He says no to Honda and pocket thousands of dollars

At the start of the pandemic. Furthermore, Jean-Philippe Riverin lost his old Honda Element because of a corrosion problem. For example, It was a 2003 model that he had maintained himself with great thoroughness. However, In the last days, he consoled himself by taking a check for $ 11,277.67 signed by the company.

Three years of battle later. Therefore, the Lanaudois won in the small debts in a file that many would have deemed lost in advance. Nevertheless, He fought with the hope that his judgment could encourage other motorists to assert their rights to the major manufacturers.

This is why he hastened to tell me his story. Nevertheless, “I had the ability to say no to Honda and I practiced it thoroughly. Similarly, If it dies with me, it is certain that I would not have done my entire job. Furthermore, »»

In 2021. Moreover, Honda recalled nearly 13,000 Element models because the corrosion of the chassis could make them dangerous. Furthermore, If the problem was not repairable, the manufacturer undertook to buy the vehicle “according to a predetermined amount”. For example, Similar reminders he says no honda pocket were announced by Honda in 2019 and 2023 concerning more than 100,000 CR-V.

The director general of the Association for the Protection of Motorists (APA), George Iny, remembers this recall affecting the element. Furthermore, The organization has received more than 100 complaints linked to the amount offered by Honda. encouraged the dissatisfied to claim more. “But very few people dispute. They don’t know how, ”he deplores.

To his knowledge, this is the first time that such a judgment has been rendered. He is delighted, because the result shows that certain complaints were indeed justified.

Initially, Honda had offered $ 2342 to Jean-Philippe Riverin, even if several parts on her vehicle were recent, including the engine. Rather, an independent assessment requested by the judge set the value at $ 7,280. An abyssal gap.

By adding various costs and legal interest, the total invoice for Honda finally exceeded $ 11,000.

When he divides the additional sum obtained thanks to his challenge by the number of hours invested in his file. the 49 -year -old man calculates that he won $ 100 per hour. Net of tax, it goes without saying. Not bad, isn’t it?

In the eyes of the judge, Honda’s initial offer was simply not credible. Besides, the woman who wrote it did not even have the right to testify in court. “She does not have the impartiality. the distance necessary for her evaluation to be introduced as an expertise in evidence,” wrote the magistrate.

For George Iny, there is no doubt that $ 2000 for an SUV that is still rolling, “it’s laughing from the owners”, since the scrap dealers offer around $ 700 for vehicles that have returned the soul. Honda says he follows a guide to determine her buyout prices. but he does not communicate it, an opacity deplored by the APA.

Of course. Honda has no interest in providing high prices in a context where its customers do not really have any other option. But it was not everyone who obtained a derisory sum, insists George Iny. For recent and well-equipped models, checks of more than $ 10,000 were signed during he says no honda pocket the first CR-V reminder in 2019.

In the case of old Element models. Honda’s evaluations do not seem to have taken into account the pandemic and the shortage of used vehicles, two factors that made prices jump, analyzes APA. Nor “peculiarities of this highly sought-after vehicle which is more expensive than the CR-V”. However. it must be recognized that Honda had the merit of launching buyout programs, which other manufacturers have not done as a result of similar problems.

Hopefully this judgment will not encourage Honda to imitate its competitors who prefer to abandon their customers to their fate. On the contrary, he must convince him to offer fairer sums.

Face a multinational requires time, energy and a certain level of knowledge. You have to have experienced it to know that this exercise is not he says no honda pocket for everyone. It is often stressful, even downright intimidating. Jean-Philippe Riverin has the advantage of having been a lawyer in another life. It helped him, he said, not “panic in the process”.

That said, you shouldn’t help but assert your rights. Small receivables exist for all Quebecers. The judges are aware of this and their expectations are amendment. The friendliest do not hesitate to help people who appear in front of them. Casually, small receivables are a powerful tool that can advance the law. It is still necessary to dare to use it in front of large companies.

Consult the site of local justice centers Consult the Educaloi website