Flat-out Honda Horror

When I picked up my Honda City from Honda Cars Makati in Magallanes last October 30, among the things turned over to me was a plastic bag containing the thick owner’s manual, the car lighter and four little metal caps. The latter, the sales agent told me, are supposed to go on those little spouts (or valves or whatever you call them) in the tires where you pump air, and the reason they’re not on was "ninanakaw kasi" and sold for P10 a piece, against the P35 charged by Honda. Those little caps–and even the lighter–were the least of my concerns, so I put the plastic bag away and drove off, enjoying the nifty little car, and had been doing so for ten days before disaster struck.

Last Monday, when I came back from the supermarket, I happened to be rummaging through one of the two glove compartments in the car looking for a coin purse when I saw those four little caps. I figured it was about time I put them on, so I did. Then I went in for some lunch before heading off for work. I had hardly gone the distance of a block when I heard a strange clunking sound. Loose seatbelt? No. Bad CD? I switched it off. The air conditioner? I turned that off too. But the sound persisted, louder than ever. Then the car was moving sort of funny.

Fortunately, there was a gas station down the road so I immediately pulled in. I got out of the car and told the attendant that something was wrong with the car, there was a horrible sound... Before I could even finish the guy pointed to my front tire and said, "Eh ma’m, wala ng hangin ang gulong n’yo, bakit pa kayo nagda-drive?"

I looked down and was totally horrified. I saw the flattest flat tire I have ever seen: the metal rim in the center of the tire was on the ground (I guess that was what was making the sound, metal on road) and the car was askew, listing to the left. It was quite a sight and drew the attention of everyone in the gas station: a brand new car (it didn’t even have plates yet) with a totally flat tire, and a frazzled intsik with no clue about fixing a tire.

Three guys worked on changing the flat tire. When it was finally off, I told the guy to look for the nail or whatever that had punctured the tire. He looked and he looked–and found nothing. That can’t be, I insisted; something must have punctured the tire to cause all the air to leak out. He looked again, and still found nothing. "Baka may singaw sa gilid," he volunteered, so I asked him to check whatever gilid it was that could have made singaw.

Meanwhile, the spare tire was put in, including that little cap. When the guy inspecting the flat tire went over to check on the newly-installed spare, EUREKA! he discovered the problem: The air was leaking out–fast–from the spout of the newly installed tire, which was deflating–fast. When he removed the little cap on the spout, the air leak stopped. We immediately checked the three other caps, and found out that this one was different: the little rubber or whatever thing inside the cap was twisted or bunched up; anyway, it was such that it pressed on the pin, causing it to let out air.

Since there was not much else the station guys could do, I paid for the tire change, tipped the guys (they were really helpful), took the four caps, loaded the deflated tire into the trunk and drove off to work (I’m not being a martyr here, but Monday is first deadline, and deadlines do not make exceptions for flat tires) with a prayer and no music (so I could hear if there was any strange sound again).

As soon as I got to the office, I called Honda Cars Makati (tel 852.4181) to report the horrible experience to the senior sales person from whom I got the car (I will for the moment not name names). I described the situation as graphically and as best my limited automotive vocabulary would allow. She sounded profusely apologetic, and said she’d get back to me. I told her I wanted to report the incident to Honda Cars Philippines as well, and was given two names and a phone number (857.7200, a Makati number but connecting to Sta. Rosa, I was told); unfortunately one was on leave, the other "in a meeting" and could not–or would not–come to the phone.

My colleagues cautioned me about continuing to drive the car; there might have been some damage to the chassis or the axle or something as it went metal on road. But I had a 5 pm meeting that I could not miss, so I tried to call Honda Makati again to ask if I should continue to use the car or not. It was 4:25 pm, but no one was picking up the phone on the sales floor (press 3 for vehicle sales). I then consulted our editor-in-chief, who is a car buff, and he told me it should be okay; anyway my meeting was not too far from the office.

As I was about to leave for my meeting, the sales agent called me on my cellphone. She said she had spoken to people at Honda Cars, and this is the first time something like this has happened. I asked if it was safe for me to drive the car, and she said it was and could she send someone over to pick up the caps, including–or especially–the defective (and incriminating) one. What do you think I said?

* * *

As I write this, it has been 24 hours since I reported the incident to Honda Makati. Beyond that call asking to pick up the caps, I have not heard from Honda Makati or Honda Philippines or Honda Japan or anyone connected to any Honda anywhere. Perhaps they are having a nationwide conference to discuss this aberration, or maybe the entire staff of Honda is busy checking every single cap they have, or maybe they’re just having a nice leisurely lunch.

Whatever is going on, there has not been one word about checking on the car to see if it had sustained any damage because of what happened, or checking on the tires, or even asking if I still had my limbs–or my wits, what little of them I may have–intact.

Ironically, I received a letter from Honda Makati the morning of that harrowing incident, reminding me to bring my car in for its 1,000-kilometer check-up, since they (Honda Makati) are after TOTAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. I wish I could laugh at the irony of it, but that whole experience was a terribly traumatic one for me. I know the likes of Michael Schumacher survive tires blowing up with hardly a blink, but driving on only three proper tires is definitely not among my must-do-before-I-die list.

I shudder to think of the what if’s: what if it had happened when I was on a busy main road or the highway (I was thinking of driving up to Lipa next week for a friend’s wedding–forget it!), or when I was on my way home late the next night (meaning Tuesday night, which is deadline night)? With what would I have paid for Honda’s carelessness, for a P35 cap that was not inspected, or was allowed to pass quality control because they were in a hurry, or sleepy, or having a bad hair day? And how many other careless little details–another cap perhaps, or a screw, or a spring–are out there, hiding in shiny new cars?

I’ve been driving around (unfortunately, we working peasants do not have the luxury of a second car, or not going to work) with a totally flat spare tire in my trunk, four caps in my purse, no music in the car (I need to be able to hear strange sounds, you see), and I look at my tires everytime I get out of the car and before I get in (oh no, does that one look kind of soft?!). What else do I need to be checking, I wonder?

I am waiting for Honda to tell me, IF they ever get around to attending to this... Abangan.

* * *

It’s really who you know.

I finally decided to get in touch with a friend at Ayala Corp., mother company of Honda Makati, and ask for her help in getting the attention of some bigwig or other–even one of the Zobels, if need be. I faxed her a draft of this column, letting her know this would come out the following Sunday (today). Fortunately she is not one to sit on her haunches, and she tracked down the manager who was in the building in a meeting with the president. By 3:30 pm she calls me back to introduce me to Manager, who comes on the phone "to get more information" and to tell me that he would call Honda Makati to send someone over. Ten minutes later, I get a call from the sales agent in Honda Makati, telling me that lo and behold! a technician would be sent over to my office to check on the car, fix my tire and give me four new caps–all of which, I venture, should have been done yesterday as soon as I called it in–and not only after I call city hall.

Because deadlines don’t wait, even for a "breaking story" like this, I am going to have to leave you in suspense: Inayos ba ang gulong? May sira na nga ba yung kotse? Ano na, ano na?

This will continue next week, and hopefully it will have a happy ending. The agent at Honda Makati said Honda Phils. had not yet responded to her complaint; unfortunately I don’t know any string at Honda Phils. to pull (hey, the guy wouldn’t even come to the phone!) so it will have to go the pedestrian route. This space is open to them if they want to respond to this sad and sordid tale.