[Markedoc]

Have had GG 2002 for 3 months - waxing it yesterday in the 70 degree New England weather. No doubt about it - the right passenger door does not match! It has to be JUST the right angle with the sunlight hitting it, but everything else matches but this door!

AND - this door has a mysterious rattle that comes and goes. Haven't been in for the 3750 oil change, but the dealer (or should I say STEALER) will get an earful!

MDX had 8 miles when I picked it up.

Any suggestions???

 

[DaleB]

Demand it be fixed, the rattle and paint match, and if the dealer hesitates, demand he call the zone manager as part of the decision as what to do.
See if there is other evidence they may have switched the door, like the mounting screws in the door jamb, does the edge of the hinges not quite match with with marks, meaning they have been moved, or removed!

 

[msu79gt82]

I ditto DaleB and ...

... I would NOT wait for the oil change. Unless you are real close to 3750 or it is a major inconvenience I would address the door now.

 

[Warzau]

I agree with msu do it now, call today and say you noticed it today. Make sure you get a firm answer as to what will be done.

 

[Markedoc]

I'm at 3400 miles ...

Agree - phone call will be made tomorrow!

No evidence of a door switch.

 

[Robyjo]

Whoa, scary--best of luck and keep us updated. If you look closely at the paint on the inside of the door, is it different than the inside paint on the other doors? I'm just wondering if something during the paint process could have done this...

 

[oceanMDX]

No way is the factory responsible...

I'm thinking that the paint was scratched in transit or at the dealership before it was delivered to you, so they repainted it. Hence the mismatch. I'd ask them what happened to the vehicle, then go from there.

 

[hondacuraplanet]

Let me know if you have any problems in getting it taken care of....I know your district manager

 

[Markedoc]

My worry is that they can't get the paint to match. Metallic paint is weird it that way - at some angles and lighting it looks perfect - at others it doesn't!

 

[oceanMDX]

Markedoc...

Please keep us informed, will you?

 

[mesalum]

Same on my drivers door. It looks different in the sunlight. On the inside of the door the rubber moulding on the bottom has silver paint on it. I doubt it was done at the dealer because I saw the truck in the back lot still with the plastic on it. I think it was done at the factory. But I figured I would get no where by complaining. What are my options?

 

[oceanMDX]

jpt1964...

Right after vehicles are painted in the factory, they are exposed to extremely high heat to bake on the paint - at a much higher temperature than that used if your car ever needs repainting. This heat is so intense that rubber - or any interior material - would burn or be destroyed, so this baking process is done before the interior (or any rubber is put on/in the vehicle. If you have paint spray on the rubber, it was placed there after the original painting was done in the factory. In theory, the door could have been scratched in the factory after the original paint job, then resprayed, but this is very unlikely because the repair processes in the factory milieu are very controlled - much more so than in the average paint shop. Workers simply can not get away with doing poor work for very long in a Honda factory. In a private paint shop, who knows? You have good ones and you have bad ones. Consequently, I am having a hard time believing that the over-spray occured in the factory - although it is possible. A lot can happen to the vehicle between the time it leaves the factory and when you drive it home.

I would show the dealer this paint over-spray and ask them if they repainted the door.

B.T.W. I don't have so much as a trace of paint on any of my car's rubber. So having paint on the rubber is not normal.

 

[Markedoc]

Bringing it in today ....

Dealer's reaction was "oh, really?" ... they were going to "investigate" and get back to me yesterday - nothing yet.

Supposedly my car was one of their "extra allocation" they got 3+ months ago when they renovated their dealership .. hmmmm ....

In addition to the door color, same door thunking noise, and 3750 service, they are going to look at the moisture issue on the inside of the windows (ie - after rain or wash, when you roll the window down, then back up, you have moisture on the inside of the window - and then water marks when it dries) ... the service department says they have never heard of the problem before - can this be possible??

 

[Markedoc]

OK, went to the dealer!

Paint problem - once outside, they could see it right away. They've offered to repaint the door. My questions are:

1) is that an acceptable remedy? I will always own a vehicle that has had some non-factory paint work done, and might be worth less as a result, esp. if I trade it somewhere other than where I bought it. Dealers always ask if any work has been done; I'll have to say "yes".

2) should I ask them to buy the vehicle back, perhaps at a slightly lesser value since I drove it for 3 months?

3) will the paint ever match EXACTLY? My understanding is that metallic is very difficult to match ...

Since I am getting a LOUD thunk that comes and goes (it was gone today, but it exists most of the time and makes noise over any road imperfection) from that same door area, I would GUESS that some body work was done in addition to the painting.

HEEEEEELP!!!! Suggestions?

 

[Maik]

I would demand to know the vehicle's history. If the door was repainted there must have been a reason. You spent $40,000 on what you have every right to believe was a perfect auto. Repainting the door would only repeat what has already been done, and the results were not good. I would demand a new vehicle, with a full allowance for what you paid for the first one less a reasonable mileage allowance (if Acura charges $.15, then use that per mile). If treated as a trade-in, then you will not have to pay sales tax again, for the most part. I would be very firm...it would seem that they have lied to you about what happened to the door. .. just my opinion, and I would escalate it as high as it takes, starting with the owner of the dealership and then on to the Acura district mgr that Tim knows.
BTW, which dealer is it? are they located in walpole, ma???

 

[Markedoc]

I'm not sure that they lied about it. They have stated that the door was not painted after the vehicle arrived there. I would think there's a pretty good chance it was damaged in transit and painted at port - I'm assuming vehicles coming in from CA pass through some port-type facility?

I guess the good thing is that the dealer is still quoting 5 month lead times for the vehicle, so demand is still quite strong. This should make taking the vehicle back more palatable to the dealer.

Dealer is not in Walpole! I'll wait to see how they deal with this problem before I disclose that.

 

[hondacuraplanet]

I would demand to know the vehicle's history. If the door was repainted there must have been a reason. You spent $40,000 on what you have every right to believe was a perfect auto. Repainting the door would only repeat what has already been done, and the results were not good. I would demand a new vehicle, with a full allowance for what you paid for the first one less a reasonable mileage allowance (if Acura charges $.15, then use that per mile). If treated as a trade-in, then you will not have to pay sales tax again, for the most part. I would be very firm...it would seem that they have lied to you about what happened to the door. .. just my opinion, and I would escalate it as high as it takes, starting with the owner of the dealership and then on to the Acura district mgr that Tim knows.
BTW, which dealer is it? are they located in walpole, ma???

Everyone buying a new vehicle SHOULD expect it to be perfect, whether it is a Bentley Azure or a Kia Spectra. The one thing that BOTH owners have in common is that the new vehicle that they purchased represents what they can afford to spend on a car as a percentage of their budget (maybe except for the Bentley owner, but you get the idea). I'm agreeing with you that the new vehicle should be perfect, but not because it cost $40,000. I may be in the market for a new vehicle soon, and just because I can't afford an MDX doesn't mean that I should have lower expectations of what my new car is. Maybe that's not what you're saying, but I hear that so much, that I had to get it off my chest.

So let's take this to markedoc's problem. Rather than give opinions or speculate, I'll just take action on your behalf if you desire, and get a feel for what happens next. Give me a ring today.

 

[hondacuraplanet]

Also, there's no such thing as a Honda vehicle painted in port. All paint issues are fixed at the dealer, and transportation claims submitted.

 

[jj_mdx]

I'm agreeing with you that the new vehicle should be perfect, but not because it cost $40,000. I may be in the market for a new vehicle soon, and just because I can't afford an MDX doesn't mean that I should have lower expectations of what my new car is.

that's a very good point... i totally agree...

 

[Maik]

I also totally agree. My intent was certainly not to indicate that there is any price point that delineates when to accept a non perfect vehicle. I would have made the same point had the vehicle cost $12,000. Simply, there are expectations of any new vehicle that do not include a repainted door, that was not disclosed to the buyer.