My husband and I purchased a Honda Recon ES today. We've never bought a new ATV or motorcycle before. We went to a dealer in Flint to compare brands and decided to buy the Honda. He told me a price and I told him I could get it elsewhere for less and he agreed to give it to us for the price I suggested. Little did I know that we'd have nearly $600.00 in extra charges on top of the $200.00 tax. Is this normal? They charged us for a bunch of crap that I didn't expect like freight, destination, assembly, and vehicle preparation. Not only that, but the dealer told us we couldnt get the financing unless we payed $800.00 for the extended warranty. Is that normal?? Is it even worth it?

 

When my wife and I bought our first quads, the dealer added all that BS. Then on a weekend vacation I stopped into another dealer of the same brand (Polaris) and asked them 'how much out the door', Their reply was MSRP plus tax. Well this was about $1600 less than what we paid at the first place, so shop around for the OTD (out the door) price.
The extended warranty was cheaper and had a zero deductable (as opposed to $50) at the second place too.

 

I haven't financed an atv before, but it sounds like dealer BS that you'd need an extended warranty to get financing. You don't have to on cars. I could see the financing company requiring insurance though.

Are you close enough to Ohio to make Toledo worth the trip? A guy from Warren, MI, on this board drove down there and was extremely happy with his service, and his price sounded much better than Detroit dealers advertise.

 

Remember, if you do not have a helmet or ramps / trailer you will need those at a bare minimum.

 

kmsweb- First thing I thought when I read this was: I hope this is a false thread. (Just something made up.) Well.... Merry Christmas! You were screwed. It's a lesson that will serve you well from now on. Always ask for the Out the Door price. This is the total price you have to pay before you take the item Out the Door. The sad thing is that you could have bought a Rancher or something for the same price. The good thing is that the Recon is a good quad. What year is the Recon and what was the total cost of it? This is the same type of scam that occurs with car sales. (One example with cars: Extra sticker on window for cost like cleaning the auto. Truth: The manufacturer pays the dealership a certain amount to prepare the car. Certain dealers want to be paid twice.) You should not have had to buy an extended warranty because you were getting a loan. (They lied.) The extended warranty might come in handy. I had my Recon for about 2.5 years and never had to have anything done. The thing is, you should have rejected the purchase once you did see the extra charges. If they did make you purchase an extended warranty and you don't want it. Contact Honda with your concern. There is a phone number in your Owners Manual. We had to sign a notice from Honda. The notice stated that the buyer has been orally notified , as well as in writing, that the purchase of specific items related to acquiring the vehicle is voluntary and is not required as a condition of the contract. Including warranties. Did you sign one of these papers? I would contact Honda about this dealership. Next time you will know better. Have fun with your Recon.

 

I will only discuss OTD prices with salesmen. I dont really care how they balance their books,,,,Im just concerned with the bottom line.

 

Coyotechaser- I had the feeling that I had been screwed, but I didn't know for sure, thats why I posted this. The price he charged for the vehicle alone was $3,399 + tax. Its a 2004. Then he stacked all his extras ($600.00) on top of that, then $800.00 for the extended warranty. I am going to try to cancel the extended warranty, I normally would never have bought it anyway. No papers like the one you described were signed. I will give Honda a call first thing Monday. Maby I'll have to get in touch with the better business bureau too. I really don't like being lied to. Love the Recon though.

 

The only thing I'm concerned about is- I wonder if the notice is required by a state law or by Honda. Certain dealers do add their extra shipping and set up fees. It is important for the buyer to reject the price with the add-ons included. If they were telling you that you had to purchase an extended warranty then that's wrong. --Unless an ATV is a new "special" model (like the new 450R). Never pay more than the retail price as an Out the Door price. This case it would be $3499. So you paid $3399. + tax = 203.94 tax ( I used my state tax rate of 6% to get an idea how much you paid.) = 3602.94 + 600. extras = 4202.94 + 800. extended warranty = $5002.94 total. Is this close? Consider that the 2004 ES retail price has been reduced to regular 2003 Recon (non ES) price of $3499. I bought a 2001 (non ES) Recon new back in 2001 for $3300.00 Out the Door including a hitch. I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I just want you to understand that you can get better prices. Just remember that you are mad at the dealership and not really Honda itself.

 

Yes your right on the price, it all came out to about $5000. I know better now and would never let that happen to me again. At least if I cancel that extended warranty it will make me feel a little better about it, that will cut $800.00 off my screwed amount. Im not mad at Honda its not their fault, I just think that sale guy was a real butthole.

 

Even though I agree it's not Honda's fault, I say manufacturers should be more accountable for the actions of their dealers. They have more leverage than we lowly consumers.