A few weeks ago, I was walking back to my car after my walk (nice park, nice area). I heard a car alarm go off, then footsteps running away. I was too far away & it was in a full parking lot, so I didn't see anyone. My car has a feature that lets me unlock the driver's door by just touching the handle, as long as my transmitter key is in my pocket. When I touched the handle, the door wouldn't unlock. I used my key to unlock it manually. I thought something was wrong with the lock, so when I took the car for service, I mentioned the lock & figured it was under warranty, since it's a new car.
When I picked up the car, the dealer told me it was not under warranty because the lock was damaged by a screwdriver when someone tried to break into the car. He showed me the damaged keyhole. I didn't notice it before because the keyhole is recessed into the handle. That's when I connected the alarm & the guy running away. Also the dealer told me, "Honda is the #1 car for thieves."
The dealer wanted $610.00 to replace the door lock - mostly a ridiculous labor charge for 30 minutes, since the lock cylinder is only $40.00.
I said, "No Thanks; I'll just open the driver's door with my key." I later discovered that, due to the damage, I could unlock the door with anything I stuck into the keyhole, so I just started carrying one of those tiny luggage lock keys with me. Of course, that means anyone can unlock the door with anything they have, if they know that. So what? Why should I worry about it when I pay for insurance? If the car is stolen, I get the Blue Book value & replace it.
When I picked up the car, the dealer told me it was not under warranty because the lock was damaged by a screwdriver when someone tried to break into the car. He showed me the damaged keyhole. I didn't notice it before because the keyhole is recessed into the handle. That's when I connected the alarm & the guy running away. Also the dealer told me, "Honda is the #1 car for thieves."
The dealer wanted $610.00 to replace the door lock - mostly a ridiculous labor charge for 30 minutes, since the lock cylinder is only $40.00.
I said, "No Thanks; I'll just open the driver's door with my key." I later discovered that, due to the damage, I could unlock the door with anything I stuck into the keyhole, so I just started carrying one of those tiny luggage lock keys with me. Of course, that means anyone can unlock the door with anything they have, if they know that. So what? Why should I worry about it when I pay for insurance? If the car is stolen, I get the Blue Book value & replace it.
