Had to end call from Tony, Regional Case Manger, American Honda. Smart mouthed young man that keeps interrupting, and does not listen. OMG! I wrote to the eight board member by certified mail. Each letter was signed. If you want to gain access to the tracking numbers HMU. Each letter contained the same verbiage. Here’s one of them.
17 February 2016
Board member: Thomas G. Elliott, Exec. VP, American Honda Motor Co.
Honda North America, Inc.
700 Van Ness Ave
Torrance, CA 90501
Board member: Thomas G. Elliott, Exec. VP, American Honda Motor Co.
Honda North America, Inc.
700 Van Ness Ave
Torrance, CA 90501
RE: 2015 Honda Fit LX. VIN: 3HGGK5G55FM733627
Dear Board Member Thomas G. Elliott:
To get started right off, here I am another day with inferior HandsFreeLink firmware in my Honda. It has taken me a couple weeks to cool down, so I could write this letter. This type of situation is not what I expected from Honda when I purchased my new FIT LX in 2015. Let me take you through my frustration, and I ask you to image if it were you.
Back on 16 January 2016, I took my FIT in for the Rear Grab Handle Brackets and Outer Handle Corrosion Recall. At that time, I also made Spreen Honda (the dealer who I purchased the car from) aware that the car’s HandsFreeLink fails to properly pair fully. The call audio pairs; however, the media audio gets caught in a firmware looping error. When I first paired my LG V10 (running android lollipop 5.1.1), it paired perfectly. That as it may, upon turning off the car and then restarting, is when the pairing loop error showed its ugliness.
I vocally insisted, Jim Schultz (Service Manager, Spreen Honda), become involved. See, I was provided a loaner car when I brought the car in for service due to how long the recall would take to be corrected. Spreen Honda’s loaner car HandsFreeLInk did not exhibit the looping error. That was odd as I would have expected it to have the same issue should it be the phone. At the same time, I was also speaking with Honda Automobile Customer Service. CS agent, by the name of Grace, tried to help; but she had to turn the HandsFreeLink issue over to Amanda in tech support. Amanda, on 19 January, called me and stated that the dealership had to contact tech support. Mr. Schultz knew I was speaking with Honda Automobile Customer Service, and I believe he was of mindset that with two voices Honda might resolve.
On 20 January, I received this email from Mr. Schultz.
“Hi Darryl,
After going round and round with Honda Technical. They want me to try your phone in a 15 or 16 Fit to see if it works?
I was going to arrange for this car to be driven to you and test.
On 21 January, I received this email from Mr. Schultz.
“Hi Darryl,
Back on 16 January 2016, I took my FIT in for the Rear Grab Handle Brackets and Outer Handle Corrosion Recall. At that time, I also made Spreen Honda (the dealer who I purchased the car from) aware that the car’s HandsFreeLink fails to properly pair fully. The call audio pairs; however, the media audio gets caught in a firmware looping error. When I first paired my LG V10 (running android lollipop 5.1.1), it paired perfectly. That as it may, upon turning off the car and then restarting, is when the pairing loop error showed its ugliness.
I vocally insisted, Jim Schultz (Service Manager, Spreen Honda), become involved. See, I was provided a loaner car when I brought the car in for service due to how long the recall would take to be corrected. Spreen Honda’s loaner car HandsFreeLInk did not exhibit the looping error. That was odd as I would have expected it to have the same issue should it be the phone. At the same time, I was also speaking with Honda Automobile Customer Service. CS agent, by the name of Grace, tried to help; but she had to turn the HandsFreeLink issue over to Amanda in tech support. Amanda, on 19 January, called me and stated that the dealership had to contact tech support. Mr. Schultz knew I was speaking with Honda Automobile Customer Service, and I believe he was of mindset that with two voices Honda might resolve.
On 20 January, I received this email from Mr. Schultz.
“Hi Darryl,
After going round and round with Honda Technical. They want me to try your phone in a 15 or 16 Fit to see if it works?
I was going to arrange for this car to be driven to you and test.
On 21 January, I received this email from Mr. Schultz.
“Hi Darryl,
I have arranged for a test vehicle to be driven out to your location Friday Morning. Please let me know if that day will work for you and the address the car will be at with your assistance providing yourself and your phone.
On Friday, 22 January, Mr. Terry from Spreen Honda arrived at my residence with a 2015 Fit EX. The HandsFreeLink paired flawlessly. I showed Mr. Terry the firmware looping error on my Fit LX, and he said that Mr. Schultz would resolve my problem.
Almost a week passed, and I had starting doing my own research about Honda’s HandsFreeLink Bluetooth pairing issues. Each online forum I located was full of complaints about Honda’s HandsFreeLink poor quality and lack of anything. I now began to think holistically about brand Honda, and warm fuzzy was not showing its face. Doing a bit more research, I also contacted a local aftermarket specialty audio dealer. I explained my issue, and the owner shared with me that my story of Honda’s HandsFreeLink pairing problems are not the first he heard. He invited me over to checkout a Kenwood DDX9703S currently installed in a car assuring me 100% that its Bluetooth audio is fully compatible, and has all the extra feature capabilities to support my Fit LX steering wheel controls as well as rear camera. Now as anyone of you would do, I went and checked it out. Just as with Spreen Honda’s loaner car, and the 2015 Fit EX that Mr. Terry brought out to my house, the aftermarket audio Bluetooth paired flawless.
On 28 January, I received this email from Mr. Schultz.
“Hi Darryl,
Almost a week passed, and I had starting doing my own research about Honda’s HandsFreeLink Bluetooth pairing issues. Each online forum I located was full of complaints about Honda’s HandsFreeLink poor quality and lack of anything. I now began to think holistically about brand Honda, and warm fuzzy was not showing its face. Doing a bit more research, I also contacted a local aftermarket specialty audio dealer. I explained my issue, and the owner shared with me that my story of Honda’s HandsFreeLink pairing problems are not the first he heard. He invited me over to checkout a Kenwood DDX9703S currently installed in a car assuring me 100% that its Bluetooth audio is fully compatible, and has all the extra feature capabilities to support my Fit LX steering wheel controls as well as rear camera. Now as anyone of you would do, I went and checked it out. Just as with Spreen Honda’s loaner car, and the 2015 Fit EX that Mr. Terry brought out to my house, the aftermarket audio Bluetooth paired flawless.
On 28 January, I received this email from Mr. Schultz.
“Hi Darryl,
So after going round and round with technical support at American Honda. They are requesting that you bring the car back and we try pairing it again while we are communicating with tech line.
I am just doing what is instructed by American Honda so I hope you can understand my frustration as well as yours. My goal is to get you fixed and singing to the music...
Thank you and Respectfully,
I drove into Spreen Honda that morning. Both Mr. Terry, and Mr. Schultz greeted. Mr. Schultz said that a Honda North America rep by the name of Marcel was there as well. There I was with high hopes that Honda is going do the right thing, but no. Instead, Mr. Schultz said after less than 30 minutes, “Honda can do nothing because the HandsFreeLInk in the LX model is inferior to the EX or loaner car model.”
Marcel was outside, and he approached after Mr. Schultz delivered Honda’s blow. He did not care for my tonal values, and quickly removed himself without care or solution alternate to help resolve. Imagine, there I was frustrated and blown off by a Honda Corporate representative afraid to engage with the customer standing in front of him. WOW! At that moment I knew that Honda’s Brand is not what it claims. This spoke volumes, which I now share.
When I returned speaking with Mr. Schultz to learn how much it would cost to swap out the HandsFreeLink with a unit that did not have looping errors, Marcel quickly turned about to inject he (Jim Schultz) could not do that. Already being infuriated at Marcel’s lack of my concern, I scolded him firm by telling him I was speaking with Mr. Schultz and not him. Mr. Schultz went inside with Marcel, and came back with a laughable price of $3,200. I shared with Mr. Schultz that a local aftermarket audio dealer has a Kenwood system with more bells and whistles at under $1,000 installed. Mr. Schultz reserved comment stating his hands are tied.
I shared with both Marcel and Mr. Schultz before departing, on a scale of five stars, I can only give Honda two at best. As of the date of this letter, the situation with the HandsFreeLink still makes my temper rise. Never in my wildest dreams would I have suspected Honda to provide inferior Bluetooth firmware, let alone have a representative make me feel like I was stupid for not buying a different model. Is this how Honda trains its representatives? Does Honda purposefully not disclose that its HandsFreeLink Bluetooth systems are not equal? What if this were you? All the HandsFreeLink system needs is a firmware update. If this is not possible, I request that Honda cover my out of pocket expense for the Kenwood DDX9703S; or, swap out the unit.
Additionally, I also request that Marcel be placed back into training. He fails to understand that he should welcome customer feedback, whether positive or negative, stern or praising, and learn to think on his feet instead of dodging complex situations coming up solutionless .
I respectfully request to hear back from Honda North America, Inc. 15 business days upon receipt.
Sincerely,
Additionally, I also request that Marcel be placed back into training. He fails to understand that he should welcome customer feedback, whether positive or negative, stern or praising, and learn to think on his feet instead of dodging complex situations coming up solutionless .
I respectfully request to hear back from Honda North America, Inc. 15 business days upon receipt.
Sincerely,
I am requesting to hear from the Board Members NOT A REGIONAL CASE MANGER. Don’t buy your next Honda without making sure.
UPDATE 25 February 2016 from FaceBook Response:
Honda just keeps failing to listen. Amazing.