Schaller Honda — Local services in New Britain

If you need a service, do not come here. I brought my car in on Tuesday at 1:30 PM for a diagnostic and brakes to get done, not only did I have to call them repeatedly about information on my car. I didn’t receive any update about it until the next day at 12 pm to be told I need all new tires (which was later proven false by town fair tire) but that they didn’t even do my brakes! After having to repeatedly call that morning for information, basically chasing down our sales representative Kevin who couldn’t even tell me what coupons they had going on for them regarding tires or alignment and had to look at it on his phone. Tried to tell me I need all new tires, didn’t even look if anything was under our warranty and sent a text to my husbands number (which I gave them my number as a point of contact due to my husband working) that we didn’t even get to see. Then after watching the video they gave us and looking over the safety inspection check list contained in the message did not line up! If I’m reporting shaking in the back left tire when driven, why are the axels not getting examined?? And why does it say the left back tire not even examined but the back right is given a 1/32 on depth?? When questioned on this they claim that it’s a standard safety inspection they all do, Okay if that’s the case then WHERE IS THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK LIST and why isn’t a safety check completed correctly. Why is it taking 24 hours to be told it’s my tires only to then see the technicians video where the technician claims it’s my back left tire. Where the sales representative was saying it’s all of them!? For reference I called, after dropping my car off at 1:30, around 5pm to be told my car isn’t ready. Then at 5:08 my husband conveniently gets the text (that again he shouldn’t be getting since I gave them my number on the contract that they so nicely pointed out for diagnostic testing) we of course missed the text and the text didn’t even contain if the car was finished. Leaving me to call 4 times the next morning??? They tried to claim that the technician needs to drive it around to make sure what he is saying is accurate. That’s fine, I’d want them to be sure; but why send the video of the technician saying what is wrong with my car along with the safety inspection at 5:08 pm almost four hours of it being there if you weren’t sure if that was the problem??? Better yet I had an appointment made at 1:30, not like I just brought it in. The manager told me it’s just a place holder it doesn’t mean I get my car looked at immediately, WHATS THE POINT OF MAKING AN APPOINTMENT THEN, why not put that on the website? When I expressed my husbands frustration with the situation, now 5 pm the next day and nothing is done with my car is what it sounds like, I am greeted with rude behavior from Kevin the sales representative and rude behavior and comments from the manager!! horrible customer service from Kevin and the manger we ended up leaving with...

I purchased a brand new 2025 Honda exl - 3 months later vents were making a noise and it ended up that there was a mouse nest in my cabin filter. Dealership said it would be fixed for around $650. They had to replace the cabin filter and spray the car with a chemical cleaner to disinfect it because of the mouse droppings. I had a reaction to the spray that they put into my vehicle couldn’t use my heater during the middle of winter because the blower would blow the smell. I had to put my hands on my seat to warm them up. Mind you I had to drive with my windows halfway down to be able to breathe. They took the car back couple days later and they ran an ozone machine through the vehicle. The vehicle still had an odor in it, and it was affecting my respiratory system. I had numerous doctors appointments and the doctor had recommended that I need to get out of my vehicle that I had for 3 1/2 months because it was affecting my health due to the spray that was in my car. So now at 3 1/2 months of having a new vehicle, I had to trade it in and buy another new vehicle because of the smell was affecting my health. There wasn’t one person at Schaller Honda that apologized and they treated it as a trade-in and it cost me a lot of money. The man that worked on my vehicle in the service department was very nice, but the manager there Chris didn’t want to have anything to do with making good on the service that they provided to me after I had to purchase another brand new vehicle, they would not give me back a refund for the $650 that they charged to spray my vehicle with this chemical cleaner and put in a $10 cabin filter When it affected my health. I know they’re in the business to make money, but whatever happened to doing the right thing. The sales person that sold me the car the first time whose name is Lori worked with me again the second time and had the nerve to say to me you’re lucky you’re buying the car now before the tariffs hit. Don’t you think that there could’ve been a little bit more compassion I was very sick the day that I had to trade in the vehicle I will never recommend this company to anyone after what I experienced with them the past two months.

In reply to your response - I did try to speak to the general manager along with Art Schaller and neither one wanted to assist in doing the right thing . How do I know the mouse nest didn’t come with the purchase of the vehicle? Also the cleaner chemical spray affected me being unable to drive a 2025 car that I loved and had for 3.5 months but had to trade it in for another 2025 vehicle for a huge cost to me . The whole scenario was handled in poor taste. Your website says contact me or Schaller if you have a problem but he really doesn’t want to hear your problem. There is no compassion for the guest at this dealership . If he wanted to make it right, he would’ve reached out to me like he said he was going to when he returned from Florida....

I do NOT trust this service center even a little bit. Real scammy interaction that doesn’t match our other quotes and magically falls outside of our extended warranty for AC parts.

Red flag #1: The mechanic sent us a video walking all around the car talking about all the things wrong with it and “black fluid” leaking out of the AC system. The car was already entirely put back together when they sent this video, it’s just the mechanic walking around the car pointing and talking so we can’t see any of the alleged issue with the car.

Red flag #2: The condenser which is explicitly under warranty we’re told is fine and “shows no sign of leaking” but instead the issue is the compressor which will require an entire system overhaul and cost $8,000. Again there is no video or pictures of this, just a guy talking and showing us a video of the outside of our car.

Red flag #3: When I ask to see any video of evidence of this alleged “black fluid” leaking out of the AC system (from the compressor per the guy I spoke with, not the condenser which is under warranty) I’m told the vehicle has already been put back together and the tech who worked on it is “unavailable”. They’ve got no tangible evidence of their alleged diagnosis, just a video walking around the car (already put back together) and of course taking it back apart again will cost $$$.

Red flag #4: When we picked up the car and the quote paperwork they refused to breakdown the quote regarding what specific parts our AC system would need nor the cost of parts versus labor. The quote just says “full AC system” yet the condenser (which should be under extended warranty) they allege was fine in their assessment and the entire system needs to be replaced instead.

SCAM ALERT FOLKS Trade secret: dealerships are paid pretty crappy for warranty work, so they’re highly incentivized to find ways to up charge you or deny the warranty all together. Warranties are usually paid as flat rate labor and the job sucks. It’s in the best interest of their pockets for you to pay out because the billed to customer cost for labor is much higher than what Honda reimburses for warranty work.

I speculate this is the case here, particularly since their diagnosis of the issue doesn’t match our quotes from other mechanics before we knew about the known AC problem with extended warranty. I’m skeptical they took the car apart at all since the only thing I’m able to see shows it put together and running with no evidence anything under the hood was modified. Would not trust these folks, their diagnostics, or their work at all.

And to add a dose of sexism, their mechanics will repeatedly refer to woman as “hun” while talking to them. Gross way to conduct business (and likely contributes to they think they can scam $8,000 out of people). Scammy interaction all around. Avoid....