University Motors

Review: I recently purchased a used 2007 Honda Accord from University Motors in Missoula, MT. This purchase was preceded by two weeks of searching and working with two sales members of the dealership. I had explained that I was working a full-time temporary position and would be moving to Arizona for graduate school and a position working at the university. The sales people understood the need for me to acquire a vehicle and soon found one that fit my needs. I completed a credit application and was informed that due to my concerns with my credit being shop around, the salesman said that they would only be submitting the application to one or two banks. I have discovered since this point that my application was sent to 4 or 5 banks in total. In addition to this concern, I was approved for the car loan through Horizon Credit union. I signed paperwork and drove the car off the lot. Two weeks later, the bank requested multiple forms of employment verification through the dealership. I provided the requested documents. The salesman then contacted me to inform me that the bank is threatening to revoke the loan because the information was not satisfactory.

I am now being asked to return the car to the dealership. I feel that there has been a lack of professionalism in this process. I should not have been permitted to drive the car away and have it for two weeks when there have been concerns about the loan. I was assured by the salesman that everything was in order and good to go. No contact has ever been made by the bank. All information about my move, planned job change, and financial information was made known prior to even test driving the vehicle.Desired Settlement: As a result of this experience, I have paid for a month of car insurance that I would like to be reimbursed for. Because I will not have a vehicle after returning the 2007 accord, I will need to rent a vehicle in order to make my planned move and relocation to Arizona. Due to the short notice this causes, the rental car cost will be extremely expensive. I would like to have financial support in this due to the failed car purchase experience from University motors.

[redacted] Dear Customer Service Agent,

I am writing because I feel exploited and abused in my recent emergency service appointment and purchase with University Motors Honda dealership and repair service in Missoula, Montana. I am deeply concerned that I have been taken advantage of as a senior and an independent woman rather than being fairly and respectfully served.

I’m a retired and very senior (83 YO) citizen living independently. I have served my county, my state, and my country in a number of roles over the past eighty years, so I’m no novice when it comes to the realities of car service delivery and less than honest dealings especially involving senior citizens and women. However, I have always felt respected and well treated by HONDA until this event.

My family and I have owned Honda’s for decades and generally found them to be pricey but very reliable transportation. Over 100,000 miles was not uncommon on the vehicles we owned from Civic’s to Accords. I drive a 2005 Odyssey and am quite attached to it. While on my way to Missoula for my 90K service and some personal medical tests, I had a problem on a small backroad with my 2005 Honda Odyssey with 89300 miles on the odometer. It stopped delivering power through a series of events: starting from slipping out of Cruise control to only holding speed at 60MPH. Eventually is just stopped providing power altogether and would not re start. Leaving me stranded in a low traffic rural area for several hours with no cell service. Lucky for me it was summer, and a “good Samaritan” (that one so often finds in Montana farmland-thank goodness) came to my rescue and helped me get in contact with [redacted], who then towed it to University Motors in Missoula. They last performed my 60K service with no major issues identified I will ask you to note.

While undergoing a number of rigorous tests and procedures as a heart patient the dealership informed me that the car engine was “damaged beyond repair”, was not covered by the 100,000 mile warranty and repair cost would be up to three times the value of the vehicle itself. Engine replacement options delivered verbally included a low of $5000 for a used engine with 99K miles Plus on it, or a new engine for $12,000 plus. This came as a complete shock to me since my experience with Honda’s had been “honored” warranties, very high reliability especially with engines and generally superior service. I have never had nor ever heard about any HONDA Odyssey Minivan engine “throwing a rod” with coolant leaking into the oil (possibly from a Head gasket??) .

I spoke to the service manager several times between medical appointments and he assured me that the engine was un-repairable and promised to provide a detailed analysis of the problem, but that they could sell me a recent year used Odyssey or brand new Odyssey and would give me “something” for the 2005 that I came in with to be repaired which was now “totaled”.

I let the dealer know that I wasn’t happy at this point especially with the lack of information I was being given on which to make a large purchase decision, but I was trapped and frankly had more important matters to deal with including potential heart surgery. So…. I’m in the hospital with several days of “tests” and I have no way to get back home except by car. All my personal records and belongings are in my 2005 Van being held by University. My nearest family is 100’s of miles away…and these “gentlemen” inform me that the cost to replace the engine is more costly than buying a replacement of the same age. I didn’t have time nor the energy to look at other options or to get the car towed to another dealer 100’s of miles away for a 2nd opinion. I feel they used my condition, my age, my gender and the situation to take unfair advantage-this is completely the opposite of what I expect from HONDA.

Long story short I ended up getting “upsold” (my first choice of a used Odyssey suddenly was “sold” to another dealer before we could close the deal.) into a brand new Honda Odyssey for $32, 873.12 which included an extended service contract for additional 5 years at a cost of $1492.00. Since I was pressed for time, in a strange town with no support, and effectively trapped at that dealer. In order to leave on time to get back home, I needed to transfer my suitcases and extensive personal and medical items to a new vehicle and hit the road, I accepted dealer financing rather than use my Pentagon Federal credit union which would have taken another 3 days. Never the less I signed away most of my savings account to Honda, transferred my stuff, got in the new vehicle, and returned to my home in Cut Bank Montana.

Once home I still felt deeply concerned over how I was treated by Service, pressured by sales folks and by the lack of any formal documents describing the engine fault or the remediation options. This possible un necessary change of Vehicle was a terrible blow to me, I truly loved my 2005 Odyssey despite the fact that I have to travel 480 miles round trip to get major services from University. The blown engine explanation and lack of documentation did not “jive” with my personal or industry experience with Honda engines over the past few decades. I think the Service Dept. overstated the cost of repair, mislead me regarding the lack of warranty coverage and created an exploitive situation to “up sell” me into a 2013 Odyssey weeks before 2014’s are arriving just to clear the inventory and make month end targets.

I still feel the $3000 trade in value was too low and was based on inaccurate or possibly misleading information on the “Blown Engine”. I decided to do some further research. From my research, it appears this dealership has had several issues with their service department overstating or mis diagnosing and even purportedly misrepresenting service issues followed by an UP-SELL tactic from the sales force. This bears strong similarities to my recent experience with the dealer. This view is further reinforced by the Dealer failing to provide the requested documentation regarding the engine, fault, fault codes, or proposed remedial actions.

Based on the numerous public reports of incompetence and malfeasance on the part this dealer I want to ensure to bring this event to your attention. While I miss my 2005 Odyssey I’m sure I will eventually come to love my new 2013 Odyssey in time….I have asked the dealer to send me the formal details on my 2005 repair and to consider offering a more reliable and “service-proof” warranty for my new Honda.

I have loved Honda products for many years and have continued as a loyal customer because of your products, your recent investment in America, and your promises to enhance human mobility and benefit society. This recent experience is clearly more aligned with enhancing the HONDA bottom line and exploiting society. My trust in HONDA has been abused in my view. I’m reaching out to you now to see if you can assist me in getting the promised responses from the Montana dealership and to provide some recompense for putting me in such an unpleasant and pressurized situation. I hope my decades of loyalty to your brand have not been misplaced.

Sincerely,

mrs I,

Montana