When the Dealership Changes the Deal 3 weeks after delivery : My Experience with the Honda Prologue

Ask the Hackrs
, , ,
1

CA Bayarea #Nocal honda #prologue

On March 10th, I finalized my lease for a Honda Prologue. The terms were set, the paperwork was signed, and I opted for the 15K mile lease with additional Wear & Tear coverage. Fast forward to today, Sunday the 29th. The finance team called with a confusing explanation about a ‘change in MSRP.’

They gave me two choices:

  1. Pay $40–$50 more every month.

  2. Remove my Wear & Tear coverage to keep the $330 payment.

  3. Return the vehicle.

The car had 25 miles when I bought it; it now has 500. It feels like a classic ‘spot delivery’ tactic where the dealer tries to re-negotiate after you’ve already moved in. I’m looking into my rights—because a signed contract should mean something.

Screenshot 2026-03-29 160212
Screenshot 2026-03-29 160212630×369 38.6 KB

2

I think they can unwind the deal if it doesn’t get funded. Other posters here will know more than I do on that point.

I would opt for option C, return the car and get all your down payment and payments back.

I don’t think they intentionally did anything shady because why would they risk you returning a car that now has 500 miles on it? It’s not a great situation for them if you return it. It indicates more a lack of competence on their part, and I would avoid doing another deal with them just for that reason.

2 Likes
3

What does your contract say about if the deal doesn’t fund?

5 Likes
4

Can you get the same car for $280 now from another dealer? If so return it. If the current best deal you can get is $330 keep it. Whatever you decide to go with don’t keep driving the car without a new signed contract.

1 Like
5

There’s no deal to unwind if it never got funded.

4 Likes
6

Mistakes happens, and this sounds like a case of if. Bait/switch typically happens way before signing, not after.

How much was wear & tear? since it’s their mistake, you can try to have them accept their mistake (loss), or meet in the middle. If you guys can’t come to an agreement, then tell them to come pick it up. :man_shrugging:t2:

Look in your paperwork for terms as to when the deal is funded/not funded. That should clarify your current position. Good luck.

2 Likes
7

Agreed with the others that what almost certainly happened here is the F&I guy screwed up your paperwork and the bank bounced the deal back, rather than anything malicious. On my last lease, they accidentally left the excess per-mile charge at $0.00 and I could have sworn that that deal wouldn’t fund but it did.

If you like the car and want to keep it, tell them to cut you a check for that $50*36 (Or make it an even $2k for your trouble), or else you’ll return it. You have someeee leverage here since they don’t want your car back; returning it doesn’t erase the fact that it’s been registered (assuming it has been) which means that if you return it, they will need to sell it as a used car.

If you have an ounce of doubt about keeping the car (missing an option you really wanted, color not perfect) just give it back.

3 Likes
8

If you decide to keep the car, cancel this after you sign the new lease documents.

The money will get credited back to your lease account, and will cover future lease payments.

Normal wear and tear isn’t chargeable at lease-end, and you have auto insurance if anything significant happens to the car.

5 Likes
9

its 430$ effective. don know weather best deal / not. but felt ok to have 15k miles+wear n tear

10

There is no danger of not being this found looking at cap cost and residual.

I do not know your CA fees, but they gave you a heavy discount and very heavy mark up on MF.

Not sure if HFS can agree to such a heavy mark up. Probably this is an issue.

But even with the base MF the discount is just about 11%. Nothing spectacular.

1 Like
11

Thank you, Chat.

2 Likes
12

Based on what you have seen in the market, what would you consider an aggressive dealer discount on these 2025 models?

1 Like
13

13% off before incentives.

Remember that each state has different rules regarding doc or dealer fee, which will affect effective monthly payment. For example NY has $175 cap where in FL doc fee can be even $1500.

1 Like
14

The dealer is not extending you credit. The dealer is letting you take the car on the assumption that the lender will find the terms of your loan acceptable and will fund it. There is language in the contract you signed clearly stating this. In the event the lender will not fund the deal you can A) re-sign at the new terms offered B) find a different lender that will meet the original terms C) pay cash for the vehicle D) return the vehicle. Unless you can prove the dealership willfully conspired to trick you (you can’t), those are all of your options.

2 Likes
15

Thanks, Make sense D would be my option.

1 Like
16

A broker here had a deal from Florida that showed a $1798 doc fee. Crazy!

17

Also mostlikly tomorrow is the last day of subsidized lease program for 2025 units.

I would negotiate with them if you like the car.

1 Like
18

This is very strange that no

pre-approvals were done before signing

I am kind of surprised the F&I did not do that but it should not be your issue with paying extra for the protection. I got my for 285 plus 20 a month for full protection so nothing down 305 for 36 months 36,000 miles. period.. I would look around to see if you can get a similar deal nearby

if you can bring it back and move on.

19

He can absolutely bring it back (technically he HAS to bring it back).

1 Like
20

He only has to bring the car back if there is a specific language in the contract he signed with them. This is easy to check - whatever they printed out and gave him, constitutes the whole contract.

Whatever else they told him then, or are telling him now, is not a part of the contract, and he can ignore that. The US Uniform Commercial Code is very specific about this.

Such “provisionary“ terms are rare for a lease. More likely, they have a “seller remorse” now, what with the stupendous rise in gas prices because of the war in Iran, and correspondingly much higher demand for electric cars.

If they don’t have a valid contract claim, but nevertheless become too relentless and annoying, he may hire an attorney for couple hours, to draft a letter informing them that in case they pursue this any further, he will hit them with a lawsuit demanding compensation for his lost time, inconvenience, and price gap.

Seriously, buying or leasing a car sometimes requires a significant time. For my past lease, I negotiated with no less than 18 dealers - it did take a lot of time and effort.

Then there is inconvenience and expenses related to not having a car for a while, if he is unlawfully compelled to return it right away. It could be for instance rentals cost, Uber expenses and so on.

And, last but not least, if he now has to find a lease of a same or similar car again, and it turns out to be more expensive, this would create a “price gap”, which is a direct financial harm to him.

So, once again, if what they are asking him to do is not in the contract, he doesn’t owe them anything in this regard.