Dear Mr. Masahiro Takedagawa ,

While I did get my car back yesterday , which was delivered to me by
Sachin from Honda Siel Cars , I still do not have a response from your
office on my mail below.

While I'm assuming that your response will be with me shortly , I have a
few more critical concerns that need to be addressed by Honda :-

1 - I have not been given an explanation so as to why did the "Oil Drain
Plug" fall off resulting in the oil leak . Sachin confirmed that if there
was any negligence on the service stations behalf then the plug would have
fallen with a day or two of the last service (31st March) . However, as
the car was driven for 2 and a half months after the last service , that
possibility was totally negated by him. So my questions to Honda is how
can the Drain Plug fall off like that ? I'm perplexed & scared to drive
the car now as , if its happened once that too in a car which is just 6
months old , what assurance do I have that it will not recur ? My safety
is this car remains a big question mark until I get a justified
explanation from Honda on this . Sachin told me categorically that he does
not have an answer.

2 - Secondly , when the car was delivered to me by Sachin yesterday , his
explanation was that besides the engine oil leak , the car did not start
as the car battery too had drained simultaneously . Which to me is not a
possibility (My car horn , dashboard , headlights were all working just as
expected before the car stalled) however even if in my wildest
imaginations I believe that the battery died (without the battery plug
getting shot) how come it was so well synchronized with the Engine Oil
Leak ? Something somewhere is not tallying.

3 - My next concern is that your authorized Service Dealer - Pearl Honda
did not comply with the service standards one expects of Honda. They
diagnosed the car as an engine Oil leak case & a therefore a case of a
possible Engine Cease. If the battery had drained why did they not tell me
about it for 3 days ? One is bound to doubt their intentions as the same
car was on the road within 2 hrs after it reached the 2nd Service Station
(Ring Road Honda)

4 - My last concern is that if you provide "No Maintenance" batteries with
a warranty of 1 year, who is accountable for the car battery draining in
6 months of the car purchase ? Either my battery should be replaced or
Honda should confess that these are not No Maintenance batteries. Its
unfair & again non complaint .

Awaiting your response to the mail above & below.

Regards,
Mashanka Chahal| Strategic Sales Manager | Global Commercial Card|
American Express Banking Corp. I Cyber City, Tower C, DLF Building, 8,
Sector – 25, DLF City Phase –II, Gurgaon -122002, Haryana.
' +91 124 336 2619| F +91 124 336 3797 | M +91 9717705145 I *
mashanka.c.chahal@aexp.com


----- Forwarded by Mashanka C Chahal/JAPA/AEB/AEXP on 06/19/2009 04:51 PM
-----

Mashanka C Chahal/JAPA/AEB/AEXP
06/17/2009 02:59 PM

To
jsen@hondacarindia.com, rashmi@hondacarindia.com,
meenakshi@hondacarindia.com

Subject
URGENT Att. President & CEO : Harassment by Honda Siel Cars Ltd.





Dear Mr. Masahiro Takedagawa ,

Sub : Harassment & Harrowing after Sales Honda Experience

This is with regard to my highly unfortunate experience with my car "The
New Honda City iVtec) which was purchased from the Honda Authorised Dealer
Courtesy Honda, Okhla , New Delhi on 23rd November 2008

Details of the Car for your reference :-

Car's Registered Name : American Express Banking Corp.
Regn No. - DL3CBA2892 - Ch. No. - MAKGM252l8N000758 - Engine No. -
L15A70001138
Model - Honda City (S) MT
No. of Kms - Approx. 7000 KM
Service Records : 2 Free Services Availed
1st Service : Pearl Honda, Gurgaon -
18 January 2009
2nd Service : Ring Road Honda , Gurgaon - 31 March
2009 (Service Advisor - Ajay Kumar)

Incident Details : On 14th June 2009 at 7:30 PM , I drove my car out of
the parking lot only to realise after 3 Kms that the car was suddenly
stalling & then it just stopped. As there was no indication on the
dashboard indicating why the car stopped , my immediate reaction was to
call the Honda Car Breakdown helpline for help. Driver Kuber Singh from
Mondial Services arrived at the spot by 9:00 PM & started inspecting the
car. As there was nothing wrong with the car battery, he checked the
underbelly of the car to confirm that the engine oil had leaked. I was
very intrigued with his diagnosis as I had serviced my car as recent as 2
months back & there was no reason why the same should have happened. I was
then told that my car has to be towed away to the service station &
therefore I categorically requested the driver as well as the Helpline
Agent to tow it away to Ring Road Honda only. As it was quite unsafe &
late in the night , I decided that I wanted to be dropped back home before
the car could be towed away. The helpline agent took special permission
from his Supervisor & I was finally dropped home. On Driver Kuber's given
idea , he & myself checked the parking slot of my car at home , to
discover that the oil had certainly leaked & there was an oil patch on the
ground. After an assurance that I will be getting a call from Mondial to
understand the next steps I let Driver Kuber go. I waited & waited &
waited but there was no call from Mondial until 10:00 am in the morning.
Not knowing where my car was & in what condition , I called the breakdown
Service No. (0124 -4343888) to know about the status of my car & after
being kept on hold for a relatively long time , I was told that my car was
at Pearl Honda & that I can contact them at the given no. for more
details. Quite unhappy with my car being towed to the wrong Service
Station , I called Pearl Honda where I was not given any status on my car
for the whole of Monday. Just when I decided to call & mail Honda One2One
about this unacceptable behavior , Wg. Cdr. CN Rajagopal from Pearl Honda
decided to courtesy call me to tell me that my car was with them & is will
get inspected by Honda as it is a case of Warranty & Engine Cease. He
promised to contact me shortly about the way forward & that there was
nothing to worry as the car is in safe hands & also under warranty.

As I did not hear anything from Wg Cdr. Rajagopal until 10:00 am on
Tuesday (16th June 09) , I called him to follow up only to realise that
the Honda Area Manager was expected anytime & that he will call me back
post the car is inspected for claim. To my disappointment Wg. Cdr. called
me back after several hours of my follow up to inform me that Honda has
denied covering the damage under Warranty. While I was in a big shock . I
insisted on knowing the reason behind the denial from Honda . I decided to
visit Pearl Honda to meet Wng. Cdr. Rajagopal & inspect my car in the
afternoon yesterday.

Wng. Cdr. Rajagopal was his diplomatic best & shared that Honda Area
Manager said that the car was damaged from below & hence it can not be
covered under warranty , I decided to inspect the car myself , only to
realise what a big joke it was & how I was being made such a big fool of
as the car under belly had normal marks & scratches which any car over 2
days old would have , it being driven on Indian Roads & not Carpets.

I was convinced that Honda is evading from the responsibility of covering
the car under warranty & my belief was turned into facts when Wg. Cdr.
Rajagopal confessed that he agrees that any car parked in his workshop
will have similar marks & that there is no reason why because of such
marks should the engine oil of the car drain out without a warning on the
dashboard. He said that as he is in a way representing Honda , he can not
voice his opinion strongly as the call taken for Warranty is eventually
Honda's. While he totally empathised with the situation & said that he
himself was quite sure that the car should be repaired under warranty , he
really can not question the Honda Area Manager so as to why did the engine
oil leak & why did the engine cease without the car heating up & showing
any indication on the dashboard.

I understood the neutral stance Wng. Cdr. Rajagopal was taking & decided
to speak with the Area Manager myself. However , after many many many
trials , Wng Cdr. Rajagopal was not able to convince the Area Manger to
speak with me for a justification. I must confess that I was really let
down by the Area Manager's behavior & attitude. I understand Honda One2One
is the complaint cell & I need to communicate through the cell , but is
this by any fraction a display of customer centric behavior by a company
like Honda ?

Feeling completely let down by these developments I decided to get the
photographs of the car underbelly & take the next course of action after
consulting my legal advisor. In the course of the evening Honda CRM -
Jaspreet Singh called me & I narrated the entire series of events to him.
He then called back advising me that he will call me back yet again in a
short while as he is still trying to get a resolution for me but is not
able to get the attention of the concerned business units at Honda who
need to take the decision about this mishap . Its past 2:30 PM right now &
I am yet to hear from Jaspreet Singh or Wg. cdr. Rajagopal from Pearl
Honda on anything about my car.

While I am being forced by Honda on account of pathetic customer service
to take the necessary action to seek justice that is due to me , why I am
reaching out to you being the CEO of Honda Cars in India is to get answers
around the following as I certainly wish to know if Honda knows just how
to sell their cars or also knows how to address a grieving customer's
genuine concerns.

1 - Why was my car towed away to the wrong Service Station inspite of my
strict instruction to Mondial ? Honda or Honda's authorised dealers may
have a profit sharing agreement with Mondial Breakdown Services but that
is none of my concern. As long they are associated with Honda , an
explanation is due to me.

2 - Why has there been such slack on communication from every point of
contact , be it the breakdown service provider (Honda authorised) , Honda
One2One , Pearl Honda , Jaspreet Singh from Honda Siel Cars & ofcourse no
communication from the Area Manager ?

3 - Why has Honda evaded from the Warranty Clause when my car is in its
most original form (no improvisation of any sort has been done to the car)
, has not met with any accident (there is no dent on the underbelly of the
car) & a negligence & technical failure has caused my car to break down &
the engine to cease.

4 - Does the Area Manager think that we drive on Carpeted Roads in India ?
How can any car on the road (2 day or 2 year old) not have normal wear &
tear & scratches under the car ? I would agree to the fact that there has
been an accident only if there has been one. Besides, me confirming that
there has been no damage to the car underbelly , the pictures also show no
dents to the metal plate what so ever.

5 - Is Honda saying that under normal wear and tear of the under belly of
the car, the engine oil lid can easily fall off & that's the quality of
cars Honda makes ?
These are not toy cars.

6 - Why was there no indication of the Engine Leakage on the dashboard &
the car did not over heat either ? (This is my 4th car in six years &
being a lady driver I am highly careful & cautious with my cars & their
upkeep) . Are your cars that unsafe for women drivers ?

7 - How is Honda planning to compensate me & address my inconvenience
considering my day to day life is hampered & has come to a stand still .
Because of Honda's lack of communication , lack of response & rude
behavior I am distressed & harassed to the highest order. I am unable to
perform my duties at my workplace.

8 - Besides being in the car manufacturing business for over a decade in
India , Isn't Honda courteous enough to offer a replacement car
considering the lack of response is from Honda's end ?
NOTE: Wng. Cdr. Rajagopal had promised me that I will be given a
replacement car until my car is fixed but obviously he changed his stance
once Vinay Malhotra visited Pearl Honda & denied the claim.

Because of such a harrowing experience with a Car Maker like Honda , Mr.
Takegadawa being a well educated & aware consumer I will go to the highest
order to get justice & I am sure even you would have done that had you
been in my place.

Please don't consider this as a shallow statement but I will be forced to
escalate my experience to the Court of law as while this car is owned by
American Express , there is no reason why any individual should be
harassed & ill treated for choosing a Honda Car over the choice of many
other competitive cars in the marketplace. And , also its not that I'm
exercising any special rights over here . The car is 6 months old & there
is no reason that for no fault of mine I can not claim warranty for a car
which has disappointed me & had me stranded in the night causing a
possible threat to my security & safety.

Will appreciate your or your Sr. Management's immediate intervention & I
look forward to hearing from you shortly.
I am not ready to compromise on any account & our legal course will follow
if Honda does not own upto its liability & compensate me appropriately.

PS : I am attaching a photograph of the Engine Oil Vent for everyone
marked on this mail to decide if these scratches (which were possibly made
after the car was towed away) can cause the lid to fall off & the oil to
leak & the engine to cease without the car heating up & without any
indication on the dashboard ?



Warm Regards,
Mashanka Chahal| Strategic Sales Manager | Global Commercial Card|
American Express Banking Corp. I Cyber City, Tower C, DLF Building, 8,
Sector – 25, DLF City Phase –II, Gurgaon -122002, Haryana.
' +91 124 336 2619| F +91 124 336 3797 | M +91 9717705145 I *