Honda Talon Hood - Carbon Fiber

I purchased a carbon fiber Honda Talon hood from Pivotal Motorsports along with the factory OEM Honda hood latches they offer. The positives first: the build quality of the hood is excellent. The carbon fiber looks amazing, and the fitment along the factory body lines is spot on. The hood completely transformed the look of my Talon, and it’s obvious that a lot of craftsmanship went into the product itself. Customer service was also very responsive whenever I had questions. They answered emails quickly and were easy to get ahold of. The reason for my 3-star rating is the issue I ran into with the OEM Honda hood latches. The latch openings molded into the hood did not match the factory latches that were supplied by Pivotal Motorsports. The latches would not fit without modifying the hood. I specifically purchased the OEM latches from them and expected a direct bolt-on installation. There was no indication in the product description that trimming, grinding, or other fit-and-finish work might be required. If I had known that beforehand, my expectations would have been different. When I contacted Pivotal Motorsports about the issue, I was told that some fit-and-finish work may be required because not every inlay is exactly the same. While I understand there can be manufacturing variations with handmade parts, I don’t feel I should have to modify a brand-new carbon fiber hood to make factory latches purchased from the same company fit properly. I was also concerned that any modification on my end could potentially affect warranty coverage. What disappointed me most was the resolution. The response I received was essentially instructions on how I could modify the hood myself, along with a comment that they would remind the shop to pay closer attention to the latch openings in the future. No attempt was made to repair, replace, or otherwise make the situation right. If not for that experience, I would have no problem recommending Pivotal Motorsports. The hood itself looks fantastic. Unfortunately, because of the fitment issue and how it was handled afterward, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend them, and I would encourage potential buyers to consider other options before making a purchase.

Looks great. High quality