original owner, engine blew at 112k thanks to dealer doing some shady work on motor. Was out of warranty on an '06 and got the run-around. $9000 later I have a used 08 motor but already bought a new car *cough Camaro SS* so I'm not complaining anymore. It sucks if you don't have funds on reserve when crap happens but I was lucky. Honda America can go to hell as far as I'm concerned and I will never buy another Honda product ever again in life.

Service centers treat you like you lack intelligence and hide behind the law as best they can. It's just so frustrating but it is what it is.

^ How the hell did you spend 9 grand on a used motor?

Hmm I blame honda for my blown motor... But our stories are far far different lol. Honda misdiagnosised mine and did absolutly nothing to make good after THEY SAID they were to blame. Honda of Fayetteville can suck my b@lls. I currently own 3 honda and have owned 4 others. I think my next move is german.

But to your story... If you didnt buy if from them, have them service it, or have an outside warrenty... You my friend are what is called SOL

Shit Outta Luck

I just replaced my motor 2 months ago. I paid $2500 for a 05 motor with 38k Shipped with everything attached harness, ac, starter, headers, everything.. I managed to make alot back with parting the old motor.
Mine was an 01 and had 43k and I bought it 5 years ago with 9k on the clock... As Gump would say... Shit Happens

really, yours was out of warranty ?

lol starchland yeah its an 01 its 9 years old... Honda could have and should have help at least some. Or maybe refunded me the 400 dollar spark plug change (what they thought the problem was litterally 4 miles before it died)

I'm still trying to figure that one out too man.