Did the shop perform the work I paid for? Brake Flush and Oil Change with photos.

Based on the word Honda, there's a very good chance work not performed. My buddy got into such an argument with the dealer, but rather than worry about it, he bought a new Odyssey. People cope with feeling ripped off in different ways :ROFLMAO:
 
the work order called for a "brake fluid exchange". I guess technically they are exchanging (some) brake fluid. It would be hard to prove otherwise unless you are able to watch the work. Maybe mark the bleeder caps to see if they're moved, i.e. removed and replaced ?
@meep
I checked the service receipt and the brake service is called a "brake fluid exchange" but a brake flushing procedure is described in the notes:

Brake Fluid Exchange.png

With all due respect, how difficult is it, even if one has, IN THEORY, omitted to document maintenance, to just order stuff from Amazon, get a digital receipt for it, change a date on it via some free web tool that takes whole of 5 minutes and use free return — vs going through arduous practice of videoing and uploading oil changes and other maintenance work into some kind web portal and/or purposefully driving a vehicle to a dealer and shelling out $$ — ALL for “making sure” some theoretical, distant warranty claim that MIGHT be denied isn’t? This is equivalent to being paranoid about being struck by a meteorite on one’s way to pick up mail from the mailbox, which is possible by the way, but has never happened 😁
You are right, my documentation efforts are a little extreme, but in the end it gives me the certainty that I have done everything to avoid a warranty denial. For me it's not that much effort to video record the procedure and save the parts receipts. Being in the auto and insurance industry as both an auto damage adjuster and mechanical breakdown insurance inspector and having dealt with 1000's of body shops and service writers, I have seen many warranties denied for stupid reasons. I guess it's a reflex from all of the documentation I do as an adjuster lol.
 
With all due respect, how difficult is it, even if one has, IN THEORY, omitted to document maintenance, to just order stuff from Amazon, get a digital receipt for it, change a date on it via some free web tool that takes whole of 5 minutes and use free return — vs going through arduous practice of videoing and uploading oil changes and other maintenance work into some kind web portal and/or purposefully driving a vehicle to a dealer and shelling out $$ — ALL for “making sure” some theoretical, distant warranty claim that MIGHT be denied isn’t? This is equivalent to being paranoid about being struck by a meteorite on one’s way to pick up mail from the mailbox, which is possible by the way, but has never happened 😁
Some have ethics & stand by them to do the right thing instead of the guilt associated with doing something as you suggest. Also, This is not equivalent to being struck by a meteorite as warranty claims come up more frequently than those odds. Some of us weigh the importance of warranty maintenance differently than yourself. I understand what your saying though & it is something that could be worth suggesting if the dealer is not doing the work anyways.
 
Being in the auto and insurance industry as both an auto damage adjuster and mechanical breakdown insurance inspector and having dealt with 1000's of body shops and service writers, I have seen many warranties denied for stupid reasons.

I’m not in the auto industry, so please correct me, but I find it hard to imagine a regular person (normal, kept appearance, etc) bringing normally kept and non abused car for warranty purpose and the dealership going out of the way to deny warranty, unless shown a receipt for “brake fluid flush” (or whatever) done 5 years ago. Now if it’s a clapt out vehicle with dings, scrapes and so on, low on oil that is black, smoked inside and brought in by trashy low life that smoked inside he car - yeah, I could see how they’d want a proof required maintenance was done.

Am I wrong?
 
I’m not in the auto industry, so please correct me, but I find it hard to imagine a regular person (normal, kept appearance, etc) bringing normally kept and non abused car for warranty purpose and the dealership going out of the way to deny warranty, unless shown a receipt for “brake fluid flush” (or whatever) done 5 years ago. Now if it’s a clapt out vehicle with dings, scrapes and so on, low on oil that is black, smoked inside and brought in by trashy low life that smoked inside he car - yeah, I could see how they’d want a proof required maintenance was done.

Am I wrong?
A claim will be denied if there is no history of maintenance. This is established by the service department documenting work you paid for in Honda's records or by keeping receipts for your DIY work. DIY work can be documented on Honda's portal to support you documentation as well so they can see it on their side. But even with receipts, you are not establishing mileage or even the correct date if you bought your oil in bulk before your service as I do. To be bulletproof I record the odometer, VIN, and maintenance minder reset along with the receipt. This is still faster than driving to the dealer, hanging out in the waiting room, looking at cars on the lot or show room and driving back in most cases.

The vehicle's appearance doesn't matter as long as the body damage or poor condition does not affect the system needing warranty repair. I've seen hoarders cars covered under warranty no problem and nice cars denied for no logs in a dealers system of oil changes for 40k miles. We all know the oil was changed but the corporate office needs proof and the customer can only show credit card bills but no itemized receipts from the auto parts store. They won't take his word without proof. To corporate, it looks like a car driving on its original oil for 40k miles, no wonder it blew up!

Overall, the mechanics get paid less time and at a lower rate for warranty work. If the shop is busy they would rather have customer pay jobs at full rates and repair hours then tie the shop up for lower paying jobs. Denying warranty work without proof of maintenance is easy, the burden is on the consumer.

Keeping itemized parts receipts with time and mileage documentation is the minimum in my book.
 
Many years ago I took my Accord for a brake flush. I commented at the darkish fluid in the reservoir when I picked it up and they admitted they just siphoned and refilled the reservoir. They claimed that was standard procedure for brake flushes.
That is freaking SAD and hard to believe a service person would even admit that to a customer. I would be ashamed.
 
Easily doable in under an hour. I can do those in under an hour on jack stands, so very easily doable on a lift.

A rinse with brake cleaner will remove all traces of brake fluid.

Honda 1.5t oil looks like diesel oil. New oil, even after a short runtime, will look like that.
It takes a while to flush anti lock brakes.
 
Eric the Car Guy, from YouTube, was an Acura mechanic for years, and said many of his co-workers did just that when the work order called for a "brake fluid exchange". I guess technically they are exchanging (some) brake fluid. It would be hard to prove otherwise unless you are able to watch the work. Maybe mark the bleeder caps to see if they're moved, i.e. removed and replaced ?
I tried that method of brake flush on an old BMW of mine.
You cannot imagine my level of amazement when I took it for a test drive. It was like a totally different car (the brakes were far more effective).

So yes, it's technically cheating.
But it actually makes a noticeable difference - especially on an older car with fluid that's over 10 years old.
 
I thought with that knowledgeable you are already working for Brembo, TMD, ATE or Akebono? If we don’t see new recommendation about lifetime brake fluid next year, we wasted great talent. I think actually they are afraid of your knowledge. Totally conspiracy.
I agree! Aren’t you the president of my fan club? I’m working on lifetime refrigerants also. Oh but wait. That may be here already. Pesky moisture molecules!!
 
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I worked at a dealership in the 90's and a "flush" was indeed just a reservoir refill. No one ever complained or did we get called out on it. Note though, it was part of a 30K service, so easy to hide as it blended in with the over services. I suspect if a customer came in for a flush and only that, we would have done it, but no one ever requested just a brake bleed.

What some did get mad over was a "tune - up" where we just slapped a new set of plugs, have a nice day and that's it, well maybe an upsell for a new air filter, etc.
 
I agree! Aren’t you the president of my fan club? I’m working on lifetime refrigerants also. Oh but wait. That may be here already. Pesky moisture molecules!!
To think people actually drove cars you maintained.
On par: i am your airline mechanic, but don’t worry about this long flight, Earth is flat anyway, it won’t go that long.
 
Brake flush every other year is easy. I had to convince my dad who’s been driving for the last 45 years to flush the brakes. He usually gets rid of cars after a few years. I have been getting him to do more preventive maintenance
 
That oil looks a little dirty. We have gotten batches of bulk oil that has been darker than others before so maybe something like that is the case here. That’s part of the reason I would never run bulk oil in a car. Maybe they didn’t do it at all too that’s a possibility. At my dealership those are all considered express services so there is a team of techs that work on it not just one so that maybe why it was done so quickly. We also don’t do cross rotates either we only do front to back. That’s how I learned so I think they done good there.
I had a 2007 A6 that the oil would look like that after 50 miles.
 
To think people actually drove cars you maintained.
On par: i am your airline mechanic, but don’t worry about this long flight, Earth is flat anyway, it won’t go that long.
You must of been educated at the Firestone School of Automotive Technicians. Yes brake fluid absorbs moisture however a sealed system is just that…
Those pesky moisture molecules invading our lives!!
 
It takes a while to flush anti lock brakes.
I replaced a caliper on our Civic a while back (not the first I've replaced on different cars) but just could not get it bled. My son and I used a vacuum tool as well as the old-fashioned pedal-pump method. Gave up and took it to our neighborhood shop... They called during the day that it was done and ready to be picked up. Charged me 30 minutes labor.
 
I replaced a caliper on our Civic a while back (not the first I've replaced on different cars) but just could not get it bled. My son and I used a vacuum tool as well as the old-fashioned pedal-pump method. Gave up and took it to our neighborhood shop... They called during the day that it was done and ready to be picked up. Charged me 30 minutes labor.
For calipers, usually pressure bleeder is enough.
Sometimes air creeps up and needs ABS bleed.
 
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