All the real information of these kind of contracts lie in the fine print. Weasel words, mandatory arbitration, what happens if you are late on one service, etc.
If you think arguing with a dealer is hard, just wait until you are trying to get him to pay for it.
I personally stay away from these, because they serve as a strait-jacket. What will you do when the service dept wants to upsell?
It is easy money for the dealer, the manufacture pays the dealer for each prepaid maintenance claim. I perform prepaid maintenance services several times a week and I have never heard of someone using the fine print in the contract to chase away a customer.
You answer yes or no. I find that a great number of the prepaid maintenance customers decline brake and tire replacements.
Itâs a win-win if something doesnât happen to the car (like an accident that totals the car). Then youâre out that up front maintenance money.
I get offered the up-front maintenance agreements on everything from cars to House heating systemsâŠI wonât do it.
I donât know if the Honda Express I found on the web is the same as this one . But the things that it did not cover or the legal jargon that said why something would not be covered made me think that I would not buy it. I also did not see where it would put new tires on the vehicle . It did seem to say that it was transferable for a fee and could be used at any dealer .
@familystover_171385 Before you make a decision ask to see the contract and read it very carefully . If they will not do that then I really would pass.
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Yeah, I do agree with this. Itâs a gamble, much like almost every financial decision in life. Statistically, unless youâre a particularly idiotic driver, the odds are in your favor that you wonât wreck the car before the maintenance period ends, but you certainly could have a bad day and beat those odds.
Thanks for all of the feedback! I went ahead and called the Honda dealership to get more specifics and as many of you noted there was a shift in what was and was NOT included. The finance dept was selling this to us at the end of the sale and as I suspected it was shifty and not up front. Sad that they feel they have to swindle customers at the end of a sale. Thank you for all of your advice, thoughts and opinions. We will pass on this Honda Care option (which does NOT include new tires, alignment, wipers, balancingâŠetc)
Closing is where new car dealers make most of their profit on the sale of a car. The pressure they bring on to sell things like this, right before the buyer thinks theyâre getting the keys, can be extreme. I warned a friend about this as they were about to close on an CR-V, they said âno, the dealer has been GREATâ. That was before closing. They said âI couldnât believe how much pressure they put on meâ after the closing.
Yes the likelihood of totaling your car is on the low side.
The more people that buy the up-front maintenance agreements the better for the dealer.
The part of the equation not in play is comparing the maintenance costs to a good independent. Around here that could be significant since dealer rates are significantly higher. Financially youâre better off NOT buying one.
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The Honda care maintenance plan covers the scheduled maintenance listed in the maintenance guide, not wiper blades, brakes, light bulbs ect. The tire insurance is a separate plan and worn out tires are not covered.
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I bought a used car back in May.
Before setting foot in the dealership, we agreed on a price, and I clearly stated that I didnât want any add ons, such as extended warranty, gap insurance, etc. Everything went smoothly until we got to the finance guyâs office.
After some pleasantries, he tried to sell me on an extended warranty. Of course, he never said how much extra the warranty was in totalâŠbut he did tell me how much my monthly payment would be with the warranty. He also tried to dazzle me by offering a lower monthly payment with the warranty, of course by extending the finance time period. Iâm a numbers guy, and I tried briefly to think through the firehose of numbers he was throwing at me. But in the end, I stuck to a simple âno, I want the original dealâ several times and made it through.
The finance guy can be relentless, though. My daughter was in the room with me (it was her car), and she marveled at how I just stuck to my guns the whole time. So for that alone, setting that example for her, the experience was worth it.
Again true, but if theyâre really gonna buy OP a new set of tires then I stand by my supposition that itâs probably worth it. I spend around a grand on 4 tires. Throw in 6 oil changes and tire rotations and, youâre getting pretty close to $1500 if not over it, even if you get your work done at an independent.
That said, OP still needs to get in writing exactly what theyâre entitled to. Especially since new Hondas use a maintenance minder and do not have set mileage service intervals, which means if they are promising 5/10/15k etc intervals, OP needs to know exactly what each of those services will be.
These days they say all these electronic doo-dads might flake out on you as a way to scare you into buying the extended warranty. I got that on my 2017 Accord and 2019 Odyssey, and my daughter got the spiel on her 2020 CRV. We didnât go for it.
Yup!
And, that even applies to home appliances. When I bought a new kitchen range in 2008, the salesman claimed that the electronic control panel could short-out from exposure to moisture from boiling water, and that I would be foolish if I didnât buy the extended warranty. I said⊠no⊠and 12 years later, the range is operating just fine, thank you.
With cars the technophobia from which a lot of people seem to suffer likely causes them to buy an extended warranty. I am not one of those technophobes, and I have NEVER had any of the electronic do-dads on any of my cars break down.
I bought extended warranty on our washer and dryer. 8 years I think for $85 each, Had a bud 3 years old brains went out on the washer, $300 for the new brains plus installation. Another bud, water dripped onto the brains of their 5 year old furnace, $800 for the brains plus installation. I was never into the extra warranty, but have changed my tune.
Barkydog
Note that this was not an extended warranty, it was prepaid maintenance.
As far as warranties go, my general rule is that I only buy insurance when I know I could not afford the loss. So, I have liability on my car, a high deductible on my house and health insurance. The law of averages says that I save the insurance companies profit. Still, the telemarketers are calling me trying to get me to buy an extended warranty on my 2007 Mazda.
I believe the telemarketers are spam as far as my thought of even listening.
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My brother had a funny response to a salesguy hard selling warranties. You donât want the extended warranty??? I guess I have more confidence in your products than you doâŠthat shut him up, he had no comeback for that.
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