Well, as a sidenote, sorta relevant, HondaCare extended warranty also comes with roadside assistance. So this would be useful for people with no AAA coverage.

 

Yeah, but my insurance company includes that for something like 10 bucks a year. Which isn't to say its worthless, but just not worth a whole lot.

 

Cybertar, I do value your opinion. I'm glad you posted, and hope you will continue.

Smaglik, My house didn't burn in the 2007 Cedar Fire. But the one directly behind me did. Did I cancel my homeowners? No.

I think the viewpoints on this issue vary greatly with age, circumstance, and ability to cover a large repair outlay.

I am retired. I will NEVER make any more money than I do now. I don't have a husband or family nearby to provide transportation if something happens to my car. I tend to keep my cars for a very long time, and find that repair costs increase the longer I keep them. I had the last car for 8 years. The one before that, 16. To pay a little over $106/year for 8 years of protection is worth it to me. That's $9 a month. Some cell phone apps cost more than that.

Brain Champagne, I wasn't aware that Honda Care is considered "aftermarket?" It is a Honda product. My 2009 Fit was totaled, and I got a prorated refund on the Honda Care warranty. BTW, my daughter is a financial analyst, and she thinks it's a good deal.

 

Okay, as long as it's Honda and not some fly-by-night insurance company. An advantage of a Honda warranty is that even if Honda goes bankrupt they'd still, for business reasons, want to honor extended warranties. But in general experts, like Consumer Reports, suggest that they make a lot of money from extended warranties, and that money's gotta come from somewhere.

 

I called Honda Care today. It is most definitely NOT an aftermarket product. It is the only extended warranty "guaranteed by the manufacturer," according to them. In addition, It can be used as a selling point if you sell your vehicle, since it is transferrable (on a one time basis.) It can also be cancelled any time during the warranty period, on a pro-rated basis, as long as you didn't use any benefits.

They affirmed that I can buy it from any dealership, even if I live in CA.

VZ Navigator (not a very good cell phone app) from Verizon would cost me $9.95 a month. Honda Care is $8.85/month. (If I take the $850 price that Saccucci Honda is offering for 8 years.) If you cancel AAA, and subtract it's cost, the cost is $4.85 a month. Honda Care enrolls you in Cross Country Motor Club, which has some interesting benefits.

I definitely think that Honda Care is win win, as Cybertar mentioned.

Thanks to those who gave me the lower cost dealership names. I can't seem to get a call back or an email from Bernardi Honda, so I will keep trying.

 

In defense of the extended care naysayers their is a chance you might go 8 years with nothing going wrong. I like you, will probably own the fit for eight years and trust NO machine not to break. My car recently passed the 3 year BTB Honda warranty point and I stupidly hit a construction pylon with my driver's side mirror. It wouldn't adjust up or down anymore. It's a bit dishonest but I acted like i had no idea what went wrong with it. This was also the first time I had to use the Hondacare warranty I bought from Bernardi. I was worried that my dealership might bitch about the warranty bought elsewhere. I showed them the Hondacare documentation which they entered in there computer and promptly fixed the car no questions asked. It would have been about $350 if I'd had to pay for it. Typically dealerships want $1500-2000 for something like a 8 year/120k warranty (don't do it!). That's their bread and butter. Hondacare is FROM Honda and hardly a fly by night operation. I still believe for me to pay $695 (3 years ago) or for you to pay $8XX today is well worth it. I like to err on the side of caution. I don't know why Bernardi hasn't called you back. Make sure to check college Hills too. I've bought many accessories from them (no idea they sold warranties) and their prices are usually VERY competitive.

 

Feddup,
College Hills does have a good price...but it's $50 more that Saccucci. College Hills is $900, Saccucci is $850. That is for 8 yrs, 100,000 mi, no deductible. No, I don't intend to pay any more than I have to. The dealership that sold me the car wants $1645. Not a chance! I'm getting an $1100 refund from the warranty for the totaled 2009 Fit, so I should be able to buy an $850 warranty, plus get a teflon coating put on by my detailer.

I did pay way to much for the old warranty, but live and learn. At least I'm getting some of my money back and getting 2 more years out of it. When I bought the 2009 Fit I didn't have a clue what was going on. I paid too much for the car, and too much for the warranty. In my birth state they have a saying, "Too soon old and too late smart." I feel like that a lot. Thankfully there are message boards like this one, and the internet.

If you put in Ca as your state on the Bernardi website, a message pops up that says you must find a local dealer if you live in CA. I put in a different state just so I could get a quote, but maybe they saw my zip or phone prefix, I don't know. I've tried to call several times and left my number, but so far no return call. i'm not sure why that is, since Honda Care told me that I could buy from any one I wanted to, even if I lived in CA.

I fully understand that I could go for 8 years and never have a problem. If that were the case, I think I would still be ahead of the game. I wouldn't have the inconvenience of having to deal with a problem, and I would have been protected for 8 years.

 

I got 7 yr 120k $0 ded for $1500 in ca

 

I'd go with Saccucci then. Honda's been after these "third party" dealerships for a while. I'm sure MANY dealerships were unhappy about an out of town dealership cutting their profits. No idea why this would affect Bernardi and noone else. I believe Hondacare (at a good price) IS a good bet.

 

Very well put. Extended warranty's do make sense for some people!! The average person going into a dealer for repairs is at the mercy of the mechanics and service writer. Not a good place to be. The local Ford dealer recently tried to swindle me! Stole $200 of my money armed with diagnostic tests! They were also trying to steal an additional $3000 for unneeded repairs.
Hopefully next time you can shop around and save a few dollars on the policy.


JIm 0311

 

Just out of curiosity, are you familiar with the difference between an apple and an orange?

 

High yield? Obviously you haven't checked rates in a while. Best savings account out there might pay 1% interest. Buy a 5 year CD and you're lucky to get 2.5%.

Extended warranty doesn't make sense for me either. Partly because I would always do any needed work myself so costs greatly reduced. If I thought I was going to have $1,000 in repairs over the next 8 years I wouldn't have bought the Fit.

_

 

my bank pays 3.75% on checking and 2% on savings. You should look harder.

 

Silverbullet,
I am 67. I am not about to be crawling under cars, even if I knew what I was doing. And I don't. So an extended warranty makes sense to me.

malraux,
Please tell me which bank is paying 3.75 on checking. I bet a lot of people would like to know. My credit union, which is usually in the high range, is only paying 1.1%

 

Bank of little rock. You should check kasasa.com to see if there's a bank near you paying similar rates.

 

Um... yeah... nothing like that in CA. Even most internet accounts barely go up to 2% apy.