Honda Warranty Overview
The Honda warranty offers 3 years/36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage with roadside assistance plus 5 years/60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
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Motor1 Reviews Team Take:
- New Honda vehicles come with bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranty coverage plus other warranties for emissions components, accessories, corrosions, and more.
- Honda’s factory warranty stops at 3 years or 36,000 miles – whichever comes first. While this term limit is short, it’s pretty standard for the warranty industry.
- You can get extended coverage through HondaCare or through third-party providers.
Whether you currently own a Honda or are in the market to purchase a new or used one, you want to know that your investment is protected for as long as possible. New vehicles come with a factory Honda warranty that includes bumper-to-bumper coverage for 3 years/36,000 miles, which is the industry standard.
It’s important to understand the details of the warranty and how you can continue to protect your vehicle after it expires. This article digs deep into what your Honda warranty includes, providing a detailed breakdown of the available coverage, benefits, and exclusions. We also give our recommendations for extended warranties, comparing differences between extended warranties bought from Honda dealerships and those bought from third-party providers.
Honda Warranty Plans
Honda is no different from other car manufacturers in that it backs the quality and longevity of its products with a factory warranty from the day of purchase. But what exactly does a Honda warranty cover new vehicles? The best way to understand it is to take a closer look at each of Honda’s plans:
| New Vehicle Limited Warranty | Honda provides comprehensive bumper-to-bumper coverage for 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. This means almost all of the vehicle is protected, with just a short list of exclusions. |
| Powertrain Limited Warranty | This warranty covers powertrain equipment, like the engine and transmission, for 5 years/60,000 miles. Powertrain warranties often cover the most important parts of the car, and the parts that are typically the most expensive to fix. |
| Seat Belt Limited Warranty | This warranty covers defective seat belts for 15 years/150,000 miles. |
| Rust Perforation Warranty | Honda offers 5 years/unlimited miles of protection from rust and corrosion that spreads from the inside out – not for rust that begins on the exterior of the vehicle. |
| Accessory Limited Warranty | This coverage protects accessories installed and designed by Honda from defective issues for 3 years/36,000 miles. |
| Federal Emissions Warranty | This warranty covers the components that make up Honda’s emissions control systems for 3 years/36,000 miles. |
| California Emissions Systems Warranty | If your car falls under California’s emissions laws, Honda covers the emissions components for a maximum of 3 years /50,000 miles. |
| Replacement/Remanufactured Parts Limited Warranty | Replacement parts installed by a Honda dealership are covered for 1 year or the length of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, whichever is longer. Remanufactured parts are covered for 3 years/36,000 miles – like alternators, starters, ABS modulators, and driveshafts. |
| Replacement 12-Volt Battery | This is covered for 100 months (8 years and 4 months). |
| Replacement Exhaust Components | This is covered for a lifetime. |
| Roadside Assistance | 24/7 roadside assistance is available throughout the 3-year/36,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty term. |
Coverage For Hybrid Vehicles
Honda states that a gradual loss of the battery’s capacity is expected and not covered under the car’s factory warranty. However, greater-than-normal degradation, which is left up to the determination of an authorized Honda dealer, is covered for a full 8 years/100,000 miles.
Hybrid Honda models also come with a specialized version of the powertrain warranty, called a Hybrid Powertrain Warranty, and a High Voltage Battery Capacity Warranty that similarly only covers capacity loss that’s greater than average as determined by an authorized Honda dealer.
Honda CPO Warranty Coverage
Eligible cars can pass an inspection and receive longer warranty coverage with Honda’s certified pre-owned (CPO) program. Honda has two levels of CPO vehicles: HondaTrue Certified Plus and HondaTrue Certified.
- HondaTrue Certified Plus: Eligible vehicles are under 12 months old and have less than 12,000 miles. The CPO program includes 5 years/86,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage and 7 years/100,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
- HondaTrue Certified: Eligible vehicles are under 5 years old with less than 80,000 miles. The CPO program includes 4 years/48,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage and 7 years/100,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
If you would like to know whether your car is still under its original Honda warranty, locate your car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) and call a local dealership to ask.
What’s Not Included?
Although your Honda warranty protects many of your car’s systems and parts, there are some things not included in the coverage, such as:
- Inspections
- Regular maintenance like oil changes and tire rotations
- Normal wear and tear
- Tire defects
- Damage from lack of maintenance
- Damage from misuse, like off-roading or street racing
- Accidents or environmental damage
It should be noted, though, that Honda will work with you to find a local representative of your tires’ manufacturer for warranty service. Environmental damage can refer to theft, vandalism, fallen tree branches, or acts of nature, like floods, fire, or hurricanes.
Why You Might Need Extended Coverage For Your Honda
An extended warranty provides peace of mind for a driver’s investment. Once your Honda factory warranty has expired, which begins 3 years or 36,000 miles after the date of purchase, it’s important to ensure you’re protected from costly repairs and unexpected fixes.
Consider Honda Reliability
Honda is known for providing reliable vehicles and the brand is frequently rated well. For example, Honda earned RepairPal’s number one spot for the most reliable car brand. To formulate its ratings, RepairPal* considers things like average annual repair and maintenance costs, repair severity, and breakdown frequency.
According to RepairPal, Honda owners pay about $428 per year for repairs and maintenance. This includes unexpected breakdowns and scheduled services. Honda’s annual cost is quite a bit lower than the average for the market, which is $652 per year.
That said, Honda fared slightly worse on the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study℠, which measures problems in three-year-old vehicles. The study ranked Honda in 18th place out of 31 car brands. Honda owners reported having 205 mechanical problems across 100 vehicles, while the industry average was 186 per 100 vehicles.
The good news is that Honda should cover many issues during the first three years because that’s the length of the warranty. However, it should also be noted that if even in the first three years, Honda cars can suffer mechanical issues, these issues are more likely to increase as the cars age.
*RepairPal is a trusted site that analyzes average repair prices, part replacement costs, maintenance costs, recalls, and mechanical problems across many auto manufacturer brands and models.
Finding A Provider For Extended Coverage
As mentioned, Honda’s warranty gives you 3 years/36,000 miles of security – but in comparison to other automakers, this is the bare minimum. Some companies offer four or five years of bumper-to-bumper coverage. Cadillac, Lexus, and Volvo offer 4 years/50,000 miles of coverage while some brands like Kia and Hyundai offer 5 years/60,000 miles of coverage, for example.
You have the option to purchase an extended warranty from a Honda dealer or through a number of third-party providers, but not all warranties are created equal.
HondaCare
Honda’s extended coverage program, HondaCare®, offers protection plans that “mirror the features and benefits” offered by Honda’s original factory warranty. According to the HondaCare FAQ section, here are the major components covered by HondaCare’s plans:
- Engine: Transmission, balancer shaft, cylinder heads, pistons, camshafts, cylinder and crankshafts
- Drive system: Differential, drive shaft, axles and CV joints
- Fuel system: Carburetors, intake manifolds, fuel tanks, fuel petcock, fuel injectors, fuel pump, and control module
- Cooling system: Radiator, water pump, thermostat, cooling fans and oil cooler
- Brakes: Master cylinder, wheel cylinder, drums/rotors, calipers, reservoirs and anti-lock control module
- Electrical: Alternator, regulator/rectifier, engine control module, electrical shift system, and ignition coils
- Chassis: Frame, shocks, swingarm, and steering control rods
Exactly what is covered will depend on the actual plan. HondaCare will cover your car up to five years after the manufacturer’s warranty expires, but a HondaCare Protection Plan will have to be bought before that original coverage expires. HondaCare Protection Plans are also transferable and come with no deductible. Contact your local Honda dealer to know more about different Honda plans.
When you sit down to buy your Honda vehicle, it’s likely that the sales representative will offer you an extended warranty via HondaCare right then and there. Keep in mind, though, that the plan may be rolled into your new car’s financing, which means you’ll end up paying interest on it, and it will raise your car’s monthly payment. A Honda extended warranty is also limited in nature, as the dealer only has a handful of plans to offer to customers.
In 2023, our team surveyed 1,o00 people who had purchased an extended warranty from their car’s manufacturer. This included 108 people who had purchased Honda Care for their car. Most of these respondents were happy with their coverage. Here are a few things they said:
- “I was able to get things taken care of that were unexpected.”
- “The extended warranty worked well. I only needed it a couple of times, but it was paid for and then some after those two repairs.”
- “I am satisfied with the warranty coverage on my Honda Civic.”
That said, some had issues with the plan:
- “My warranty coverage is not terrible, but I do wish it covered more than it does. I made the mistake of buying a cheaper one when I did it.”
- “Never needed it, so it was a total waste of good money.”
- “We haven’t had to use it but looking back at the cost, I regret getting it.”
There’s always a chance your car won’t need repairs during the warranty period, so that’s something to consider.
Third-Party Providers
After looking at the plans, we think third-party extended car warranty companies, like Endurance, Carchex, and CarShield provide drivers with much more freedom and flexibility. As service contract brokers, these companies have access to multiple car warranty providers and can work with you to find the plan that’s best suited for your preferences, lifestyle, and budget.
You can compare HondaCare’s extended protection program with Endurance, Carchex, and CarShield below:
| HondaCare Protection Plan | Endurance | Carchex | CarShield | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start Date | Upon expiration of factory warranty | Any time | Any time | Any time |
| Maximum Length of Coverage | 5 years after the factory warranty expires | 8 years/200,000 miles+ | 10 years/250,000 miles | 10 years/ 300,000 miles |
| Transferable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Deductible | $0 | $0+ | $0+ | $0+ |
| Repair Network | Honda dealerships only | Repair facilities certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®) | More than 30,000 facilities nationwide | ASE-certified repair facilities |
| Availability | From local Honda dealer | Free, instant quote | Free, instant quote | Free, instant quote |
What Past Customers Say About Extended Warranties
In a survey our team conducted in 2023, 1,000 people were surveyed through Pollfish to learn more about what consumers look for in extended warranties. Here’s some important data we found:
- 59 percent of respondents bought their extended coverage from their manufacturer
- 21 percent bought theirs from a third-party warranty company
- 60 percent of those third-party consumers went to CarShield for their warranty
- The majority of respondents paid between $1,500 and $3,000 total for their coverage
- 57 percent of all respondents said that coverage was the most important factor in determining the quality of an extended warranty.
Honda Factory Warranty: Bottom Line
Honda’s basic limited warranty covers nearly all components of your Honda vehicle for 3 years/36,000 miles, while the powertrain covers your car’s most expensive and vital parts for 5 years/60,000 miles. This is very standard for the warranty industry, but given that Honda isn’t the most reliable of brands, it may be good to get extended warranty coverage.
You can get the same coverage as the Honda warranty with a HondaCare Protection Plan, but you can also go to a third-party provider like Endurance, CarShield, or Carchex. We recommend getting quotes from several top-rated providers to compare your options before buying coverage.
Honda Warranty: FAQ
Below are a few frequently asked questions about the Honda warranty:
How long is Honda's factory warranty?
All new Hondas come with a bumper-to-bumper warranty of 3 years/36,000 miles and a powertrain warranty of 5 years/60,000 miles. Honda provides roadside assistance for the duration of the bumper-to-bumper plan.
Does Honda have a 100,000-mile warranty?
Honda offers a 7-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty for HondaTrue Certified and Certified Plus vehicles only. These are certified pre-owned cars. Honda doesn’t have a 100,000-mile warranty on new vehicles.
What does Honda’s three year warranty cover?
Honda’s 3-year/36,000-mile warranty offers bumper-to-bumper coverage. This includes any mechanical breakdown on the vehicle except for a list of exclusions like cosmetic deterioration and damage from accidents.
How do I find out if my Honda is still under warranty?
First, see if you can find your warranty booklet, which comes with all new vehicles. You can also enter your car’s vehicle identification number into the vehicle owner’s section of Honda’s website.
Methodology
In an effort to provide accurate and unbiased information to consumers, our expert review team collects data from dozens of extended auto warranty companies to formulate rankings of the best providers. Companies receive a score in each of the following categories, as well as an overall weighted score out of 5.0 stars.
- Industry Standing: Warranty providers with a history of strong business practices and endorsements from experts receive the highest scores in this category.
- Coverage: This rating is based on types of extended warranty plans available, coverage terms, and added benefits like roadside assistance.
- Cost: Our research team reviews sample quotes for a variety of plans and vehicles. Companies with lower prices per year of coverage receive the best scores.
- Transparency: This score takes into account contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
- Customer Service: We comb through customer reviews and perform our own shopper analysis to get a sense of the responsiveness and helpfulness of each warranty company.
*Data accurate at time of publication.
