Hi. Owner of 2018. Here's email I just sent to Honda (local dealer and corporate):
"Thought you should know about recent experience with the 2018 CR-V we bought from Della a few months ago. It’s a 2-parter...
We returned to Plattsburgh International Airport from 3 wk vacation early Monday morning…landing at 3AM. It was cold and rainy, I headed across the huge parking lot to get the car, leaving wife sick and sitting uncomfortably with luggage in all-but-deserted terminal.
Car wouldn’t start. Inconvenient, but not terribly surprising after 3 weeks of sitting idle. Back again across the parking lot to get phone from wife to call Roadside Assistance, then back to car yet again to get VIN, called 866 number. After much information collected by “Sherry”, she assured me - apologetically - that a mechanic would be there to help…within 3 hours!! Of course I couldn’t sit in a freezing vehicle, or leave an ill wife sitting in a deserted terminal, until whatever time the mechanic chose to show up. Yet, if I called taxi for motel, how would I know when the mechanic would be there? Fortunately, there was a young man manning the toll gate, about to head home from his shift. He offered to give me a jump. In the process, he told me that the mechanic contracted by Honda had a “reputation for being undependable”. I don’t know the intricacies of how Honda contracts for Roadside Assistance, but you should know that this was the first time we have ever called for Roadside Assistance for a Della vehicle, and it was totally useless. I don’t know if you’ve had previous complaints from customers, but if Della & Honda use this service as a selling point for vehicles, they should make sure it’s definitely available to help owners in a dependable, timely fashion.
The car was parked in such a way that the cables couldn’t reach, and needed to be pushed a few feet back, but of course the transmission was locked. Again, fortunately the young employee knew about a 'slot next to the gear shift' - covered by a very small piece of black plastic - that could free it up so I could shift into neutral. It was a critical piece of knowledge for which I was totally ignorant. We were ultimately able to shift into neutral, push the car, and jump-start it successfully. I have since looked just about everywhere (manual and online) for consumer info on that important info about freeing up the shifter, but can’t find anything. Although the need to use it is likely to be infrequent, it is critical when needed. It would be a good thing to let customers know about when orienting.
Thanks.
P.S. After reading Honda’s website info on Roadside Assistance, I also sent them the following email: "Roadside Assistance Fail (2018 CRV): Returned to airport parking from 3 wk vacation, battery dead. Cold, rainy night, 3 AM in the morning. Wife sick, with luggage in all-but-deserted terminal. Called Roadside Assistance. After gathering all information, was told mechanic would be there...in less than 3 hours!!! Really?! Choices were to either wait in freezing car and deserted airport until mechanic chose to show up, or take cab to motel, still not knowing when mechanic would show up. Roadside Assistance useless! Fortunately, found sympathetic airport employee to give me a jump, who then told me that the local mechanic contracted by Honda has a "reputation for undependability". Will be posting with owner's group and Della Honda in Plattsburgh, NY."
"Thought you should know about recent experience with the 2018 CR-V we bought from Della a few months ago. It’s a 2-parter...
We returned to Plattsburgh International Airport from 3 wk vacation early Monday morning…landing at 3AM. It was cold and rainy, I headed across the huge parking lot to get the car, leaving wife sick and sitting uncomfortably with luggage in all-but-deserted terminal.
Car wouldn’t start. Inconvenient, but not terribly surprising after 3 weeks of sitting idle. Back again across the parking lot to get phone from wife to call Roadside Assistance, then back to car yet again to get VIN, called 866 number. After much information collected by “Sherry”, she assured me - apologetically - that a mechanic would be there to help…within 3 hours!! Of course I couldn’t sit in a freezing vehicle, or leave an ill wife sitting in a deserted terminal, until whatever time the mechanic chose to show up. Yet, if I called taxi for motel, how would I know when the mechanic would be there? Fortunately, there was a young man manning the toll gate, about to head home from his shift. He offered to give me a jump. In the process, he told me that the mechanic contracted by Honda had a “reputation for being undependable”. I don’t know the intricacies of how Honda contracts for Roadside Assistance, but you should know that this was the first time we have ever called for Roadside Assistance for a Della vehicle, and it was totally useless. I don’t know if you’ve had previous complaints from customers, but if Della & Honda use this service as a selling point for vehicles, they should make sure it’s definitely available to help owners in a dependable, timely fashion.
The car was parked in such a way that the cables couldn’t reach, and needed to be pushed a few feet back, but of course the transmission was locked. Again, fortunately the young employee knew about a 'slot next to the gear shift' - covered by a very small piece of black plastic - that could free it up so I could shift into neutral. It was a critical piece of knowledge for which I was totally ignorant. We were ultimately able to shift into neutral, push the car, and jump-start it successfully. I have since looked just about everywhere (manual and online) for consumer info on that important info about freeing up the shifter, but can’t find anything. Although the need to use it is likely to be infrequent, it is critical when needed. It would be a good thing to let customers know about when orienting.
Thanks.
P.S. After reading Honda’s website info on Roadside Assistance, I also sent them the following email: "Roadside Assistance Fail (2018 CRV): Returned to airport parking from 3 wk vacation, battery dead. Cold, rainy night, 3 AM in the morning. Wife sick, with luggage in all-but-deserted terminal. Called Roadside Assistance. After gathering all information, was told mechanic would be there...in less than 3 hours!!! Really?! Choices were to either wait in freezing car and deserted airport until mechanic chose to show up, or take cab to motel, still not knowing when mechanic would show up. Roadside Assistance useless! Fortunately, found sympathetic airport employee to give me a jump, who then told me that the local mechanic contracted by Honda has a "reputation for undependability". Will be posting with owner's group and Della Honda in Plattsburgh, NY."
