Is Honda’s Extended Warranty Worth Your Money?

Take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the Honda Extended Warranty program

byThe Drive Staff|
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Extended warranties, or vehicle service contracts, basically extend the life of your vehicle's manufacturer's warranty, but with some caveats. Honda's extended warranty coverage, Honda Care, is the go-to option for many Honda owners as they near the end of their original bumper-to-bumper warranty.

The service contract is geared towards owners who either want to avoid costly repairs or reduce expenses in terms of routine automotive maintenance. Below you'll find the Commerce Team's detailed review of Honda Care, helping you make an informed choice.

Honda Warranty at a Glance

8

Years

or 120,000 miles

Coverage

3

Years

or 36,000 miles

Max Age/Miles

<br>

Years

<br>

<br>

<br>

Years

<br>

<br>

Pros

  • 24-hour roadside assistance and towing services
  • Extensive component coverage for Honda parts
  • Coverage for hybrid batteries

cons

  • Lack of coverage on some non-Honda and non-original parts
  • Repairs can only be done at an authorized dealership
  • Limited DIY maintenance and repairs allowed
  • Low max age and mileage limits

Uproar.car —  Around-the-Clock Coverage for Your Car

Uproar.car will cover your car for less, protecting you against expensive repairs from bumper to bumper. With a focus on customer care and no middleman to complicate repairs and claims, you’ll get easy coverage you can actually use. The plan even pays for itself. Uproar.car’s warranty coverage gives you exclusive access to discounts, auto concierge service, and a 100 percent online claims process. With clear, upfront price quotes, you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to the cost. This coverage does not extend to some luxury vehicles, cars with more than 120,000 miles, and cars more than 10 years old.

EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE MORE … FOR LESS

Save $350 on an Endurance warranty plan with coupon code: DRIVE350

Save $350 on an Endurance warranty plan with coupon code: DRIVE350

Going with a factory extended warranty is a good option for basic protection, but you can get more and save more with Endurance, ranked the top extended warranty provider by Consumer Advocates, Consumer Affairs, and Retirement Living.

Get a Free Quote

Save $350 with coupon code: DRIVE350

Nationwide coverage for cars new and old

Nationwide coverage for cars new and old

CARCHEX has something for everyone. Have an old car? No problem. Live in California? Not an issue. CARCHEX 's plethora of warranty plans includes options for cars up to twenty years old with up to 250,000 miles, regardless of any existing or expired warranties. Click below or call 1-877-207-3304 for a free quote.

Honda's Warranty Explained

The Honda warranty is meant to be a step above the company’s bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties, offering more services and better coverage. In most cases, this extra service covers a lot of routine maintenance, reducing the cost of replacements and repairs if you follow the manufacturer’s or individual dealership’s recommended maintenance schedule. 

The extended service contract can be added on at any time before a Honda vehicle hits the three-year or 36,000-mile mark, when the bumper-to-bumper warranty expires. In theory, the benefits of adding the extended warranty on a brand-new vehicle are relatively minimal, so to get the best value from it, drivers should add it just before the original bumper-to-bumper warranty expires. 

As a result, most people opt to wait to add the Honda Care coverage to their vehicle. Here are the main vehicle protection plans: new vehicle coverage, pre-owned vehicle coverage, certified additional coverage, and powertrain coverage for pre-owned vehicles. 

The plan has an extensive set of component coverages that reduce or eliminate costs on Honda original-part repairs and replacements. While the coverage isn’t as comprehensive as bumper to bumper, it’s pretty extensive, especially in terms of the vehicle's crucial components when compared to the original factory warranty and other manufacturer’s warranty offerings. 

For all of the coverage plans, component coverage includes parts such as the electronics (computers and electrical systems), chassis (suspension, steering, brakes), heating/air conditioning, and upgrade parts (audio, navigation, security). Some plans under Honda Care also cover routine oil changes. Once again, all work must be completed at an authorized dealership.

For pre-owned vehicles, Honda Care also includes a powertrain option that offers better coverage to the engine, drive axles, and transmission. This coverage, in particular, is useful for covering minor things that need to be replaced more frequently, such as seals, gaskets, and fluids.

Additional Perks

In addition to routine or emergency services, Honda Care has some extra perks that mimic the offerings of third-party extended warranties. For example, the coverage’s roadside assistance includes the Concierge Service, which is available 24/7 and deals with issues that arise while you're on the road. This service provides assistance with the following: emergency airline-ticket assistance, cash advances, insurance claims, and more.

If you need repairs while you're on a trip away from home, Honda Care will provide some coverage for meals and lodging ($100 maximum per day). This service, however, has some limitations. The trip must be 100 miles or more from home. Also, the repairs can only be due to a mechanical breakdown instead of an accident or common roadside issues.

Should the Honda car require lengthy repairs, the warranty provides a rental-car reimbursement of up to $35 per day. The total length of the reimbursement period can last no longer than six days at a time.

What We Like

The overall appeal of an extended warranty such as Honda Care comes from the combination of more component coverage and the extra perks you get for roadside assistance and travel emergencies. The maintenance and repair coverage is on par with most other extended warranty providers. The quality of the service will heavily depend on the quality of the servicing at your chosen dealership.

The Roadside Assistance Service includes perks such as towing, lock-out assistance, jump-starts, tire changes, and fuel delivery. Most repair costs are taken care of by Honda, taking the financial strain off you. Roadside assistance combined with the Concierge Emergency Service is the winning combination. 

On the surface, the Concierge Emergency Service doesn’t seem to offer anything that you couldn't do yourself by using the internet. But getting a human voice on the other end is where the service shines. Getting an emergency cash advance, purchasing an airline ticket, and using personal-item replacement services can be a lot easier with the assistance of someone else.

What We Don’t Like

The major drawbacks of Honda Care, as with many other manufacturer-specific extended warranties, are the Honda-centric requirements the warranty enforces. Honda likes to keep auto parts and repair in the family. As a result, you are somewhat limited in terms of what you can add to your vehicle, how you maintain it, and where you take it when it needs to be repaired.

The warranty only covers Honda parts, so any non-Honda parts you add yourself, especially upgrade and performance parts, won't be covered. You can run into this issue easier than you think, as local garages sometimes use non-manufacturer parts, which will be won't be covered by Honda Care.

The real main drawbacks, however, are the limitations Honda has put on qualifying vehicles and where you can service them. The three-year, 36,000-mile limit means you are forced to overlap coverage with the original manufacturer warranty. If you purchase an older Honda vehicle that no longer has its bumper-to-bumper car warranty, your options become more limited. 

The requirement of Honda-authorized dealerships also means you might not be able to use your favorite local garage to carry out any necessary work. 

Common Repair Costs

Some of the most common issues and repair costs with Honda vehicles:

  • Honda Odyssey: Head gasket replacement ($1,348-$1,606)
  • Honda Pilot: Stabilizer bar link kit replacement ($91-$106)
  • Honda Prelude: Wheel alignment ($88-$11)
  • Honda Accord: Crosstour wheel hub replacement ($430-$505)
  • Honda Crosstour: Intake manifold gasket replacement ($244-$277)
  • Honda HR-V: Door lock actuator replacement ($147-$166)

FAQs

You've got questions. The Drive has answers.

Q. What does the Honda extended warranty cover?

A. Honda’s warranty is exclusionary coverage, meaning nearly everything is covered with a few exceptions. Most of the exceptions relate to non-Honda parts.

Q. Are there alternatives to Honda Care?

A. Yes, you can purchase an extended warranty from a third-party provider, such as Endurance. All providers have different options, so it helps to shop around.

Q. Can I buy an extended warranty after I purchase a car?

A. Yes, nearly all extended warranties can be bought after the original purchase date of the vehicle.

Q. Is the Honda Care worth it?

A: Whether Honda Care is worth it depends on the type of vehicle owner you are and how far you travel each year. If you're into automotive DIY or don't tend to wrack up many miles, then you probably won't get much out of the service. On the other hand, if you spend more time on the road than an average driver, get work done exclusively at Honda-recognized dealerships and garages, and are concerned about footing a hefty repair bill, then you could benefit from Honda Care.

More Information

Here are a few more resources you can use to find out about Honda warranties and cars:

Uproar.car —  Around-the-Clock Coverage for Your Car

Uproar.car will cover your car for less, protecting you against expensive repairs from bumper to bumper. With a focus on customer care and no middleman to complicate repairs and claims, you’ll get easy coverage you can actually use. The plan even pays for itself. Uproar.car’s warranty coverage gives you exclusive access to discounts, auto concierge service, and a 100 percent online claims process. With clear, upfront price quotes, you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to the cost. This coverage does not extend to some luxury vehicles, cars with more than 120,000 miles, and cars more than 10 years old.

EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE MORE … FOR LESS

Save $350 on an Endurance warranty plan with coupon code: DRIVE350

Save $350 on an Endurance warranty plan with coupon code: DRIVE350

Going with a factory extended warranty is a good option for basic protection, but you can get more and save more with Endurance, ranked the top extended warranty provider by Consumer Advocates, Consumer Affairs, and Retirement Living.

Get a Free Quote

Save $350 with coupon code: DRIVE350

Nationwide coverage for cars new and old

Nationwide coverage for cars new and old

CARCHEX has something for everyone. Have an old car? No problem. Live in California? Not an issue. CARCHEX 's plethora of warranty plans includes options for cars up to twenty years old with up to 250,000 miles, regardless of any existing or expired warranties. Click below or call 1-877-207-3304 for a free quote.

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