Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/05/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We purchased a 2021 Honda Pilot Elite (used) approximately a year ago from Columbia Gorge Honda. The car was a Certified Pre-Owned Honda with a clean CarFax report. The dealership told us several times it was a single-owner vehicle, previously owned by an employee of their dealership and they were intimately familiar with its history. After making the purchase, we heard a slight rhythmic pulsating noise from the left front corner under certain braking conditions on the drive home (we live in **************). Thinking it was no big deal, we mentioned the issue to have it checked out at our first oil change at **** Honda - but they couldn't replicate the sound and didn't find anything wrong. Same deal on the 2nd oil change. On the 3rd oil change their technician found the cause of the noise to be a bent lower control arm which caused rubbing of the sway bar end link against the CV axle. The car drove straight, and their technician commented that it had to have gone through extensive re-alignment to drive as well as it did. In addition to the left front suspension damage, they found the left front fender had also been replaced. The vehicle had ruined the tires that are currently on it (cupped tires after ****** miles) as a result of the suspension damage. This (fender) repair should have been noted on the CarFax report, and any existing damage should have been noted in the *** inspection and disqualified the vehicle from *** status. As a result of this, we are stuck with a damaged vehicle that requires repairs and a new set of tires. The vehicle is further devalued as damage will be reported on CarFax once repairs are made. Columbia Gorge Honda has denied any knowledge of repairs done to this vehicle, in spite of it being originally purchased through their dealership by their employee and was a single-owner vehicle when it was sold. I have requested that Columbia Gorge Honda purchase the vehicle back from us, but they're refusing.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/15/2024

  Customer purchased a Certified ********************* pilot on 6/15/2023. The vehicle went through a full inspection by a factory trained Honda Technician prior to the purchase. The vehicle was test driven by the customer before purchasing and no complaints or issues were noted. in June of 2024 almost a full year later ***** reached out to our dealership to inform us that he had taken the vehicle to Honda of **** at least 3 times for serving where the tech was not able to find an issue with the vehicle until the 3rd time at the Honda dealership in ****. Upon the Tech finding the issue ***** reached out to us notifying us that the vehicle had an issue and he wanted a resolution. After much back and forth I (*********************** the *** offered to pay for the repair and a new set of tires as the tech in bend said the tires were "cupped" and would also need to be replaced. ***** thought that we should buy the Vehicle back a year later for the exact amount he paid plus interest and options totaling almost $44,000 and giving no credit for the time and miles he was able to use the vehicle. To put that in perspective He paid less than $42,000 for the vehicle. His other option was he keeps the vehicle and the dealership pays him about $19,000. The cost of the repair and tires were about $2,000 and we offered to cover it and were prepared to do that as a good faith offer to keep goodwill between him and us as we want our customers to be happy. ***** then came back and said he had spoken to attorneys and he wanted more money offering to settle the matter for $5,000. After all the back and forth with ***** it was clear that goodwill was no longer salvageable and we made the determination given the time (almost a year from purchase) the multiple inspections (certified inspection at our store and the multiple inspections at another Honda dealership with no issue found) that we were no longer willing to offer any assistance with the repair or tires. It took a little longer than i would have hoped to get this resolution as ***** required all correspondence be in writing. I have the emails back and forth if it would help.

  Thank you,

  ***********************

  GM 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/22/2024

   
  Complaint: 21946017
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Columbia Gorge Honda sold us a vehicle that was misrepresented as free of damage.  They self-inspect these vehicles under the Honda CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) program, which the consumer relies upon to be true and accurate.  As a result of this certification, Columbia Gorge Honda is able to obtain a premium price for their CPO certification.  

  Upon learning of the pre-existing damage done to the vehicle that we purchased, as well as the repairs done to hide the damage, we feel as though Columbia Gorge Honda deliberately and fraudulently misrepresented this vehicle to exact the higher price of a Honda CPO vehicle.

  While my first request was for Columbia Gorge Honda to purchase the vehicle back from us, I realize that we did in fact benefit from the use of the vehicle for approximate one year.  

  While monetary damages are difficult to calculate, we walked into this sale with a 2017 Honda Pilot that we owned outright and were given $26,000 in trade.  We ended up financing $16,599 to purchase the subject 2021 Honda Pilot, which is now worth approximately $29,000 in trade.  If the 2021 Pilot was accurately represented, we would not have purchased it.  From our perspective, we have lost $13,599 equity due to this purchase (2021 trade value $29,000 less 2017 trade value $26,000 = $3,000.  Amount financed $16,599 less $3000 = $13,599).  In addition to that loss, there are at least $2000 in repairs that need to be made in order to trade the vehicle in for the previously stated $29,000 value.  While there was discussion of settlement for this loss, I realize that again we did indeed benefit from the use of the car for a year.  If we decided to keep the vehicle after making repairs, then the financing amount and the equity argument would be moot.

  This brings us to my last settlement offer of $5,000.  This figure represents the $2,000 of repairs plus the $3,000 (estimated) premium charged for a Honda CPO vehicle.  While the vehicle is technically still a Honda CPO vehicle, we were wrongfully charged that premium due to misrepresentation of the vehicle.  When we go to trade in this vehicle, there will be damage noted on the vehicle history (which was pre-existing to our purchase, but was repaired during the term of our ownership).  This damage will prevent the vehicle from being certified as a Honda CPO vehicle in a later sale, and will devalue the vehicle when we trade it in.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/27/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We purchased a new 2022 Honda hrv and we purchased all the extended warrantys with it. We sold the vehicle out of state on 5/29.2023 we went to the dealership and canceled all the extended warrantys on 5/30/2023. The lady gave us all our printed off quotes on what we will receive back from the cancellation of there policys. She said she would put them in here computer that day and we should be cashed out in a couple weeks. Well the middle of July came and no money and we called them only to discover from Honda that the dealer never submitted the paperwork on their end for our refunds. We called Columbia ****** Honda and told them they dropped the ball on getting the paperwork turned in. She turned it in then around the 7/15/2023. We just received our pay off amounts that Honda will be giving us and the woman from Columbia put in that the car had ****** miles instead of ****** our quotes were $100s of dollars off from the 5/30 slips. We called again and get no where with anyone at that dealership. I have never experienced such unprofessional people who are incompetent at doing their jobs. Now I am out hundreds of dollars and get zero answers.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/28/2023

  Hello,

  After researching your compliant I am embarrassed to say that ******** should have processed your cancelation request as soon as she received your Odometer disclosures and she did process it with the incorrect information. I totally understand why you are frustrated. I got with ** our General Sales Manager and he said he's been in contact with you since about August 4th. He said that he and Honda have communicated that they have canceled the incorrect checks and are reissuing checks at the correct amounts. If this is not correct please let me know. I can be reached on my cell at **************.

  Thank you,

  ***********************

  Owner