Honda Odyssey vs. the Insurance Company!

[Joe Marconi]

I hate extended warranties. Don’t misunderstand me, we don’t refuse the work, but there’s always an issue and the education process for the customer to explain the “REAL” warranty is challenging, at best.

 

We diagnosed a Honda Odyssey with bad head gaskets. The car came in overheating and the oil looked like chocolate milk. We also found 2 head bolts finger tight and the coolant by-passing into the cylinder where the bolts were found loose. No brainer, right??? WELLLLL, hold on, this car has an extended warranty and the customer wants to get her money’s worth. After all,” EVERYTHING IS COVERED”, that’s what the salesman said who sold her the policy.

 

Well after days of numerous phone calls and a visit from the adjuster, the insurance company agrees to pay half of our estimated price, will not pay the machine shop labor to pressure test and mill the heads, will not pay for fluids and took days to give us an authorization number.

 

Now I am left with a distraught customer who has lost faith in business in general. She says she not angry with us, but I wonder?

 

Thoughts?

[xrac]

I hate extended warranties. Dont misunderstand me, we dont refuse the work, but theres always an issue and the education process for the customer to explain the REAL warranty is challenging, at best.

 

We diagnosed a Honda Odyssey with bad head gaskets. The car came in overheating and the oil looked like chocolate milk. We also found 2 head bolts finger tight and the coolant by-passing into the cylinder where the bolts were found loose. No brainer, right??? WELLLLL, hold on, this car has an extended warranty and the customer wants to get her moneys worth. After all, EVERYTHING IS COVERED, thats what the salesman said who sold her the policy.

 

Well after days of numerous phone calls and a visit from the adjuster, the insurance company agrees to pay half of our estimated price, will not pay the machine shop labor to pressure test and mill the heads, will not pay for fluids and took days to give us an authorization number.

 

Now I am left with a distraught customer who has lost faith in business in general. She says she not angry with us, but I wonder?

 

Thoughts?

 

I am curious as to who the warranty company is. We have found some of the extended warranty companies great to work for (AUL, GM, and GE come to mind) others are o.k. (Toyota) and some are almost worthless. Sounds like this is one of those companies. We had a company send an adjuster out to look at a fuel pump problem. How is that for worthless???? The customer was without their care for 4 days waiting. That has been my experience is it similar to yours?

[CARMandP]

Joe, not that this will help but in all my years at Honda, I only saw one Odyssey with a blown head gasket and that was due to a head bolt that had broken off....

[Joe Marconi]

I am curious as to who the warranty company is. We have found some of the extended warranty companies great to work for (AUL, GM, and GE come to mind) others are o.k. (Toyota) and some are almost worthless. Sounds like this is one of those companies. We had a company send an adjuster out to look at a fuel pump problem. How is that for worthless???? The customer was without their care for 4 days waiting. That has been my experience is it similar to yours?

 

The comapny is called; The Warranty Group". It's the first time I have dealt with this customer.

 

This is the first time we have ever seen a head gasket problem in a Honda Odyssey too, and my machine shop also says this is rare. I think those loose head bolts was just a fluke incident.