AcuraSucks

On December 1, 1997 I took my Acura Legend LS to Terrace Gate Acura dealership – Toronto because I was having problems with the engine overheating. After more than a month I finally got my car back on January 5, 1998 at a repair cost of almost $4,000. Terrace Gate had been searching for defective parts but had actually ended up replacing parts which were perfectly fine, i.e. Thermostat, Radiator. This was only determined later when the real defect was found, a defective head gasket (but the old, good parts, were never reinstalled in my car). I paid for the cost of the Thermostat and the Radiator. They recommended that I also have the water pump and timing belt replaced since I would not have to pay for labor since they would have the engine apart in order to do the major repair work. I agreed to this (the cost for these parts was only $287.19, out of the total repair cost of $3925.96). My strong feeling is that I was terribly overcharged, only because personnel at Terrace Gate had wasted time "experimenting" with my car in search of the defect.

The next day, after this "super-repair", the engine light began staying on after the engine was started in the morning. This was a new phenomenon. During the day, the engine began stalling (typically 1 to 3 times every day) when I was waiting at stoplight. Subsequently, I took my car back to Terrace Gate (4 times in 5 months) to have it fixed (I went to Terrace Gate, because this problem started only after they had repaired the car). Despite these visits and the new parts (sensor, spark plugs – platinum) that were installed, the problem was not solved. As before, the old, good parts were never put back in my car and I had to pay for the new ones. This would have been OK if the problem would have been solved - but it was not.

Therefore I took my Legend to Acura of North Toronto and after two visits the engine light did not come on anymore and the engine no longer stalled. This caused me to begin doubting the quality of the work done by Terrace Gate.

At the beginning of October, 1999, the overheating problem returned once more. Acura North Toronto told me that it looked like the head gasket was creating the problem. They were very surprised to hear that I already had the head gasket replaced AND only 1 year and 10 months before this new problem arose. They indicated that if they were the dealership which had done the initial repair they would feel it as their moral obligation to do it again, at no charge, especially since this problem (head gasket) was very, VERY uncommon (let alone to have it happen twice in the same vehicle). In fact in that dealership’s two year history, they had not replaced ANY head gaskets in any Acura vehicle. When I informed them of how much I had paid to have the problem fixed the first time at Terrace Gate (almost $4,000), they were very surprised.

At Terrace Gate, after MANY discussions with the Service Manager and the owner of the Dealership, I was advised that the total cost to once again replace the head gasket would be $3,000 + tax. This price was given to me without any inspection of my vehicle. To me the price seemed high, especially since Acura of North Toronto had given me an estimate of $1,458 + taxes. This was half the price !! Also the head gasket kit at Terrace Gate was $790 when at North York Acura was only $480!! Even the Used Car Sales Manager at Terrace Gate was very surprised to hear how high Terrace Gate’s repair estimate had been! The Service Manager also made a comment which I found interesting. He said that it is not abnormal for an Acura to have a head gasket problem 22 months after it was repaired (!!). I had never previously thought that this was something that characterized Acura vehicles, as advertised in Auto magazines as "luxury and reliability".

Since I could not find any understanding or good will at Terrace Gate, and since I strongly believed in the quality of Acura cars, I thought that maybe a manufacturing defect was the cause of my Acura’s head gasket problems. I went to Acura’s head office in Toronto (Milner Ave.) where I discussed my problem with a Honda Customer Relations Specialist. I was told that Acura would not help, that I should solve the problem with Terrace Gate. I was told that Acura is not interested in getting involved in this situation, although I mentioned that the manufacturing quality of my Acura’s engine was in question. To me this seemed like an odd attitude for them to take. It certainly wasn’t good Customer Service.

Then I decided to trade in my car. A salesman at Terrace Gate had already offered me $8,000 for my car, as is (he had been advised that the car had a head gasket problem). Later on, while discussing the details of the trade in, the Used Car Sales Manager reneged on the amount which had been offered to me, saying that his Salesman "did not know what he was talking about" when he offered the $8,000. (Later on, the Used Car Sales Manager offered me $3,000 for my car!). This is how my verbal contract was honored at Terrace Gate!

Another unfair situation occurred when the price for a used car was discussed. The Used Car Sales Manager told me a price which was $2,000 higher then advertised on Terrace Gate’s web site (about which I was not aware at that time). Then he gave me a $2,000 "discount". To me this is not an honest way of dealing with customers. In fact I know that this is a very unethical way of doing business, since I also work in sales.

Since I could not sense ANY good will from Terrace Gate, I decided to follow Terrace Gate’s "recommendation" to "take my car away". I took it to Acura of North Toronto (since their estimated price for the repair was half of what Terrace Gate was asking!). I had my car’s engine "opened up" and, to my surprise, Acura of North Tornto discovered that it was Terrace Gate’s previous repair that had made my engine useless. I had to have my engine replaced!

Acura North York fixed my problem in a very reasonable way. I cannot say anything like that about the Terrace Gate Acura dealership. I will never visit Terrace Gate Acura again!!!