SKIP TO HOW IT ALL BEGAN IF THE FOLLOWING BORES YOU...HOWEVER YOU MAY STILL NEED TO READ IT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE MATTER OF FRAUDULENT QUALITY AROSE
Question: When you sell a product with obvious quality issues that are inconsistent with your Brand standards, is it fraudulent?
PRELUDE
Beginnings
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. was established in 1948/9 and its Headquarters is located at 2-1-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-8556, Japan.
Message from Takahiro Hachigo, President and Representative Director Chief Executive Officer
In order to continue to be a company society wants to exist,
Honda aims to become the “power” that supports people around the world who are trying to do things based on their own initiative.
Ever since its foundation in 1948, Honda has been making continuous efforts to offer various kinds of value as we strive to help people and create a better society through our own technologies, ideas and designs. The starting point of such efforts is our desire to “help people and society” and “expand people’s life’s potential.”
The underlying basis of such efforts is the concept of “Respect for the Individual,” which is a part of Honda’s Fundamental Beliefs. We always put “people” in the center of our thinking, and we believe in the potential of people. That is the nature of Honda, and that is why Honda wants to be a company which becomes the “power” that supports people around the world who are trying to do things based on their own initiative, including those who are taking on challenges and trying to bring about positive changes for themselves and for society.
As a result of various efforts we have been undertaking with such passion, in 2020, Honda delivered attractive products and services, pleasing a total of approximately 25 million customers around the world, combining all of our businesses including motorcycles, automobiles, life creation (power products), aircraft and aircraft engines.
As this number of customers indicates, Honda is the world’s largest engine maker. That is why “decarbonization” is an important mission Honda must fulfill as addressing environmental issues is becoming an urgent challenge facing the world.
Based on this belief, Honda set an ambitious target and began initiatives to realize carbon neutrality by 2050. Including the introduction of the new “Honda e” electric vehicle in Europe and Japan in 2020, Honda will accelerate electrification of its mobility products. At the same time, we will strive to realize a “zero environmental footprint” through our initiatives in the area of manufacturing, such as the utilization of renewable energy and recycling of resources.
Another important challenge the mobility industry must take on is the realization of a collision-free society. As a company which develops and sells both motorcycles and automobiles, Honda must strive for the realization of a society where everyone sharing the road can enjoy mobility with total peace of mind. To be more specific, Honda will strive to realize “zero traffic collision fatalities by 2050.”
To this end, Honda will further advance and popularize Honda SENSING, including the introduction in Japan of Honda SENSING Elite which features advanced technology qualifying as Level 3 automated driving equipment. This represents a new step forward in the area of advanced safety technology. Moreover, Honda will work toward “zero traffic collision fatalities” from both the software and hardware perspective, including the development of technologies which connect motorcycles and automobiles and the advancement of traffic safety educational programs, especially in newly developing countries.
Honda will continue taking on new challenges to serve as a source of power for people who are trying to do things based on their own initiative and to continue to be a company people and society want to exist into the future.
The Honda Philosophy
The Honda Philosophy consists of Fundamental Beliefs (including "Respect for the Individual" and "The Three Joys"), the Company Principle, and Management Policies. This philosophy is not only shared by all associates, but also forms the basis for all company activities and sets the standard for the conduct and decision-making of all associates throughout the Honda Group. Driven by its dreams and reflecting its values, Honda will continue taking on challenges to share joys and excitement with customers and communities around the world to strive to become a company society wants to exist.
The joy of buying is achieved through providing products and services that exceed the needs and expectations of each customer.
NOW BACK TO THE MAIN STORY, How It All Began
Consumer Alert - Fraudulent Quality of the 2021 Honda BRV
At the time of this writing, 5 months have passed and Honda Malaysia has yet to resolve the FEW remaining issues that I painstakingly listed for their action, a list with over 20 issues that is not acceptable for a new car let alone a HONDA. I've also sent them several e-mails from start.
In December 2021, I received delivery of the "brand new" facelifted 2021 Honda BR-V V variant from Honda Malaysia’s dealer in Kepong.
The experience since then has been very tiring and extremely stressful because the one would never have expected a Honda vehicle to have so many flaws and defects.
To top it off I was told by their Customer Relationship Department that Honda vehicles have all "undergone research and testing" which implies that my concerns are improbable. However, I do not think when there is MORE THAN ONE or two or more issues at the same time that it’s coincidental.
Is it because Honda now manufactures its vehicles in Malaysia under partnership with DRB-Hicom, or is that coincidental as well?
Because this is a HONDA and all, I feared that perhaps their 1-year CEO at that time, Ms. Madoka Chujo was not aware of the quality problem ALTHOUGH no matter how unlikely it be, given the fact that Honda Malaysia has been selling the Honda BR-V for years now and are still marketing the old model as the 2022 Honda BR-V. For the record, the manufacturing plate on my Honda BR-V is stamped 2019.
SO, I wrote to Honda Malaysia's CEO Ms. Madoka Chujo to seek a written reply acknowledging the problems with their quality and to receive assurance that they will reasonably fully make good all the defects and flaws identified to date without any further delay. At first they ignored this request and I had to repeatedly push for the reply. Some time later, I also started to copy the Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna AND the National Consumer Complaint Centre when Honda Malaysia appeared to be unresponsive.
The problem with my Honda BR-V also prompted me to inspect other Honda BR-Vs and I was shocked to see the same lack of quality and finishing. This led me to the conclusion that Honda Malaysia has issues that concern their overall quality of operations, procurement, and complaints management.
The problems identified with this vehicle included the following,
A. Point of Delivery
- Rear Right Mudflap missing a screw,
- Poorly fitted armrests, Front Passenger and Rear Right Passenger, and
- Interior plastic panel scratch.
B. Over the Course of Use
- 2nd Row Seats that rattle over bumpy roads,
- Door panel rattle - Door Lock cables were not insulated properly,
- Dashboard rattle - Glove Box loose,
- Dashboard rattle - Meter gauge surrounding panel,
- Deformed door stud hole at the Rear Left Passenger Door,
- External fumes and dust in cabin - Fresh Air/Recirculation Lever Cable loose,
- Bad road/traffic noise insulation - later told by the dealer that there is zero sound insulation material in all the 4 doors,
- Door Frame Rubber Seals, only 1 fitted nicely while the other 3 were either ill-fitting and/or torn beyond the machine press mark,
- Dropping Coolant Levels - failure to bleed the air in coolant system prior to delivery,
- An A/C system in Cabin that makes a cracking sound each time the plastic parts expand and contracts which is quite "unheard" of (at most I had a Perodua with an A/C that hissed each time the DVVT kicked in!),
- Finger-wide Gaps between the Carpet and plastic side panel trims at the Rear and Front Passenger sides - missing were the carpet liners to raise the carpet at those areas,
- Car Jack scratched even before use - due to design of the Jack Receptacle which has unprotected prongs that scratch the Car Jack each time it is installed or removed,
- Bonnet freeplay
- Rear HONDA emblem freeplay
- Ill-fitting plastic parts that creak at Windscreen and Side Mirrors,
- Mold/Debris under the Infotainment touch screen,
- Driver’s floor mat with eyelets that do not fit the floor studs, and
- Horn Pad with imperfect surface smudge marks.
Ok, I get it. The Honda BR-V creaks and rattles like an old car!
I wanted Ms. Chujo Madoka to acknowledge the issues raised as I thought they would never have otherwise be brought to her attention. And, after serving one year at Honda Malaysia as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Madoka Chujo will be handing over the reigns to Mr Hironobu Yoshimura. Will this be boon or bane?
What else if not fraudulent quality when the Honda BR-V is plagued with,
1. Low Quality Parts;
2. Design Defect/Flaws; and
3. Manufacturing Defect/Flaws.
When Ms. Modoka Chujo failed to reply, I stated my expectations for a HONDA product and that included the need for correspondence to record for reference all that has transpired:
Statement #1
Corporate governance dictates that whoever the email is directed to should at least receive a copy of the same, especially more so when it reflects on the good standing/reputation of the company/brand and to determine whether a review/audit is necessary on aspects regarding procurement, manufacturing, and delivery of the finished product. It is abnormal for an established brand such as Honda to deliver anything less than is expected of it’s reputation unless such standards are common and within “specifications”. For the record, the Customer is not requesting for a 1 for 1 replacement of the affected vehicle; rather is only requesting for swift action to make good the identified issues to date.
Statement #2
THAT time and time again it was reiterated the need for written communication, and that the simple request was ignored - with the exception of an email received on 22 February 2022 with an attached PDF bearing the acknowledgement letter dated 18 February 2022 from Ms. Madoka Chujo in response to the complaints of fraudulent quality.
Statement #3
THAT HMSB’s Honda Dealer was not included in any of the earlier correspondence as they are not accountable for problems arising from differences to the specifications or standards applied to this vehicle.
Statement #4
THAT the verification exercise carried out by HMSB's Honda Dealer on 25 February 2021 would put an end to the excuse that the issues raised were not attended to earlier as HMSB was informed.
Statement #5
THAT it is unreasonable for the CRD Officer to neither accept a request to speak to his immediate superior, nor handover the complaint file to another CRD Officer for better management.
Statement #6
THAT a simple “Within Specs” statement response raises further questions to issues raised, e.g. Gaps between the Plastic Side Panels & Fittings to the Floor Carpet are “within specs” which was allegedly based on the Service Manager advice (which the Service Manager has since denied after clarification). Untruthful?
Lastly, quoting the words of Honda’s Founder, Soichiro Honda: “Machines never lie. Success will always come if they’re really good. So let’s show the world what we’ve done. Then they can see the real Honda!”
Unfortunately, the real HONDA experience is bad.
I believe that HMSB is responsible for the design, manufacture,
production, marketing, and delivery of this vehicle, AND THAT HMSB
must comply with the international HONDA standards for quality
and significantly act professionally and ethically to amicably and
speedily rectify the spate of issues that still plagues this vehicle.
I also believe that I may not be the only person in this situation as
there are others who have similarly encountered the same issues that I
have with this vehicle.
However, I have lost all confidence in Honda and hence this article...
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