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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Thinking about a Honda Outboard?

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MartinJW
Navigator

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USA
241 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/25/2008 : 10:50:41

As part of launching our new C-250 (in June 2008), we've had some serious problems with our Honda Outboard. We join our story in-progress:

...

The absolutely worst-case scenario, wife-scarring (and scaring) event was our experience with our NEW outboard engine. Honda made a substantial blunder with our outboard engine, and this could have been disastrous. After motoring around in very, very tight marinas - filled with weekend yahoos - with several near-misses, I discovered that the F/N/R shift lever was not connected to the linkage inside the housing. There were several occasions that required me to make a 3-point turn and/or shift into/out of N or F/R, and the shifter felt sloppy and the prop didn't always engage on the first shift. This was puzzling to me, but I attributed it to my lack of experience with this new engine. However, after slamming into a neighbor's dock when I couldn't get the engine into neutral and securing the boat, we pulled the cover off the engine and discovered that the shift lever rod was NOT connected to the linkage. Surprise! The rod was there with the appropriate washer and cotter pin, but it was NOT inserted into the linkage. This would work somewhat, but not correctly or consistently. This could have resulted in a great deal of property damage as I wound my way around million dollar yachts on Saturday afternoon; Monday morning might have found my insurance company contacting Honda Marine about a product liability situation. I'm very, very disappointed in Honda's quality control. (And I'm a Honda Guy from WAY back - starting with my 1976 Honda Civic!)

Here are more details:

Here's what the improperly-assembled outboard engine shift linkage looked like. Right behind the gold-ish colored connecting rod is a black lever. The rod is supposed to be inserted through a hole in the lever and secured with the cotter pin. Amazingly, the cotter pin IS installed although the rod is not inserted into the lever. I wonder what the assembly line worker and/or the QC inspector was thinking when this was moving through the factory.

Here's another view of the same screw-up:

Looks like a simple thing to fix, right? I thought so. Although it took me about an hour, I WAS able to correctly insert the connecting rod into the lever and re-secure the cotter pin. In order to reconnect the shift lever, I had to move the engine lever to the FORWARD position. As I was pulling on the connecting rod - with my BARE hands - the lever inside the engine BROKE OFF. Mind you, I could not exert anywhere NEAR the force that can be applied using the shift lever; having this fail in my hands was dumbfounding. The lever is made of plastic, by the way.

So, with assistance from a friend, I hauled the 130 pound outboard engine off the transom, over the coaming, and up the dock to the car. After the outboard is repaired, I get to repeat the whole process in reverse.

The Honda dealer has told me that this will be "seven to ten days!" to repair this. (He was not very happy about me bad-mouthing Honda in his store which features mostly Honda products.) There may be a delay to get parts, unless I want to pay $25 to "overnight" any critical parts. I was thinking that, since this is such a gross error on Honda's part that they might want to do something drastic to make me happy. Nothing so far.

In the meantime, I'm paying $300/month for the dock at which my boat sits dead in the water.

THANKS, Honda! I hope you enjoy the profit you earned on the $3k outboard engine I purchased, because it will likely be the last Honda product I ever buy.

Fuming on the dock,
Martin

C25/250 Int'l Ass'n Member
2008 C-250 WK #973
"Bluebell"
Lake Tahoe, CA/NV

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2008 : 11:05:07

Tough situation. I would wonder why the dealer didn't catch this also!

Edited by - on

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2008 : 11:46:47

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by MartinJW
 ...it will likely be the last Honda product I ever buy.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">You have every right to be outraged. Hope you get a good deal from the shop and then can have the Honda help you enjoy the boat out on the lake. They should fix it for free.

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2008 : 12:54:44

Even 6-sigma companies have the occasional error. Given all the great things that have been written and said about Honda, makes this all the more frustrating. This was a major screw-up and they don't seem to be handling it properly but, in context, does it warrant an indictment of the company overall?

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piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2008 : 13:06:00

Honda should have caught this but so should the dealer. My Honda dealer set mine up and gave me a demo in a tank at his office. But every one screws up once in a while. Sorry this put such a bad taste in your mouth when you are just starting off.
Steve A

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MartinJW
Navigator

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USA
241 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2008 : 13:06:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by John Russell
 Even 6-sigma companies have the occasional error. Given all the great things that have been written and said about Honda, makes this all the more frustrating. This was a major screw-up and they don't seem to be handling it properly but, in context, does it warrant an indictment of the company overall?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Your points are all well-taken, John.

Since I'm intimately involved in this mess, I'm not sure how to coldly analyze this situation. Considering a statistically significant sample, I suspect that Honda products are of high-quality, and there is at least some data to support this.

However, in this one specific situation, they - Honda and the dealer - have dropped the ball thus far. I would have been much happier if (1) the person I spoke with on the telephone would have been more responsive and helpful in any way, and/or (2) if the dealer would have lept into action to repair this ASAP.

Your comments are appreciated.

Thanks,
Martin

Edited by - on

SCnewbie
Navigator

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166 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2008 : 14:54:07

This is the same dealer that you bought the brandy new C250 from? If so, they should bending over backwards here to get Honda to right this. I'd be more ticked than you seem to be. If it is the same dealer, i wonder if Catalina wants to keep them as a rep for their products.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2008 : 15:11:18

I would send a link to this thread to the largest number of Honda Customer service people I could. If this is new motor then you should have a replacement by now.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2008 : 18:52:00

IMHO - it should be expected that every company, even the very best ones are going to have some initial failure issues. The best companies to deal with distinguish themselves by how they handle issues such as yours. Honda has clearly failed.

I've been looking at OB's for my Zodiac and wanted to buy Honda but Honda Canada is having parts distribution issues (at least here in Western Canada), so I appreciate hearing about your situation.
Your issue is exactly why I deal with local vendors. If I had experienced your issue, that OB would have been fixed, replaced or sitting on the seller's desk.
If they are asking for $25 to overnight shipment, something is terribly amiss.

Edited by - on

piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2008 : 20:35:31

Mike, I agree. that is not good customer service to charge the $25. They should take a lesson from Forespar.
Steve A

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3465 Posts

Response Posted - 06/26/2008 : 05:49:40

Martin,

Very sorry to hear about your experiences. I still believe that overall Honda makes great products and quality control was one of their attributes. Obviously, something went very wrong here. It certainly has put your boating on the backburner for now and initially made for a dangerous situation the moment and the way you discovered the deficiency. I certainly hope that this situation is rectified soon. I am also concerned a bit because it seems that you tried to do some work to fix the issue and then believe I read that a part got damaged in the process. That also is of concern because it may (hopefully does not) complicate warranty work. They should really just give you another outboard and tkae that one back for show and tell in Honda Headquarters !

If you have not done this already, I would try and still work this issue with Honda. Maybe there is a regional rep that services the distribution network and that person has to be contacted. This still does not seem right that such a major goof means a delay in your boating. It would seem that Honda should step in to rectify the situation. But who in the chain can get that done ? It has to be someone higher than the person answering the phone in Customer Service.

Anyway...it seems like a nightmare and I hope this issue is resolved sooner rather than later and then you can get some sailing in and put this issue behind you.

Edited by - OLarryR on 06/26/2008 05:50:54

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