Honda is synonymous with reliability. Its vehicles are easy to repair, and replacement parts are widely available. If you take good care of your Honda, it could pass 200,000, 300,000 or even 400,000 miles.
However, Honda’s factory warranty is curiously short. It ends after 3 years/36,000 miles. At that point, your car might still go for another decade or two. A Honda extended warranty can cover vehicles for a few more years, or you could add a third-party vehicle service contract to go further.
We’ve reviewed a number of the most popular extended car warranty companies. Check out our recommendations below to learn more. In general, we recommend getting quotes from multiple companies in order to compare plans and custom pricing.
Honda’s Factory Warranty
Here’s what Honda’s factory warranty covers and for how long:
| Honda Warranty | Coverage Terms |
|---|---|
| Bumper-to-bumper | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| Corrosion | 5 years/unlimited miles |
| Replacement parts | New parts are covered for one year, remanufactured parts are covered for 3 years/36,000 miles. |
| Roadside assistance | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Honda Care® Vehicle Service Contract | up to 8 years/120,000 miles |
The bumper-to-bumper warranty covers almost everything on a Honda except a short list of exclusions. When the bumper-to-bumper warranty expires, an extended warranty can take over, either from Honda or a third-party provider.
Why Would You Want an Extended Warranty?
Honda vehicles are known for longevity, and the company’s repair costs are among the cheapest in the industry. Many models are great buys if you’re looking for a long-term commuter, even used.
So, why would you need an extended warranty? Well, simply because repairs are still needed. The good thing is Honda extended warranty prices are more affordable than many other brands because its repair costs are cheap.
Think about it this way. The auto warranty company will price coverage for different vehicles based on the amount that it expects to pay out in repairs. That means an extended car warranty for a BMW would cost more than one for a Honda.
The problem of repair costs is still there. It’s just that they cost less, and an extended warranty will cost less because of that. It’s up to you to decide if you’d rather save up money to pay for repairs out of pocket or let another company cover expensive repairs.
The advantage of an extended warranty is that your monthly budget will be more predictable. There are definitely situations where an extended warranty would be worth the money. For many drivers, an extended car warranty is worth it for peace of mind.
Honda Repair Costs
According to RepairPal, Honda drivers pay about $428 per year on average for repairs and maintenance. That’s a pretty low number. The industry average is $652, which means Honda owners pay about one-third less.
Looking at the short-term, unexpected repairs can still be a burden on your budget. Here are a few repairs you might encounter with a Honda:
| Honda Repair | Est. Cost (per RepairPal) |
|---|---|
| Exhaust pipe replacement | $531–$562 |
| Camshaft position sensor replacement | $151–$191 |
| Stabilizer bar link kit replacement | $71–$130 |
| Heater core replacement | $1,082–$2,205 |
Honda Extended Warranty
Honda’s extended warranty is called Honda Care® and has coverage limits up to 8 years/120,000 miles. The vehicle service contracts are available for new and used cars up until the factory warranty expires (3 years/36,000 miles). There are two main coverage options for the Honda extended warranty:
- Exclusionary: This plan is available for new cars, certified pre-owned vehicles and used cars within factory warranty. It’s comparable to Honda’s bumper-to-bumper warranty and covers most systems of the car. However, it excludes a few more items like mufflers, some gaskets, weather strips, brake drums and door handles.
- Powertrain: This plan is only available for used cars. It covers the engine, transmission and drive axle.
Honda Extended Warranty Perks
You also get a couple of perks with a Honda Care vehicle service contract:
- Rental reimbursement: In the event of a covered repair, Honda will reimburse you for a rental vehicle up to $35 per day (six days total).
- Roadside assistance: Coverage includes towing, jump-starts, spare tire installation, fuel delivery, lockout assistance and trip interruption ($100 per day for three days)
Honda Care Sentinel is another program that you can add to an extended warranty. Sentinel services can cover tires for road hazards and some scheduled maintenance.
Downsides to the Honda Extended Warranty
While there are many things to like about Honda’s extended warranty, there are a couple of downsides. First of all, you can’t get the plan if your factory warranty has expired. Honda’s warranty is on the shorter side, so there isn’t much time to decide if you want to add extra warranty coverage.
Also, the warranty requires you to visit a Honda dealer for repairs. You can only go elsewhere if it’s an emergency. This can be inconvenient if you don’t live very close to a Honda dealership. And if a particular repair isn’t fully covered, you’ll usually pay more for the non-covered parts at a dealership that you would at an independent repair shop.
So, is Honda’s extended warranty worth it? It can be a good coverage option if you aren’t too far from a dealership.
Honda Extended Warranty Cost Comparison
Honda doesn’t publish prices for its extended service contracts. However, there are few dealers that offer the plan online. All of the quotes we received are for the exclusionary level of Honda Care. Be aware that quotes for different vehicles or states could bring up different prices.
2020 Honda Civic
First, we checked prices for a 2020 Civic with 4,000 miles. At this point, the car is eligible for the longest coverage from Honda Care. Here are the details on the highest plan:
- Coverage for 8 years/120,000 miles
- Cost is $1,200 with $0 deductible
- Cost is $1,095 with $100 deductible
For new cars under 6,000 miles, the time and mileage limits are measured from the in-service date.
2019 Honda Civic
Note that for these next two quotes, the time and mileage limits are measured differently. Time limits start on the day the plan is purchased. But the mileage still expires according to the odometer. Basically, you can think of the plan as offering so many years of coverage from today or covering up to a certain number of total miles on the odometer.
Below are Honda Care extended warranty costs for a 2019 Honda Civic with 15,000 miles. This car still has a couple of years left on the factory warranty.
Here are the prices we received:
| Honda Repair | $0 Deductible | $100 Deductible |
|---|---|---|
| 4 years/80,000 miles | $860 | $760 |
| 4 years/100,000 miles | $1,050 | $950 |
| 4 years/120,000 miles | $1,180 | $1,080 |
| 5 years/80,000 miles | $910 | $810 |
| 5 years/100,000 miles | $1,090 | $990 |
| 5 years/120,000 miles | $1,210 | $1,110 |
Taking a deductible of $100 reduces the total cost by $100 in all cases.
2017 Honda Civic
We also looked at a quote for a 2017 Honda Civic with 35,999 miles. So, this car is at the very end of its factory warranty and is almost ineligible for a Honda extended warranty. Here are the exact same plans as before but with different prices:
| Honda Repair | $0 Deductible | $100 Deductible |
|---|---|---|
| 4 years/80,000 miles | $910 | $810 |
| 4 years/100,000 miles | $1,100 | $1,000 |
| 4 years/120,000 miles | $1,230 | $1,130 |
| 5 years/80,000 miles | $960 | $860 |
| 5 years/100,000 miles | $1,140 | $1,040 |
| 5 years/120,000 miles | $1,260 | $1,160 |
You can see that these plans are a little bit more expensive than the plans for the 2019 Civic. Remember that these options cover four or five years from the purchase of the plan. So, the 2017 Civic would be covered later into its lifetime than the 2019 Civic.
These prices are on the affordable end of how much an extended warranty should cost. Keep in mind that third-party companies can offer coverage for many more miles. Coverage for 200,000 miles would cost more than coverage for 120,000 miles.
Honda Extended Warranty vs. Third-Party Providers
Since you drive a Honda, you can take advantage of affordable extended car warranty prices whether you go with Honda Care or a third-party company. However, we think there are a few reasons to consider third-party providers first.
The downsides we mentioned earlier about Honda Care don’t apply to most third-party providers. Popular extended auto warranty provider autopom! offers coverage up to 150,000 miles that can be added after Honda’s 3 year/60,000-mile warranty is up.
Another bonus is that you can go to any certified mechanic for repairs, which means there are over 30,000 service centers available to you. When you go, you don’t have to negotiate with them about the bill – the warranty company does that for you.
It’s also good to have a variety of coverage options to choose from. Honda Care comes in two main varieties, but other companies can provide more choices.
For example, CarShield offers six different plans and can cover vehicles up to 200,000 miles. CARCHEX offers five different plans and can cover vehicles up to 250,000 miles. If you take good care of your Honda, you’ll probably drive it even further.
When you shop for extended coverage, get quotes from a few different companies to compare your options.
Methodology
The Detroit Bureau collects data from every major car warranty provider to formulate rankings of the best warranty companies. Our in-depth rating system takes into account coverage, pricing, transparency, customer satisfaction and ratings from industry experts. Each provider is given a weighted score in five categories, as well as an overall score out of 10.0.
We recommend auto warranty companies based on these rankings, but we also encourage you to perform your own research and compare quotes to find the best coverage.
