Anybody buy the Honda Pre-paid service?

 

Hi!

Pre-Paid plans vary from State to State. I work for a Honda dealer in NJ and in this state there is a plan called a Honda Sentinel program. Here's what it includes:

For 3 years..
Oil & Filter Changes
Tire Repair up to $35
Tire Replacement up to $150
3 year warranty extended to 46,000 miles

I work three minutes away from the NY state border. NY dealers do not offer this plan, but if you buy a car here with the plan, it can be serviced in any Honda dealer in the country.

Again, each will have different plans available from Honda and, of course, some that are specifically offered by the dealer, meaning it only applies if you service there.

I would like to see what work is actually being done in each of the service intervals, to really tell you how good of a value it is. Take Service A1. If the $67.13 includes both oil & filter change, plus tire rotation, that's not so bad. The average shop near me charges around $50 for a synthetic oil change alone. My store charges $35 using Honda's synthetic blend oil.

All in all, prepaid service plans will save you money if you are planning to service at the dealer, assuming you want to keep using OEM parts.

 

What's Code 6? I only see 1-5 in the Honda Fit manual. A code is pretty easy, just an oil change. The B code is mostly "inspections". 1 is tire rotations. 2 is replacing filters, that's so easy to do yourself. 3, 4 and 5 take a little more skill and if you want to pay someone to do that, go for it. You'd probably save money passing on the prepaid service. Also most dealerships offer coupons for service, and they're probably not factoring those into their equations.

Just my opinion.

 

I snapped that photo when I was signing the papers to buy my car in August. My salesman urged me to buy the pre-paid plan at the signing, but said I had the option to buy it for a while. He said the pre-paid plan included all fluids including oil. When I mentioned I do my own oil changes, he said Honda would not honor my warranty unless ALL service was done by a certified mechanic!

 

That's a scare tactic, just keep your oil change receipts and records and you're good to go.

Auto Warranties & Routine Maintenance | Consumer Information

 

This is comforting news, thanks!

 

They get a nice cut from selling those prepaid services and extended warranties, that's why they push them so aggressively.

 

no prepaid service, no extendend warranties

if u want to save money (or do the job done right the first time), do it yourself.

 

I did something a bit different when I did my oil change. I photographed the work with my iPhone while I was doing it. I took pics of the odometer, the oil life screen and the bottles of oil and the filter I used (all Honda), as well as a picture of me pouring in the new oil. As the photos are date stamped, that SHOULD be proof that the work was done, not just that the oil was bought and paid for.

 

Back in the day there used to be an actual book supplied with the car to record repair and service. Not so any more, but a visit to an office supply store yields a small notebook to keep in the glovebox. I keep track of fuel use and service. An oil change is recorded with the date, filter change, oil quantity, grade, and brand, and odometer reading. This documentation is sufficient for manufacturer warranty purposes.

Some dealers hawk a "lifetime warranty" whose fine print requires that you get service at that dealer or a "licensed facility." That requirement is a red flag that if you ever try to get the warranty honored they will do everything in their power to deny it. Don't fall for the scam!