Problem areas include,roof,door inners,boot,hose clamps and undercarriage.

The car was supplied to me by Honda SA as replacement for a previous one that i bought cash a year before that had a steering vibration problem that couldn't be found.I paid extra for the car as it was a later model.

The trouble is that after about 18 months i noticed the paint on the roof cracking and after a while rust blisters appeared.Honda was contacted and thus began the fiasco of lost e-mails and phone calls not returned.After having paint experts(sent by Honda) tell me there was a paint problem and Honda approved panel shops say that they have not seen rust like this on cars 10 years older, quotations submitted and rejected by Honda we are now at the stage where they will repair the damage under"good will" by a panel shop of their choice,and not under warrant as; as far as they are concerned climatic conditions are to blame even though the car was sold in the area it is being used.

To get to this stage has taken over 2 years and no guarantee will be given for any repairs carried out.

Copies of e-mails ------------------------

I am very disappointed in Honda’s heavy handed attitude to my problem which was confirmed by two of Your panel shops and a paint expert appointed by Honda, but the findings were totally disregarded by Honda as inconclusive. The corrosion on my vehicle is abnormal for a vehicle that has not been involved in a collision and to say the under carriage and chassis is not covered by the warranty makes no sense to me as it is painted and in theory should be protected from the elements as this is obviously the part of the car that is exposed to varying conditions.

The car came from JHB in 2008 and the rust started 18 months later. I have been pushed from one approved panel Shop to another and a total fiasco resulting in missing e-mails etc. ensued for over 18 months. The panel shop Stated that the rust on the car is not conducive with corrosion on the coast and this vehicle must have been exposed to something else to cause the degree of corrosion that is present and that I should have had at least 10 years trouble free motoring.

As stated below you have undertaken to repair the rust problems which I am very grateful but as explained to you on the phone I run my own business and cannot afford to be without a car for the 14 days they require to fix this so called little problem. I did not cause this problem but seem to be continually paying out for problems beyond my control. Honda SA obviously has the same attitude to customer satisfaction as to vehicle repairs, as I was told by one of your dealer Principals that your mechanics are not that well trained because the cars do not give trouble.

Please supply details for the panel shop so that I may liaise with them as your ultimatum of “Wednesday At the latest” is rather unfair considering you are being so unhelpful in supplying a loan vehicle.

Regards ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Honda reply With reference to your earlier e-mail, may I refer you to your warranty and maintenance booklet, Item 3.8 (k), page 4. This paragraph refers to corrosion, environmental factors etc. The care you have taken to rinse your vehicle, with clean water on a regular basis also requires that the under-carriage of the vehicle, especially non painted or protected items will need to be taken care of as well. The areas that need to be repaired are all bare metal and will corrode and rust in the weather conditions you experience in the coastal regions.

Please also refer to point (s)in the same category which refers to rental cost, loss of time etc.

Based on the conditions under which we have offered to carry the costs to repair your vehicle as a goodwill gesture, I must unfortunately stand by the decision already made that we can not supply you with a loan vehicle. I am however, able to extend our offer to commence with the repairs to October 20th, 2011 which will afford you additional time to arrange alternate transport for the duration of the repairs.

Please advise as soon as possible of a convenient date prior to October 20th, 2011 so that we can make the necessary arrangements with the panel shop.

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I was thinking last night that over the last 2 years I have acceded to every demand placed on be by Honda, All trips to various dealers and panel shops has cost me time and money and the cost of countless telephone calls which I shall never recover. Ever time one of your demands were met the goal posts were conveniently moved, this was either a decided lack of interest or delay tactics I know not which.

The paint thickness was registered under specification by 2 of your experts and within spec by ......... who was not schooled on the correct use of the meter and with an instrument with doubtful calibration. I do not think I am being unreasonable in asking for a substitute vehicle for the duration of the repairs. The car has done 45000 km and should not display the amount of rust it does which is apparent all over. I live in Cape Town where inclement weather conditions are a fact of life and unavoidable, the car is hosed down daily but this has made no difference at all. Please tell me how I could have avoided driving in these conditions so as to prevent the damage, and if the weather Is the problem why is this car sold for use on the coast?

Regards

Purchased a new Honda Civic last year. I drive on the highway most of the time and the front of the car gets hit with small stones from time to time. This happens to everyone, happened before to my old Civic too, but unlike my old Civic/most cars the New Civic's paint comes right off all the way through the primer and the car the hood starts to rust. I have four different rust spots on the front of the car. When I got the first one I thought I was just unlucky, that a stone had hit unusually hard. However, with it rusting in multiple places and the rust getting bigger, my new car looks terrible (two are approaching the size of a penny). Also, it seems a stone hit the fuel cap on the side of the car to and a small toothpick size dent (and rust) there as well. I'm disappointed, the old car got hit but only the top layer of paint came off showing the primer which was not so bad. Now if I ever want to sell this car or trade it in, I'll either have to get it fixed (guessing hundreds of dollars) or take a hit on the price...

The problem appears to be that the paint applied is very thin, either that or it's of bad quality, I've checked the spots where the stones chips are and the paint is just flaking off.