Dealer told me I need my axle replaced...
 

Hey guys I have a quick question.

I am trying to get my 2009 Honda Civic registered in Utah from California. So I took my car today to a local Honda Dealer to get my safety and emissions inspected.

So the guy walks up to me and tells me my car failed...Apparently my front axle was making "noise" and this is a safety hazard. So he tells me they are ordering a new axle and it will be here by 8am tomorrow, I brought my car in around ~3pm.

Can anyone tell me if this guy is screwing me? Everything is covered under warranty so I'm just wondering if they are doing this to make a buck for the dealer/service department? Also since when does it take 8 hours to ship and deliver a brand new axle? I know I shouldn't have gone to a dealer, but it was the cheapest and closest (walking distance) to my place.

What do you guys think? I haven't heard or felt a thing..

well i wouldnt say they are screwing you, because its under warranty, they might be screwing honda , but not you.

as for the axle, being its a new civic you have, they most likely wouldnt have one in stock because the odds of one going bad is so slim

it sounds like they are having a new axle overnighted to the dealer, which makes sense depending on where its being shipped from.

First off, your generalizations and assumptions based on common stereotypes regarding isn't exactly accurate. At all.

So your axle is being replaced under warranty; I don't see how this is a big deal. As a dealer technician, I can assure you that no experienced tech is remotely interested in selling warranty work; there's no money in it since warranty labor rates are so low. I can also assure you that if they're warrantying it then it needs replaced. When a part is covered under labor, the dealership actually pays for the work done. A warranty claim is then submitted to corporate (the replaced part is also sent in for inspection and, in some cases (axles come to mind), re-manufacturing). The claim is reviewed and either accepted (corporate then pays the dealership for the cost of the parts required and the cost of labor (always a set amount of time) to do the repair) or denied. I've heard of claims getting denied for some pretty stupid reasons (My service manager told me one time he submitted a claim that got denied because the total cost was too high; he called and inquired, and corporate's computer system rounded fractions of a cent down while ours rounded up. The warranty claim that was submitted was $0.02 too high due to this rounding snafu), but a returned part proving to be in perfect working order is a justifiable reason to deny a warranty claim.

And believe it or not, but dealerships don't have hundreds of thousands of parts stocked. The dealership I'm at isn't the largest thing in the world, but it's easily in the top 5 largest dealerships in the city; we stock maybe 500 different parts. It sounds like a lot, but when you take into account that every different bolt, nut, and washer has an individual part number, it's really not that many parts in stock at one time. Keeping rarely sold items in stock is a bad business strategy as the shelf space it occupies could be used by items that will actually be sold. Honestly, I'd be surprised if the dealership doesn't end up getting stuck with the bill to overnight that axle for you. I assure you it's not cheap to overnight parts and warranty rarely covers overnight freight.

And I'm still trying to figure out how you think you're getting screwed over warranty work. You know you don't have to pay a penny for the axle being replaced, right?

Reaper2022, very well put!

yup I agree unless they are asking for you to pay you are in good shape. Better they replace it now than you pay for it after warranty.

Thank you for this insight Reaper.. I'm always paranoid about going to a dealer.. eases my mind a bit to hear it from an insider.

Wow, thanks for the great response. Answered everything.

Also, I don't think I'm getting screw personally, I was just wondering if i was getting screwed around by the dealership for their benefit. Also the guy was just over the top, talking down to me, the typical I need to replace the cabin filter especially after driving all the way from California to Utah...My fluids are absolutely filthy...

Also he failed me because of my 50% tint on the back two and the rear, and again for covering the third brake light. He tried to tell me they can take the tint off and put it on again themselves (at full pop for their tint), or they told me to buy a razor blade and cut around the light...He was just trying to sell me on everything...


I was just curious on what others thought, I've never had any vehicle inspected for safety or emissions. Thanks for the responses.

Like Reaper said, it's usually set up so there is little or no profit for the dealer making warranty repairs. That's so they don't do unnecessary stuff and charge it to the manufacturer. Thus it is likely that you really do need a new axle.

Here in Virginia we have safety inspections. You can have the dealer put a "Rejected" sticker on your car and take it somewhere else for another inspection (where they may pass things that are borderline) and / or repairs. Or you can take it home and work on it yourself. Don't let them hold you hostage. If there's outright fraud related to an inspection, call the state police.