$5K down the drain: Honda dealership ‘forgets’ this woman’s CR-V 13 months after she paid for repairs

A woman who paid a Honda dealership $5,000 to fix the electric power steering on her 2012 Honda CR-V says her car has now been sitting at the shop for 13 months, long enough, she claims, for staff to “forget” it was even there.

Her husband detailed the ordeal in a viral Reddit post, explaining, “A little over a year ago, the electric power steering in my wife’s 2012 Honda CRV went out,” he wrote. “She insisted on paying the extra money it was going to cost and taking it to the dealership to get fixed because at least if we took it there we would know it was going to [be] fixed correctly.”

According to the post, the couple paid $5,000 up front. About a month later, the dealership called to say the vehicle was ready. But the relief was short-lived. “Didn’t even get it home before the light came on again and the power steering went out,” he wrote.

When they returned the SUV, he says the service department initially suggested the failure was something his wife did during the short drive home, a claim he called “total bs.” After pushing back, the dealership agreed to take the CR-V back in for further work.

Maybe they’re better off with the loaner

In the meantime, the dealership provided a loaner vehicle: a nearly new 2024 Honda Civic with roughly 2,000 miles. The husband joked that his wife had mixed feelings about pressing the issue because she liked the loaner so much.

“She has joked with me a few times that she doesn’t want me to go in and ask where her car is because she likes the loner car more,” he wrote. “But it’s at the point now where I feel like I have no choice.”

He finally called the dealership to schedule an oil change for the loaner and ask about the CR-V. The person he spoke with said his girlfriend has been in an accident, adding “I’ve had a lot of s—t going on,” before apologizing. He then said, “I totally forgot about this car.”

The employee then told him the dealership was “97% sure” the problem had been diagnosed as a wiring harness behind the dashboard. A repair the shop allegedly said would cost another $5,000.

“I told him we had already paid $5000 so that would cover it then right?” the husband wrote. “He said no not necessarily.”

Frustrated, he replied: “That’s not gonna happen.” He told the dealership they wouldn’t get any more money. “We’ve already paid you to have the car fixed.” Since they didn’t fix it right the first time, “that’s on you, not me,” he added, stating, “I’m not giving you another $5000.”

We’ll repair it right away … after my “2 week vacation”

In response, the employee reportedly suggested they “sit down and figure out what we want to do” after returning from a two-week vacation. “What’s another 2 weeks?” the couple thought, when it had already been over a year, so they agreed.

The situation has left the couple wondering whether it’s reasonable to demand a refund and how to ensure the vehicle is repaired without paying more money. “I’m still just kinda blown away that he would even suggest that they were going to try to charge us another $5000 on top of what we already paid that didn’t even fix the car.”

Consumer advocates often advise drivers in similar situations to document every interaction, request written repair records, and escalate complaints to dealership management, the automaker’s corporate customer service, and, if necessary, state consumer protection agencies. Many states also have laws governing repair timelines and “reasonable” completion standards for paid work.

One thing is clear from the husband’s post: after 13 months, patience has run out. “I don’t always necessarily think the straightest when I get mad,” he wrote, “so I need to make sure I handle this appropriately and not say anything that’s going to f—k us over.”