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I have a friend who has an ungaraged 2011 Civic with 15K miles. He purchased this car new from a NJ Honda dealership.
Rust and corrosion have developed on the upper edge of the rocker panel on the passenger side, with a much smaller area of rust and corrosion on the same area below the driver's door. He said the rusted area was there before this past harsh winter, and with the car recently detailed, the area seemed to have gotten much larger. He wants to know if this would be covered by Honda's 5-year limited corrosion warranty. The owners manual states that surface or underbody rust is not covered but body panel rust is.
A local NJ body shop has estimated repairs of $4000 for both sides. The service manager at his Honda dealership has suggested that this may not be a warranty defect, but as a result of the nasty winter we had where he had to drive in frequent snowstorms. I'm not sure he was conscientous to rinse the car off following the storms. The regional manager has offered a partial reimbursement, leaving my friend responsible for the remaining $1300.
Looking at the attached photos he sent me, I suggested that it's quite possible that his passengers may have accidentally kicked or rubbed their shoes on these edges of the panel when entering/exiting the car. We know that a few kicks or rubs in a small spot can, over time, create a tiny rust spot, no bigger than an inch or so, and then the area can subsequently grow like a cancer when exposed to the elements.
Does my friend have a case with Honda? Are the body-color rocker panels considered part of the body (that is, a body panel) so it would fall under the corrosion warranty? All opinions/suggestions welcomed. :thmsup:
Rust and corrosion have developed on the upper edge of the rocker panel on the passenger side, with a much smaller area of rust and corrosion on the same area below the driver's door. He said the rusted area was there before this past harsh winter, and with the car recently detailed, the area seemed to have gotten much larger. He wants to know if this would be covered by Honda's 5-year limited corrosion warranty. The owners manual states that surface or underbody rust is not covered but body panel rust is.
A local NJ body shop has estimated repairs of $4000 for both sides. The service manager at his Honda dealership has suggested that this may not be a warranty defect, but as a result of the nasty winter we had where he had to drive in frequent snowstorms. I'm not sure he was conscientous to rinse the car off following the storms. The regional manager has offered a partial reimbursement, leaving my friend responsible for the remaining $1300.
Looking at the attached photos he sent me, I suggested that it's quite possible that his passengers may have accidentally kicked or rubbed their shoes on these edges of the panel when entering/exiting the car. We know that a few kicks or rubs in a small spot can, over time, create a tiny rust spot, no bigger than an inch or so, and then the area can subsequently grow like a cancer when exposed to the elements.
Does my friend have a case with Honda? Are the body-color rocker panels considered part of the body (that is, a body panel) so it would fall under the corrosion warranty? All opinions/suggestions welcomed. :thmsup:
