[MEGACLOPS]

So about 4 hours after I drove my E off the lot, I was showing it off to a friend of mine. She asked about the roof rack and I stood on the black plastic panel underneath the door. I thought this would be a load bearing part of the car since it...well...since it was where someone would step if they wanted to load onto the roof. I had just cash for clunkered an F-150 and to have that kinda flimsy plastic piece on there that was NOT loadbearing was a little astonishing to me. There are clips inside the black plastic piece and small plastic tabs that connect the black plastic piece to the clips. The tabs are either broken, torn or bent to hell. I love my E but this part looks like crap!

Is there anyway I can get this fixed w/o having to pay for it? I'm not cheap, but it seems like a stupid thing for me to have to pay for. :?

P.S. I know now that you're supposed to step in that designated step area between the seat and the door.

Thanks in advance!

 

[lizzurd]

That piece is just a rocker panel covering. To be honest this is the first i have ever heard of someone stepping on it and breaking it off.

Will they cover it? You may get lucky.

Should they cover it? Not really.

Tell them the truth about what happened and see what they can do for you. But don't be surprised if they say no.

 

[paulj]

Early on I broke the rear tab on the lower rocker panel (on a cemetery border stone). I drilled a couple of small holes near that tab, and joined it to the fender panel with a couple of small zip ties. That has worked perfectly well since 2003.

 

[MEGACLOPS]

good thinkin'! The dealership that I bought it from told me to contact my insurance company :-( If this other dealer doesn't hook me up I'll give that a shot.

 

[07lmnt]

You really should say "I noticed this was cracked". If honda wont pay to replace it, it's on the dealership and charged to the new car dept for "lot damage"

 

[AKRunner]

You really should say "I noticed this was cracked". If honda wont pay to replace it, it's on the dealership and charged to the new car dept for "lot damage"

I am sorry but I have to call you out on this one. The owner of the vehicle broke it and knows that they did so. There is no justification possible to try and pass it off on the dealership.

 

[lizzurd]

I am sorry but I have to call you out on this one. The owner of the vehicle broke it and knows that they did so. There is no justification possible to try and pass it off on the dealership.

Agreed. If it is wrong for the dealership to lie to a customer...Should it not work both ways?

 

[scorsone]

if it is just black plastic then you should be able to get a new piece fairly cheap and the install will be rather easy. Check around for pricing online and I bet the part would be way less than your deductible and less than the labor a shop would charge to install it.

 

[07lmnt]

Agreed. If it is wrong for the dealership to lie to a customer...Should it not work both ways?

Customers at my dealership lie, cheat, deceive and basically do any thing they can to get something for nothing... and management just goes along with it to "keep them happy"

 

[ramblerdan]

I think you mean part #9 in the illustration below. That's either Honda p/n 84201-SCV-A01ZC or 84201-SCV-A01ZD (driver's side), depending on color, about $30. Passenger's side is 84251-SCV-A00ZC or 84251-SCV-A00ZD. The clips are 91560-S04-003 and 91560-S5H-003, about a buck and a half each; it looks like a new panel includes a set of clips.



FWIW, I've stood on mine scores of times without damage.

 

[1fastvx]

I think he means #1/2 or 3/4 in the pic below. They are definately not sturdy enough to hold the weight of a person!

You can buy them cheap at the link below:
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/prddisplay.jsp?inputstate=5&catcgry1=ELEMENT&catcgry2=2009&catcgry3=5DR+EX+%284WD%29&catcgry4=KA5AT&catcgry5=REAR+CLADDING+-+SIDE+SILL+GARNISH+%282%29

John

 

[ramblerdan]

Ah! That would explain it. No, you can never stand on either of those pieces.

 

[1AB JAG]

Same thing happened to me:
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=793534#post793534

 

[AKRunner]

Customers at my dealership lie, cheat, deceive and basically do any thing they can to get something for nothing... and management just goes along with it to "keep them happy"

Old industry saying; "How can you tell if the salesperson is lying to you? Their lips are moving." Another one goes: "How can you tell if a customer is lying to you? Their lips are moving."

I have seen both many times in the 27+ years I have been employed in this industry and it is no wonder that it has the reputation it does. That said it is a generalization and times are changing. While some dealers still hold to the old school methods others are making the changes necessary to compete in todays market.

 

[MEGACLOPS]

That's exactly what it is, VX. Thanks for the link!

BTW, Honda told me I was S.O.L. on that so I'm paying for it myself. I thought it would be significantly more expensive (Honda dealer guy estimated around 500 smackers the site has it listed for $68).