Zimbrick Honda Service Center

In the spring of 2010, I inquired of my service rep if I could directly plug an iPod directly into my car's audio system. He didn't know but indicated he did not think so -- this was in spite of MP3 being could directly plug an iPod directly into my car's audio system. He didn't know but indicated he did not think so -- this was in spite of MP3 being written on the face plate of the audio system. He agreed to check further. He did call me back once but I was unavailable. I called him back twice but he was never at his desk and he never called back. About 4 months later I had the car in for regular servicing. I again asked if I could directly plug in an iPod. He again said he didn't know, thought I could not and, if it was possible, would require drilling through all kinds of things to jerry-rig a connection. He again agreed to contact Honda. This time he did and told me that there is a built-in connection, just well hidden in the console storage box. It had to take repeated requests and 4 months to learn this? Also -- a complaint about Honda, Inc. When my car was in for servicing, it was determined that the back brakes were prematurely failing and these brakes were a subject of a recent recall. They replaced the brakes and I was billed for the cost. When I asked I was told that I had to pay up front and then petition Honda Inc for reimbursement -- no promise that I'd be reimbursed. I wasn't told that before the repair was made. So Honda does not trust its dealers to make the call if the parts are defective and covered by the recall? I have owned cars from 4 other car companies and I've never been required to pay up-front for a recall repair. And this is for a car that is 14 months old. Because of these two incidents, one local and one corporate, my initially sterling impression of Honda has been significantly tarnished. More