Ignition Coils Swapped with Faulty Ones at Hallmark Honda


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Joined
Aug 25, 2012
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Navi Mumbai
Two years back, I had given my Honda City ZX for servicing at Hallmark Honda Nerul, Navi Mumbai. Immediately after I got the car back, I noticed that the car used to jerk while changing gears and accelerating, especially when changing from 2nd to 3rd.

I took the car back to Hallmark Honda and they held it back for diagnosing the problem. I went back home and 2 hours later I get a call from the Service Advisor. He said that 4 ignition coils have gone bad (there are 8 in total) and it will cost about Rs.20,000 in parts and labor to replace them. However, he said that he can help me get it done for Rs.10,000 unofficially. I asked,where was he going to source the parts from? (4 ignition coils) Doesn't Hallmark Honda have an Inventory Management System (IMS) or was he removing it from unsuspecting customers and selling it ahead?

I told him that my car was absolutely fine at the time of servicing. In fact, their car check up/diagnosis which is part of the service routine had also not thrown up anything. And I strongly suspected that my car had its ignition coil replaced with a faulty one. I told him that I will not go ahead with this and escalate it to
higher authorities. The service advisor was taken aback and pleaded not to do this. He said he will fix my car at no cost. I got my car back in the evening and was back to normal.

Fast forwarding to last week, I had given the same car for servicing. I got its break pad and wheel bearing replaced. Along with that, I also got the car serviced which included the car checkup/diagnosis. I spent around Rs.21,000 for all of this. In the next few hours, the car started behaving exactly the way it did 2 years back. Same problem, the car jerking while changing gears and accelerating. I took the car to Hallmark Honda and straight away asked for the 'Head of Service'. I explained my ordeal to him and he suggested that we get the car diagnosed. 4 hours later, voila! the same diagnosis, two of the car's ignition coils had gone bad.

Again, this time the service routine where the car is checked didnt throw up anything. The Head of Service (General Manager) did not heed to my suggestion (that these coils are being replaced with faulty ones) and said that problems can occur anytime. In the end, he so much said that I am looking to get the car fixed for free! (yes ofcourse, after spending Rs. 21,000 just last week, I am trying to skimp on Rs.10,000!)

I agree and understand that the car can face issues and parts fail or deteriorate with time and that is precisely why I had no issues spending Rs.21,000 for getting the break pad and bearings replaced.

BUT, what happened with the ignition coils is too much of a co-incidence.

1. On both occasions (now and 2 years back) the car started giving the same problem after service.
2. The service advisor offered to replace the ignition coils for a lesser cost unofficially.
3. The car checkup/diagnostics test for which they charge, didnt throw up anything at the time of servicing.

This is too much of a co-incidence and makes me firmly believe that Hallmark Honda or its employees are up to malpractices.

My fellow members, I wanted to bring this to your notice. I would also like to know your suggestions on what should I do ahead? It is not about money, but about being cheated and stolen from. My father, in all probability would get the ignition coils fixed (as they need move around in the car) and we are buying a new honda city for the same dealership (for which we have paid an advance) but I want to pursue this to the end. Looking forward to your replies.
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2014
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[surprise] That's a serious accusation that you should definitely pursue!

But first some housekeeping, are you absolutely certain that your car has 8 ignition coils? I'm quite sure it should have 4, one for each cylinder.

Anyways, there are two ways forward that I can think of:

1. Passive: Change your service centre and keep an eye on your car during services to see if the issue recurs.
2. Aggressive: Continue at the same service centre, but before leaving home make a note of the serial numbers of certain components like the ignition coils, battery, etc. This way if any parts are switched you will have hard evidence of the crime and can approach higher authorities at Honda.

But until then, you should probably shoot an email to Honda, telling them about your suspicions and specifically mentioning the fact that their workshops are doing cheaper work off-the-books.
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2014
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delhi
the same happened with me just 4 to 6 days back.

i changed my full radiator assembly with fan kit from MASS which cost me 9K.
after receiving the car back the car was fine and was good in condition no overheating problem.
i got the call from maruti that is your wagonr going good or not so i responded yes fantastic and rated them 8.5/10.

while in the morning certain days back i used to feel the jerks on the first gear and some type from blasting sound also.

i thought it might be common due to whether change in delhi.

but 2 days back when i started my car i heard noise from my car speaker of some wire sparking and it was like its burning.

i immediately put the car back to off and open the hood, and started the car, my eyes saw the current flow from the ignition coil or the ignitor to the top off engine hood. i was very scared because i was running the car on cng was in very danger of getting the car on fire.

thanks to my car speaker and my dumb mind for inspecting such thing.

somehow i took the car to MASS in early morning and the expert examine the problem that the ignition coil is faulty and it should be replace also the full lead which connect all the spark plugs also.

the full price which mass provided me 3K.

so i was disappointed by this as this should be examined earlier that took the car from there.

i took the car to my relative shop just near by to the maruti service station and did all the changed and it cost me 2K for the same.

ignition coil - 1850
full lead connecting the all 4 spark plugs - 150 rs
and no other charges.
 
Joined
Dec 23, 2012
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Mumbai
The honda city does have 8 coils if you suspect that this is happening take a marker pen and discretely mark all the coils.
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
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Mumbai
This is very serious issue, although it might be coincident this time (the reason for it is now a days any Honda ASS operating beyond its capacity as the sudden increasing in the sell so they don't have time to do such a thing) but still i'll suggest you to raise this issue with Honda. As Hallmark is one of the finest dealer for Honda so we can't expect such a thing from them.
I'll suggest you to try out Arya Honda, I have very good experience with them.
 

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