Hi i recently purchased a 2003 honda s2000 from the united states. I got it into canada, paid my taxes and now i have to go do the inspection. I need a recall letter (saying there is no recall on my car) in order to pass the inspection here in canada. THe problem is that i've called honda USA for about 2 weeks straight now, tried getting one from Honda CANADA but nothing. The idiots at honda usa told me that it's GREY MARKET (which is untrue because as far as i'm concerned NAFTA (North American Free Trade agree) was set up for just such a thing... free trade (or import/export). THey're telling me that they WILL NOT give me my recall letter because they don't want me to export the car out of the United States. This is really starting to piss me off as i need that stupid paper and i can only get it from them. So naturally,, since i can't get it (and they're reasons make no sense as i am entitled to get whatever documentation i need for my vehicle), i'm getting my brother who happens to be a lawyer to contact Honda USA for me.

I'm really pissed off with honda right now as they're being idiots.

If anyone has any input as to how i could get letter, or happen to have a copy of their own, letter, i would appreciate it if you would send it to me so that i can see what exactly this FORBIDDEN letter is all about.

Please help me out guys, i'm getting really pissed off,

Dave

 

Sorry about the spelling mistakes/missing words, i was really pissed when i wrote it ;-)

Please help me out guys, i'm dying here!

Dave

 

naza,

i too imported my 2004 S2000 into canada.

however, both Canada Customs and RIV are aware of Honda America's practice of not issuing a recall clearance letter.

as such, have the dealer from whom you purchased it provide a letter on their letterhead stating that their are no outstanding campaigns for your car (obviously this needs to be true)....if there are o/s campaigns, you need to have the car remedied for said campaigns, have the letter state that all o/s campaigns have been remedied and that there are no MORE o/s campaigns.....this will suffice.

i bought my car immediately when 2004's came out, so there were indeed no campaigns o/s on my letter.

there is also an "internal" computer system printout that any honda dealer has access to (i forget the name of the computer system they refer to...it's some sort of internal honda network)....they can type in the VIN, and it will spit out the recall/campaign status for that particular VIN.

i got this from my dealer as well.

good luck.

 

Hi thanks for the reply,

The problem is that i didn't buy the car from a honda dealership, i bought the car from a person who had to sell the car for financial reasons.

I'm really stuck here cause not one Honda here in canada can access the us database (according to them) and they're not willing to do it anyways cause they want to make sure that i will not go out and buy another one. (since buying from the states vs. canada kills the canadian dealers).

Is it possible for you to send me a copy by email of your letter just so that i can maybe take that down with me to a honda dealership and just get them to write me one. You can blurr out your vin and stuff, i just need a proof that it can be done cause they're telling me right now that it's impossible for them to get one... bla bla bla,, when all they need to do is write me a letter themselves.

Let me know please,

David

 

i don't have it with me - it's at home in a file.

i can't e-mail it....i only have a hard copy.

what's your fax number....i'll fax it.

 

I feel for you. This is a great example of the wasteful bureaucratic red tape that sucks the life blood of the populace. Honda's customer service could make a small effort to help you out, but those people are not going to buck the system. On the other hand, now you have to deal with governmental roadblocks that oftentimes make no sense. I.E., A few years ago an entrepreneur wanted to open a quick type atuo service/repair business in a small Arizona town. To acquire the EPA and local permits, he needed to prove that he would be in compliance in dealing with his wastes(motor/tranny/diff/ oils. Here's the kicker, the EPA demanded that his waste oil storage would be above-ground. The local permit demanded that his waste would be stored BELOW-ground. Neither government agency cared about the other's guidelines so the business failed before it even got started.
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I was merely pointing out how inept our polticians/governments are. Businesses are typically choked by governmental ineptitude. Also, businesses will implode due to their own internal bureaucracies. My theory is that the larger a company becomes, the efficiency becomes inversely proportional....the same applies to government...only magnified.

 

Moving to S2K Talk.

 

edit

 

Try calling a US Honda dealer.

Ganley Honda is a forum sponser and may be able to help you out.

 

all you have to do is have a honda dealership in the us print out a vin status showing that there are no recalls and that should be enough