Hello everyone, please excuse my inexperience with Civics.

My sister just bought a new 2010 Civic LX automatic and declined the $800 optional alarm system that the salesman tried to hard-sell. Salesman said this alarm system was already pre-equipped.

My question is: is there a standard alarm system on the LX already?

She had to sign a paper to DE-activate the alarm system. Just want to make sure she did not get cheated out of her car's standard feature.

 

Airbags, frontal driver and front passenger
Airbags, side impact seat mounted, driver and passenger
Airbags, side curtain curtain 1st and 2nd row
Occupancy sensor std
Seatbelt pre-tensioners front
Headlights halogen
Daytime running lights std
Illuminated entry std
Remote keyless entry keyfob (all doors)
Panic alarm std
Door locks power with 2 stage unlock
Content theft-deterrent alarm system std
Ignition disable std
First aid kit opt
Theft deterrent radio std
Low tire pressure warning std



the alarm was standard, i would ask the dealer exactly what he plans to deactivate

 

Is Content theft-deterrent alarm system std the type that goes off when the car is slightly bumped? I also asked another sales guy and he told me that type of alarm system is optional. So it makes me wonder what deactivation they did to my sister's car. They can't just simply deactivate any of the car's standard features, right?

 

they can probably unplug it but i dont see why he would, i mean if he was shady, he might try to make a couple extra bucks by offering her the alarm for extra money but i rly douobt he would disconnect something thats stock on the car lol, thats like going and buying a car from the dealer and them saying ok, if you want seatbelts, that will be an extra 200 dollars, radio is 500 dollars, glass for your windows is 600, if you want brakes, thats another 200, if you want a steering wheel, thats 600, 700 if you want the horn with it... hahaha, i would talk to the dealer and ask him to personally show you what he disconnected or deactivated, tell him you read that it is standard with this model. or better yet, tell him your lawyer sent you down to ask what was disconnected and if he can show you what he did to the car haha. if he is shady, he will think twice haha

 

If the key has alarm buttons on it it should come with a standered alarm system

 

the dealer coulda copyed the key onto a standard honda key tho

 

I purchased an 2009 Civic LX four months ago. The finance guy offered to sell me a security system that he described to me as one that shut off the fuel flow if someone tried to steal it thereby preventing theft by hot wiring. The price was $1000. After I declined a few times, the price kept coming down. I finally agreed to purchase it at $499

A week or so later reading the manual I discovered that this system is built into and is standard on every Civic! I was quite upset thinking I had been scammed into paying for something that the car already came with.

I returned to the dealership and asked the finance guy to clarify just what it is I had purchased. I specifically asked him if it was the fuel-shut-off system (I forget what it is really called.) He said yes and it did NOT come standard on the vehicle. He also added that if someone rocked, moved or broke the window an alarm would go off.

When I got home, I tried rocking and moving the vehicle and banging on the window. No alarm would go off.

I returned to the dealer and asked the finance guy why no alarm would go off. He told me that it was a silent alarm, that it would shut down the fuel-flow but make no noise. Something was not sounding right to me.

So I took the Civic to the Service dept and spoke with the security-system technician. He informed me that the fuel-shut-off security system comes standard (free) on every Civic. And that the security system that I had purchased extra was a movement alarm. The 'movement alarm' components are installed on every Civic but can be activated or deactived. The dealerships usually activates the alarm to prevent theft while the cars on their lots. Depending on whether you purchase the 'movement alarm' it has to be activated or de-activated. Turned out, that even though I had purchased this my alarm was never properly activated.

I was still upset by the deception that had been used in selling me this alarm. It had been presented as something it was not. I returned to the finance guy to tell him so. He began hurling insults at me telling me how stupid I was. And that I since I had already purchased the alarm, he didn't have to do anything about it and to leave.

I then went to the Dealership Manager who informed me that the finance dept and the Honda dealership were two separate entities. That many people assume they were the same just because they were under the same roof. But because they finance dept was a different company, there was nothing he could do about it.

I hope my story helps clarify things for you and warns others. Yolanda

 

Yolanda im pretty sure you can do something about that. to me it sounds like a total scam...

 

Yolanda, thanks for clarifying that up. What you are describing as "movement alarm" is what I'm concerned about.

I had a chance yesterday to test knock on the glass and door but nothing went off. But the car does have panic alarm button on the key and it works.

Thanks for confirming that "movement alarm" is optional. Whew.

* Sorry to hear about your case. I hope you still have all your car documents and receipts. Ask them to properly activate your movement alarm that you paid for or threaten lawsuit.

 

yeah i would definatly file a lawsuit, you asked him enough times to properly activate it, just let the lawyers handle the biz. thats very unprofessional for him to call you stupid to, everyone has a boss, so try to contact his. hell, contact the owner, tell him you were very unsatisfyed and you will never return again and you will be sure to tell everyone you know about the scam he pulled, the owner wont let that just fly by haha.