[Lights] My rant letter to HONDA UK!

[Mr JP]

Well guys below is my letter to Honda beacuse of the smashed foglight issue which they have refused to help!

CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHERE I SHOULD BE SENDING THIS FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT? i.e Chief exec or national managing director for huk?


And so the letter...


Dear ………….




I am writing to you in regards to an issue that has recently occurred with my Honda Civic Type – R GT (Registration ..........).
After buying the car last year I have enjoyed almost 12 months of pleasant motoring… until now!
After ignoring and not pursuing warranty claims with some slight issues with the car such as “dash rattles” and “windscreen rattles” etc I have recently suffered the following problem which I feel my warranty needs to cover and I cannot let it go. Although NO official announcement has been made by Honda it is more than well documented on www.civinfo.com (the leading owner’s forum) that there is a problem with foglights fitted to the new Civic. I used my fog lamps for the first time on Saturday 3rd May for approximately one and a half hours and then decided to wash the car using cold water immediately after driving. It was just as I hosed the car, the cold water made contact with the hot fog lamp glass, and it cracked and shattered. This is obviously not normal. I CAN confirm the breakage was caused by this and there was no previous damage or impacts from stones or the like. I did find it a little strange that glass would be implemented 4 inches from the ground when the headlights further up are polycarbonate and thus stronger (Perhaps a design fault?).
I proceeded to my local dealer where I purchased the vehicle, at G&M Honda in Gravesend, Kent and Gary the service manager agreed with my opinion that the glass fog lamps are poorly designed by Honda, and he proceeded to submit a warranty claim for me based on what I have stated. After arriving home I received a phone call to say the warranty department had rejected my claim, to my amazement.
I was then advised to call Honda UK. The owner’s forum aforementioned mentions that the HUK advisor Kiran (female) is well aware of the problem owners are having and HAS previously arranged replacements and gesture of goodwill compensation for other owners for the same fog light issue. Therefore I felt it would be appropriate to speak to her because of her experience is this matter. When I called her she said she would look into it and call me back, and to her credit she did call promptly, however only to explain nothing could be done, and that customer services can do no more! After contesting this she said she may be able to arrange something for me similar to previous claims from owners supported by HUK, and that she would call me back…
And so the call came and to my disbelief only to say again I have to foot the bill entirely! Kiran conceded that gesture of goodwill’s and credits have been given previously but that each case is judged on its own merit, even though I have an identical problem to the other owners and have never once made a claim before – surely my case would deserve some merit? Is this good customer service? To tell me there have been successful claims previously, and HUK compensation awards, but that I don’t deserve equal rights? This I find incredible, I’ve owned Honda cars for some years and never once complained or claimed a defect utilizing the Honda warranty and the moment something does happen I am left feeling severely disappointed, and regrettably feel I might have to sell my car because I cannot accept the poor service that has been displayed in this case. I cannot afford to replace the fog lamp myself and feel that in principle my 3 year warranty should cover this due to the fact I did nothing other than try and clean my pride and joy.

Overall I would like a resolution that suits both parties… to allow me to continue my loyalty in Honda as I would like to do, and for me to feel justice has been done and restore my faith in Honda, after, I hope, will be the correct solution.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Regards,








James Padgett

[cylon2007]

You aren't going to like this but

"for approximately one and a half hours and then decided to wash the car using cold water immediately after driving. It was just as I hosed the car, the cold water made contact with the hot fog lamp glass, and it cracked and shattered. This is obviously not normal"


It is actually quite normal for hot glass to crack if doused with cold water. You should have allowed it to cool down. Can't see Honda allowing your claim and I'm not surprised they rejected it in the first place.

The fact that the lights appear to be badly placed from a stone damage point of view (which is what the threads in this forum refer to) is irrelavent.

[Mr JP]

appriciate the reply although tend to disagree in that, cold water could have made contact if for example driving through a puddle or heavy rain so Im not sure I should be to blame! Ive owned cars (including french ones) for years and have never had a problem. Oh and tempered glass should not crack under these cirumstances, the water was cold, not freezing!

If there is anyone that could help me in telling me the best place to send the letter i would be really grateful.

[Woette]

i am with cylon on this one i am afraid...
hot glass + cold water = crack (mostly)
unless you can prove to honda that a normal fog light (on an another car maybe?) isnt going to get heated so much and thus it really is a fault. If i ever use my foglights again i am going to check for that issue. In the meantime, plz keep us posted.

grtz and gl with the letter, allthough i dont want to get your hopes up, all the best with it

[mrh339]

To chuck cold water over hot glass is not the cleverest thing to do and would fall outside of normal operation.

[alanwalne]

Originally Posted by Mr JP

appriciate the reply although tend to disagree in that, cold water could have made contact if for example driving through a puddle or heavy rain so Im not sure I should be to blame! Ive owned cars (including french ones) for years and have never had a problem. Oh and tempered glass should not crack under these cirumstances, the water was cold, not freezing!

If there is anyone that could help me in telling me the best place to send the letter i would be really grateful.

Heavy rain or a puddle splash would cool the glass more gradually than it being hosed.

[Kremmen]

I have always wondered whether the multitude of smashed fog lights has anything to do with actually using them. Presumably using them on a cold, wet foggy morning could produce cold on hot?

I have been keeping up with the appropriate thread and as a result I'm scared to use mine.

Surely the high number of smashed units warrants some form of action by Honda?

[Woette]

Originally Posted by Kremmen

I have always wondered whether the multitude of smashed fog lights has anything to do with actually using them. Presumably using them on a cold, wet foggy morning could produce cold on hot?

I have been keeping up with the appropriate thread and as a result I'm scared to use mine.

Surely the high number of smashed units warrants some form of action by Honda?

no this is not true, the glass will only crack if there is a sudden drop in temperature. When glass heats up, it expands ( a little offcourse) if you then suddenly cool it down dramatically, the glass will shrink, if this shrinking happens too fast then the molecules cannot maintain an energetic stable position towards each other, causing a rip or crack in the glass.

[Mr JP]

thanks for your support guys, no one knows where to send a letter to then?

[cnicolini]

I know what you are saying about hot glass and cold water.... BUT, how do you explain microwave glass, etc. And surely are nt we talking about fog lamps here, where they have to operate in temperature around freezing point. I never had this problem with my previous car a Peugeot 306, which had the original fog lamps and was over 10 years old. I believe that Honda lamps have a design fault. Firstly the glass is not thick enough and secondly the shape of them leads to them being weak! Heres a bit of history for you: the first airoplanes had square windows and they kept cracking, thats why we now have round ones!

[Jack The Lad.]

I was informed when I bought the car in Sept' 07, that Ken Kier the Managing Director Of Honda UK, was about to retire, but I have a feeling that he is still around.
Send it to Honda UK, for his attention Mr JP.

[TYPE-R '07]

Originally Posted by Jack The Lad.

I was informed when I bought the car in Sept' 07, that Ken Kier the Managing Director Of Honda UK, was about to retire, but I have a feeling that he is still around.
Send it to Honda UK, for his attention Mr JP.

I must agree with Jack just send it to Honda's main HQ and hope for the best.
Personally I think they should change them free of charge (as a claim). What if while driving with the fog lights on....... All of a sudden it starts to pour down. Should'nt they be capable of withstanding the temp. change? Considering the position where they are mounted they SHOULD be able to withstand a lot of punishment. Maybe this is a faulty design or just cheaply made to reduce costs. In conclusion "What are we paying for anyway?" We and they seem to forget that WE (the consumers) DO NOT find money on the side of the road. How about a bit of respect. Thanks to us they are millionairs. " The big fish eats the small fish." A loyal Honda owner.

[HappyMan]

I think you should send the letter as what would happen if whilst driving you encountered torrential rain? In fact the washing of the car with cold water would replicate to some extent the effect of torrential rain.

Cars should be tested to withstand these type of situations and putting cold water onto the fog lights surely what would happen in the real world!

Send the letter!

[Bob H]

Originally Posted by Mr JP

Well guys below is my letter to Honda beacuse of the smashed foglight issue which they have refused to help!

CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHERE I SHOULD BE SENDING THIS FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT? i.e Chief exec or national managing director for huk?

Go for the big boys! The UK one is listed...

Honda Worldwide | Board of Directors, Corporate Auditors and Operating Officers

FWIW, on this occasion perhaps it would have been better to say something else rather than playing a hose pipe on it! Good luck anyway...

Cheers,


Bob...

[adamcivic]

I wrote a long letter and sent pictures to HUK about the alloy wheel corrosion on my Accord. Think they filed it in the bin as I never got any kind of responce - not impressed, to be fair to BMW they have allways been spot on when I have contacted them.

The customer service sticks!

[pcr]

Good luck with this Mr.JP, but I have a feeling that a copy to the Auto press might be more productive. There are so many issues with this car that I think Honda can no longer afford to sort them out.

[Civvy Civic]

BBC Watchdog would be another good place to send it! Hope you can get some kind of decent answer from Honda UK, but then again, I doubt it. (Sorry, but I've not had a good experience from them recently, either).

[Mr JP]

thankyou to all posters from jack the lad onwards, you have made me rest my mind after everyone else said its my fault, its common sense, where in the hand book does it say dont clean car when lights been on? what would happen if i stopped (as many motorists do) at a jet wash in a garage to wash it when i had had lights on? am i supposed to wait half hour then wash it?

thanks again for the sensible replies although I respect the opinion of the others of course

[alanwalne]

Originally Posted by Civvy Civic

BBC Watchdog would be another good place to send it! Hope you can get some kind of decent answer from Honda UK, but then again, I doubt it. (Sorry, but I've not had a good experience from them recently, either).

Please, I think you are going a bit exteme to write to Watchdog for a fog light broken when doused in cold water while still hot, not quite to the level of a Clio bonnet flying open while driving.

Beware about making too much of a fuss about it to Honda stating dates as they may ask why you had your front foglights on during recent weather. They may claim that the ambiant temp when it is foggy is usually lower therefore that will help cool the lights.

[Maldax]

Thats how my one popped.....but when I drove through a puddle with my lights