My bed is ugly! Help!

[Hazcat]

Yes, it is a pick-up truck. Yes it is made to haul things. Yes, scratches and dings happen. But, this thing is way too delicate!

I have gouges from stuff that shouldn't have been a big deal. I confess, I could have been more careful with the handtrucks on the worst gouge on the side, but I would not expect a deep one like that unless I was bearing down hard on a sharp object of some sort. Geez!

I was hauling tree branches around the yard yesterday. More scratches. Come on now!

I did call American Honda and lodge a complaint. After I explained that the part of the salesman's pitch was, "We had 800 pounds of gravel in the bed and it still looks new," they became quite sympathetic and gave me a case number. I told them that this is quite an issue on the discussion boards, and they encourage us to call and record complaints. They said that having everyone call AHMC was the best way to encourage Honda to do something about the problem.

[Ridgeline2006]

Post the number -- I'm sure lots of us would call.

My salesman told me that the bed was 'virtually indestructible.' Boy was I surprised when I got scratches, like you said, from things that you wouldn't expect to make scratches. Mine's not too scratched up, but I haven't done that much hauling of things that might scratch.

[Cool Cat]

Once you get a few hundred (or thousand) scratches you don't notice them as much. The problem is that when its brand new it looks so nice. :D

I'm sure this happens with every pickup, though most others are just painted sheet metal. Maybe Honda's solution will be to give away one of the new bed touch up paint things?

[Hazcat]

Yes, if I want help complaining, I should post the number, huh? :oops:

American Honda Motor Company 1 800 999 1009.

Quote: › docWrite("quote")I'm sure this happens with every pickup, though most others are just painted sheet metal.
It's only going to be a few months before this bed looks like the one in my 1986 Toyota pickup I just sold, and that one really had a hard life.

I expect some dings and scratches, but I'm miffed because of the way this plastic bed was sold to me. I was assured that it would hold up as well. I know it's silly to think it would hold up as well as steel, but this thing is not nearly as wonderful as promised.

Honda's picture of gravel in the composite bed. (Fourth row, center picture)

[Cool Cat]

Hazcat wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
It's only going to be a few months before this bed looks like the one in my 1986 Toyota pickup I just sold, and that one really had a hard life.

I expect some dings and scratches, but I'm miffed because of the way this plastic bed was sold to me. I was assured that it would hold up as well. I know it's silly to think it would hold up as well as steel, but this thing is not nearly as wonderful as promised.

Hmm, I don't think you understood what I was saying. Let me rephrase:

All trucks get scratches in the bed when it is used. After a while, the scratches accumulate and none of them stick out anymore like the first few do when the truck is new. This happens with all trucks. Fortunately, our Ridgeline's bed is composite and will not rust, the scratches are merely cosmetic. Other beds are made of sheet metal, which will not only rust when the paint is scratched off, but it will also dent. Our bed is far superior to those metal beds and over time will hold up much, much better. It is as silly to think that that this bed is as weak as a steel one as it is to think that a steel bed isn't as prone to scratching.

[Cool Cat]

Hazcat wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")Honda's picture of gravel in the composite bed. (Fourth row, center picture)

I'm posting this picture below. If you'll look at it, the bed beneath the rocks does not look new. It is dirty, dusty, and it has scratches all over it. Many of which look worse than any scratch I've got so far, but I've never loaded those kinds of rocks into my bed either.

[RTL44]

Cool Cat wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
Hazcat wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")Honda's picture of gravel in the composite bed. (Fourth row, center picture)

I'm posting this picture below. If you'll look at it, the bed beneath the rocks does not look new. It is dirty, dusty, and it has scratches all over it. Many of which look worse than any scratch I've got so far, but I've never loaded those kinds of rocks into my bed either.


Good point, but Honda also claims that the bed is scratch resistant, which I think we all would agree is far from the truth.

[drewb31]

I bought a J-Mark rubber mat from Farm & Fleet and it protects the bottom of the bed from getting scratches. At first I notced them constantly, but after a while I stopped looking because it's a truck bed and it's going to get scratched anytime something is put in it unless you are really that careful. I'm not one of them.

[Ridgeline2006]

I know it's been said before, but I just need to say that the only problem is, as stated above, the way the truck is touted when it's sold -- that's all, not that anyone would expect it to remain completely scratch-free, that's not the gripe.

I agree with the statement about the first few are the worst. I hardly notice the scratches any more but when they were new scratches they kinda pissed me off.

I'm okay with the way the bed is, but I'll probably still call and complain because of the way it was sold to me. Also, it's not the salesperson's fault, it's honda telling them what to say about the bed, right?

[Hazcat]

I think you made my point better than I did, R2006.

Of course I didn't expect plastic to remain pristine. I wouldn't expect metal to. However, the durability is quite exaggerated by the salesmen, the Honda website, and the sales brochure I have. I don't think I was unreasonable to expect the composite bed to endure tree branches without damage. I would expect the hand trucks to scratch, but that is a very deep scratch.

A bedmat is an obviously prudent item, but my worst damage so far is on the sides of the bed.

And thanks for posting the picture, Coolcat.

[Rodek]

Hazcat,

I understand your complaint. I am however sure Honda didn't design the truck to have a pretty bed. They designed it to work. After a hard days work outside, do you look clean and shiny?

I bought my truck partly because of the damage resistant bed. I have only owned it a week now and have not hauled anything and will probably be upset when I discover how non damage resistant it is. Maybe Honda should advertise the bed differently or explain to customers that they will see scratches, nincks and the like when they actually use their beds for work.

[Waterbug]

Hazcat;
Love the penguin. That's just enough info to scare EVERYONE into getting a firewall. :) However, he did get my birthday wrong.

[Ridgeline2006]

Mine gets a little more beat up every time I haul something in it -- like the other day when I hauled a used washer and dryer set. There are a couple new scratches, but no gouges or anything that bothers me. My Ridgeline sits outside all the time, it rarely gets washed and waxed, so what the heck, let the bed look like a truck bed!