The service advisor recommended unnecessary work to my vehicle. I told him that I was a student with little money and that I just wanted to have the minimum taken care of to keep my car on the road. After he first quoted me around 1600 (4 brakes, a loose tierod, transmission fluid flushing) I asked him to wait to complete the repairs because at that price I would likely sell the car. He understood and took the car off the lift.
Before selling the car, I decided to get a few other opinions. I ended up bringing to another certified mechanic who let me know that several of the items recommended by Honda were unnecessary. The total repairs ended up costing me 300$ (150$ at the 2nd mechanic and 150$ at Honda for a "B service" which only consisted of a break cleaning since my oil had recently been change. No credit was applied on my bill for the oil change).
I find it strange to recommend so much work for such an old car (2002 Accord) that is in otherwise good working order (was certified just last summer and driven less than 10 000km since then). I find it unfortunate that Honda did not even attempt to recommend a less-expensive alternative. Finally I find it downright disrespectful to recommend work that was not necessary and to make it seem urgent.
For example, the service advisor told me that my brake pads were peeling and that they absolutely needed to be replaced. However, the 2nd opinion couldn't find any evidence of this. He told me that, while worn, the pads were not peeling. The Honda service advisor also said there was play in a tierod and that it needed to be repaired. Again, my 2nd opinion found no evidence of this. Finally, the transmission fluid was fine according to my 2nd opinion.
I'd just like to know why this happened. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth and I will probably never return to Honda for service or a new car in the future as a result.
