Honda Care
Honda Care vehicle service contracts can cover virtually any component on the vehicle for up to 8 years/120,000 miles and come with extra perks.
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Key Points:
- Honda Care is available until the factory warranty expires at 3 years/36,000 miles or for used Hondas at the time of purchase.
- Our data shows Honda Care is one of the most affordable vehicle service contract options compared to other manufacturers.
- Honda Care covers up to 8 years/120,000 miles while third-party plans can offer longer coverage.
While Honda automobiles are known for reliability, it is always good to have an extra measure of protection in the form of an extended warranty that can take care of expensive car repairs. Honda Care® Vehicle Service Contracts provide coverage for car repairs, including labor and parts, when the factory warranty expires. It is sold exclusively by Honda dealers.
In this article, we’ll explain what’s covered by Honda Care as well as some alternatives for coverage. We also recommend comparing vehicle service contract quotes from several of the best extended car warranty companies when you shop for coverage.
An extended car warranty refers to mechanical breakdown coverage offered by a vehicle manufacturer. However, this term is often mistakenly used to describe coverage from third-party companies. Independent providers offer similar protection through vehicle service contracts, but we’ve used the terms interchangeably in this article for convenience.
Honda Care Overview
Honda Care Vehicle Service Contracts are administered by the American Honda Finance Corporation and are available for both new and used vehicles. For a new vehicle, a plan can be purchased any time before the Honda warranty expires at 3 years/36,000 miles and can provide exclusionary coverage for up to 8 years/120,000 miles.
If you buy a pre-owned vehicle with more than 3 years/36,000 miles and wish to have the Honda Care Pre-Owned Vehicle Coverage, you have to buy the plan from the dealer at the time of vehicle purchase.
Honda Care Vehicle Service Contracts are honored at Honda dealerships across the country. All repairs will be performed by Honda factory-trained technicians using new or remanufactured genuine Honda or American Honda parts.
If a Honda dealership is not available within towing distance, you may be able to perform the repairs at a licensed repair facility. However, you will have to obtain prior authorization from Honda Care to be eligible for coverage.
Honda Care Coverage Options
Honda Care offers two main coverage types: comprehensive (similar to a bumper-to-bumper warranty) and powertrain coverage. These coverage options apply in different situations depending on if the vehicle is new, used, or certified pre-owned. Here’s an overview of how the coverage options change depending on the vehicle:
| Vehicle Condition Coverage | Coverage Type |
|---|---|
| New Vehicle Coverage | Comprehensive |
| Pre-Owned Vehicle Coverage | Comprehensive |
| Certified Additional Coverage | Comprehensive |
| Certified Used Additional Coverage | Comprehensive |
| Certified Used Powertrain Coverage | Powertrain |
| Powertrain Coverage
(Pre-Owned Vehicles Only) | Powertrain |
Now let’s take a closer look at the difference between comprehensive and powertrain Honda Care:
| Coverage Type | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive | Engine, transmission, drive axles, computers, electronics, suspension, steering, brakes, climate control, audio, navigation, and accessories |
| Powertrain | Engine, transmission, drive axles, seals, gaskets, and fluids |
Honda Care Exclusions
The comprehensive Honda Care plan covers almost all components on your vehicle, but it doesn’t cover everything. Some example exclusions include:
- Aftermarket modifications
- Cosmetic items and glass
- Damage from misuse
- Damage from lack of maintenance
- Damage from the environment or an accident
- Regular maintenance
- Wearable parts like brake pads and filters
Honda Care Coverage Term Lengths
Honda Care can cover up to 8 years/120,000 miles, whichever comes first. The time and mileage are both counted from the in-service date of the vehicle, not when you purchase the warranty plan. Depending on your car’s current age, you might have many coverage lengths to choose from. For example, our team reached out for quotes from Curry Honda Care on a 2023 Honda Civic and were given the following options for term lengths:
| Years | Miles |
|---|---|
| 5 | 60k, 80k, 100k |
| 6 | 80k, 100k, 120k |
| 7 | 80k, 100k, 120k |
| 8 | 100k, 120k |
Having multiple mileage options for each year means you can customize coverage to your driving habits. For example, if you drive a lot, you can get a higher mileage limit but lower time limit.
Honda Care For Non-Honda Vehicles
Honda Care plans are not limited to only Honda vehicles. You can also buy a Honda Care plan for non-Honda vehicles bought from a Honda dealer. These plans are transferable and are administered by the Automobile Protection Corporation. Coverage options include New Vehicle Coverage, Pre-Owned Vehicle Coverage, and Powertrain Coverage (for pre-owned vehicles only).
Transfers And Cancellation
If you sell your vehicle, you can either cancel the Honda Care contract or transfer it to the buyer for the remainder of the contract term, as long as you meet certain conditions. The buyer should be a private party (no lenders or dealers), and the transfer should happen within 15 days of the date of sale. However, the transferee can’t transfer the same contract to the next buyer of the vehicle if they decide to sell it later.
If you cancel your Honda Care contract within 60 days and have not filed any claims, you will receive a full refund. If you cancel your contract after 60 days, and have filed a claim, your refund will be prorated and you may have to pay a fee.
Honda Care Benefits
Honda Care Vehicle Service Contracts come with the following additional benefits.
- 24/7 roadside assistance: This includes coverage for services such as flat tire change, battery jumpstart, lockout assistance, towing, and emergency fuel delivery.
- Rental car reimbursement: This provides up to $35 a day for a rental vehicle for a maximum of 6 days while your car is in the shop for a covered repair. The maximum reimbursement amount will depend on the time required to fix your car.
- Trip interruption benefits: This provides up to $100 per day for a maximum of 3 days for meals and lodging if a covered breakdown occurs 100 miles from home.
- Concierge services: This includes different services like emergency airline ticket assistance, message relay, and rental vehicle arrangements.
Other Honda Protection Products
Honda offers a variety of additional protection products that are part of the Honda Care ecosystem.
Sentinel Services
This plan is more focused on maintenance and includes roadside assistance, concierge services, trip interruption benefits, routine oil and filter changes, and road hazard protection for tires.
Sentinel Wrap Services add tire rotations to the mix of covered maintenance items. Honda covers maintenance for free for the first 2 years/24,000 miles on 2023 and newer vehicles with Honda Service Pass. A Sentinel Wrap plan would go into effect after the free maintenance is up.
Sentinel Plus Services
This plan includes Sentinel Services’ maintenance features plus stated component coverage for essential parts of the chassis, electronics systems, air conditioning, heating and cooling, and Honda Genuine Accessories.
Since the availability of certain benefits, limits, and exclusions can change by location, you should contact your local dealer or refer to your service contract for more information.
Honda Care Maintenance
Honda Care Maintenance and Maintenance Wrap plans provide coverage for your car’s routine maintenance requirements as listed in the owner’s manual. It includes services such as tire rotation, oil and filter changes, brake fluid, automatic transmission fluid, multi-point inspection, and more.
Honda Care Maintenance helps Honda car owners prepay for their routine car maintenance services as described in the owner’s manual. Any new Honda vehicle less than 12 months old and with less than 12,000 miles is eligible for this plan.
Honda Care Cost
The cost of your Honda Care contract depends on your particular vehicle, dealership, and coverage level. To request a quote you’ll have to contact your local Honda dealer.
Below are a few example quotes our team received for different term limits. These apply to a 2023 Honda Civic and include a $0 deductible. (The other deductible option was $100 and it lowered the cost slightly.)
| Honda Care Term | Total Cost |
|---|---|
| 5 years/60,000 miles | $621 |
| 6 years/80,000 miles | $793 |
| 7 years/100,000 miles | $1,000 |
| 8 years/120,000 miles | $1,245 |
Our rate data shows Honda Care is very affordable compared to other manufacturers and third-party warranty companies. It’s typical to pay $2,000 to $4,000 for an extended warranty, so any quote under or just above $1,000 is a great price.
We also found third-party plans cost about $977 per year of coverage. Honda’s eight-year plan quoted above costs $249 per year of coverage (not counting the first 3 years covered by the factory warranty), so it’s a great deal.
Honda Care Vs. Third-Party Extended Car Warranties
As you consider the pros and cons of an extended warranty, Honda Care is not your only option for extending Honda protection. While Honda Care offers a lot of extra perks like roadside assistance and trip interruption benefits, many third-party warranty companies offer similar benefits.
Here are a few other reasons why we think it’s worth getting a quote from a third-party provider for your extended service contract.
Coverage
While Honda Care has multiple coverage levels to suit vehicles at different stages of the life cycle, its options are still pretty limited when you compare it with third-party extended warranties.
For example, Carchex has five coverage tiers with multiple plans available in each tier, taking the total to 21 plans. Also, some Carchex plans can provide protection for up to 10 years, while the maximum term length for Honda Care is 8 years.
Repair Facilities
Honda Care contracts recommend taking your vehicle to Honda dealerships for repairs. You can have the repairs done at any other licensed repair center only if you don’t have a Honda dealership located close to you. This can limit your choices if you wish to have the repairs done by your local, trusted mechanic. Comparatively, a provider like Endurance is accepted at any ASE-certified repair facility across the country.
Convenience
Since Honda Care Vehicle Service Contracts are sold exclusively through dealers, buying a plan might not be convenient for everyone. In comparison, third-party warranty companies like Endurance and Carchex offer free quotes and extended auto warranty purchases over the phone and online.
Vehicle Eligibility
You can buy a Honda Care contract only while the original new car warranty (3 years/36,000 miles) is still in effect for your Honda car or when buying a certified pre-owned car from the dealer. In comparison, Endurance has vehicle protection plans for cars with up to 200,000 miles on the odometer that can be purchased at any time.
*Based on data from our users.
Honda Care: Conclusion
At the end of the day, a vehicle service contract from Honda can be worth it, considering the plans are fairly affordable. That said, plans max out at 120,000 miles and are only available until the factory warranty runs out or at the time of vehicle purchase. Compare third-party options for more flexibility as you shop around.
Honda Care: FAQ
Below are a few frequently asked questions about Honda Care:
What is included in Honda Care?
Honda Care includes comprehensive coverage or powertrain coverage depending on the vehicle condition. It also comes with extra perks like roadside assistance and rental car coverage.
Does Honda Care cover oil changes?
Honda Care Sentinel and Maintenance plans cover oil changes. These are optional add-ons you can get from your dealer. Honda also covers oil changes and other standard maintenance on all 2023 models and later for 2 years/24,000 miles.
Does Honda Care cover a cracked windshield?
No, Honda Care contracts only cover your vehicle’s mechanical and electrical components. Windshields, bumpers, upholstery, and exterior trim are not covered by Honda Care warranties.
How We Rate Warranty Providers
Our review process aims to deliver consistent and unbiased assessments of extended auto warranty providers. While there are multiple qualities that make a warranty company successful, our review team focuses on those we believe are the most important for consumers:
- Reputation: It’s important that an extended car warranty company is able to meet its claims obligations. Companies with a strong rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and a long history of reliable service score well in this category. We also evaluate the availability and transparency of each company’s contracts, as well as whether each provider offers a money-back guarantee.
- Coverage: Our team of experts looks at the number of extended warranty plans available, as well as term limits, exclusions, and added benefits like roadside assistance. Ratings also take into account the availability of maintenance coverage.
- Cost: Cost can be difficult to compare between providers because so many factors impact vehicle service contract pricing. To determine our cost score, we perform a secret shopper analysis for a variety of vehicles and plans and consider available deductibles.
- Customer Experience: We listen to real customer sales calls and comb through reviews on sites like the BBB to learn about customer experiences. Warranty companies with a low volume of complaints score well in this area. We also consider the availability of mobile apps and chat features.
