Checking Out the Honda Factory Warranty | Autance

What IS Included

Honda’s basic factory warranty fits the mold of the traditional coverage almost all automakers provide. This includes a basic comprehensive warranty, powertrain warranty, and a few extras thrown into the mix. 

Bumper-to-Bumper

Honda offers a fairly standard bumper-to-bumper warranty that lasts for three years or 36,000 miles. This warranty is designed to offer the most value (i.e. saving you money) in the first few years and thousands of miles of the vehicle’s life. As a result, it’s often where automakers provide the most coverage.

This is definitely true for the Honda comprehensive warranty. As an exclusionary warranty, it covers almost everything on a car between the bumpers. Most of the repairs, part replacements, and other services covered are often specialized and pricey, requiring a certified professional to get the job done right. As a result, you can save a lot of money with this one with certain types of issues.

Powertrain

Like the comprehensive warranty, Honda has included a standard powertrain warranty that focuses on the most important components for running a vehicle. As an inclusionary plan, the warranty lists out all of the parts it covers while excluding the rest. Therefore, you will find coverage for major components like the engine, transmission, axles, and other drivetrain parts.

Lasting five years or 60,000 miles, the main benefit of the powertrain warranty is the longer coverage it offers over the bumper-to-bumper warranty. While the parts list is smaller than the comprehensive coverage, it still provides a lot of money-saving value for a longer period of time, so you’ll remain somewhat protected even after the bumper-to-bumper coverage expires.

Other

Honda offers a smattering of extra coverages and services with the factory warranty, but it remains limited compared to most extended warranties. It’s roadside assistance program tends to be the most useful extra perk, especially if you frequently travel away from home. This service lasts three years or 36,000 miles and covers the cost of basic services like towing and jump-starts if your breakdown is caused by a defect.

The one area Honda differs the most from other automakers is the extensive coverage it has on Honda-approved parts and accessories. Major replacement parts, for example, are covered for one year after the vehicle’s purchase. Accessories installed at a Honda dealership are covered for three years or 36,000 miles as well.

What’s NOT Included

The standard approach Honda uses with its factory warranty brings a few common limitations as well that will reduce the amount of money you can truly save on repairs and services. 

Extensive Maintenance Coverage

While Honda does offer a basic parts replacement coverage for a year after the vehicle’s purchase, this doesn’t do much to cover the ongoing expenses of routine maintenance. In fact, even if you stick with the factory-recommended maintenance schedule, you will most likely be paying out-of-pocket for the parts and labor needed to keep your vehicle healthy. 

Accidental Damage

It’s easy to assume that a factory warranty will naturally kick in when any kind of repair or service is required. Unfortunately, many vehicle owners are surprised to learn that this isn’t the reality in most situations. Instead, factory warranties are limited to factory defects.

When the automaker screws up with faulty workmanship or parts, the factory warranty is there to right the wrong. That’s it. If the vehicle is damaged from bad weather or has an issue due to normal wear and tear, you’ll need some kind of other (and often additional) coverage to avoid paying out-of-pocket on the required services.

The Good

There isn’t much that stands out about the Honda factory warranty, but the little differences are attractive if you want to save some real money. The parts and accessories coverage, for example, can really make a difference if you experience a few issues with the components inside of the vehicle. Most automakers offer basic coverage for parts (and maybe a few accessories), but Honda is upfront about what they do and don’t cover.

The 24-hour roadside assistance, while more common, is also a great benefit of the factory warranty. Things like jump starting help, flat tire repair, lockout assistance, and free towing can save a few dollars while on a vacation and can even get you and passengers out of a dangerous situation.

The Bad

What’s not to like about the Honda factory warranty? Namely the length of the coverage you get. Three to five years is a standard range of coverage for most automakers, but it’s not always long enough to catch lingering factory defects. Even an extra year or two for the comprehensive warranty can save you more money if defects start off small but get worse over time.

The same complaint goes for the roadside assistance as well. Three years is a decent amount of time for this type of coverage, but many automakers offer longer periods for the exact same services. Therefore, Honda loses the competitive edge here, especially among frequent road travelers. 

Takeaway Value

If you want a Honda vehicle and can live with basic limited coverage, the company’s factory warranty does offer some value for customers. Between the parts, accessories, and limited maintenance assistance, the company also has a couple perks you won’t get with other automakers.