It is not fun having to refuse delivery on a car you've waited for, but it is better than not being happy. Making you pay for what you did not want is really $omething.

When I ordered my MINI Cooper it came in with the wrong interior finishes. I waited 6 weeks for it & wasn't about to accept what I did not order. Told the dealer they had 2 options, refund my deposit & I'd buy elsewhere or reorder my car correctly. They weren't happy, but reordered correctly. I got to wait another 6 weeks, but ended up with a car I'm still happy with 10 years on.

 

I put a deposit down before they received the car. I asked them if they could swap the bumper and panel with the next car that came in and the answer was NO.

I could only bitch so much, I work for the company and I don't want to step on toes. My Wife is about to pop any day now, so I was in a pinch. I'll ask the sales manager later this week. I did get the car for invoice out the door though.

 

The deposit was the mistake. Deposits put you on a leash but dealers can do anything they want. You're not going to sue them if they violate their agreement.

I agree with their reluctance to swap parts from another car. I would be very unhappy if I knew that *my* car had been fiddled with to satisfy another customer's desire for an unblemished bumper.

 

So I found out that the sales manager got this car on trade the day it got off the truck. He personally called the service manager of the other dealer and requested no add-ons or plates. Most likely a tech or service writer wasn't paying attention when they did it.

I'm going to call the dealership it was traded from and see what they can do. They should be able to replace the panel under the steering wheel no problem, because they remove it to install that shitty alarm.

 

That is a pretty ugly installation of that alarm thing. I agree replacing the panel should be easily done. What would worry me more is how the alarm was hooked into the cars wiring. You might want to have one of the techs where you work check that part out for you.

 

I am a tech.

They used tap style splices with blade connectors on the ends. Some of the better accessory work I've seen. The box itself is just ugly from the supplier. It should be easily removed. I went through the car with a fine comb before signing, noted everything. Even put it on the lift. The salesman told me no wonder you work at the other store.

 

Go straight to Honda USA. Seriously file a complaint on the dealership. Not only that, but the screw for the front license plate is NOT required for PDI, it's only there for if and when the client complains about the front license plate rattle. It's not meant to be installed unless specified. Trust me, Honda Canada had to fill the hole, and repaint my bumper twice due to it.

 

I'm not a tech & don't play one on TV or the interwebs. That being said, it's been my experience that tap style splices with blade connectors on the ends is not a good way to connect wires. At least those you have are inside & not subject the effects of weather.

Hope you get this all squared away to you liking.

 

Please tell me that you don't mean Scotchlok taps:




These should be called "corrosion promotion devices." They're quick and easy to apply, and usually last two or three years before the connections start to go bad.

 

Yep. But if I remove them now and seal them with liquid tape it will be fine. It would have been worse if they actually cut wires.

Got a call from the sales manager, he going to make everything right.

 

After you remove the Scotchloks check the wire carefully before taping it. Scotchloks often cut the strands of the wires as the guillotine blade cuts the insulation. They are supposed to be sized to the wire, but any installer sloppy enough to use these wouldn't bother to find the correct size.

 

What kind of weird alarm is THAT?

 

I get a kick out of that lengthy checklist where they have to check all those boxes. I can just see the poor, low-paid guy checking the air in all the tires of every car that comes in.

The only "defect" I've see on my car was inside. The plastic panel beneath the steering wheel wasn't fully pushed in on the left side.

 

That particular item is important because cars are usually shipped with the tires overinflated. This reduces flat-spotting during long periods of inactivity.