Yes in fact you want to bargain. You can buy the warranty up to 1 year, I think, after you buy the car. Not sure of that but you have time after you buy the car. You can buy the warranty from anybody. Tell the dealer you can buy it for $900 say, and he may give it to you for that or $1000. My dealer offered it to me for 1800 last year and when I said I could get it for 900 because I had the info from the internet,he said, " I will give it to you for that." It was that easy. I think it has gone up a bit since then. I think they want your to come to them for work because they hope to make money off you for non warranty work Check some of the previous posts for who to buy it from and also this link which lists some dealers, at the bottom I believe. Link below
"First, to say that this is a heavy car, and 13 mpg in city should be expected, doesn't seem to make sense because people who drive 6000 lb V8 suburbans get 13 mpg. "
I suspect if these people calculated this accurately, they would find that their city mpg in a Suburban would be substantially lower than 13.
Consumer Reports tested a Odyssey in 1999 and got city/highway mpg of 12/33. They also tested a Chevrolet Tahoe in 1999 and got 8/21. Curb weight by CR of the Tahoe is listed as # 5,335 and for the 1999 Suburban as # 5,640. So you can figure at another about 7% less or about 7.5/20 for the Suburban.
Bottom line: If you are disappointed by the Odyssey mpg and trade it in for a Suburban you will be even more disappointed. If you are looking for a very good vehicle with excellent mileage I would recommend the Honda Civic. Also bottom line if you want a vehicle with good gas mileage in the city buy one that has a light weight.
Here's a list of dealers that will sell you the HondaCare 100/7/0 warranty either by e-mail or phone. I collected this list from this forum as I was doing research to purchase the warranty today and have updated the prices and phone numbers as of Feb. 8, 2001. Note that it doesn't matter what dealer sells you the warranty. Present this information to your dealer, he may match the price.
If you know you will be driving the van over 20K miles per year it is much more cost effective to get a 5 year/100K warranty for about $200 less.
Honda doesn't sell a warranty for more than 100K miles.
If your van is over 2 years old and has more than 18-24K miles then you will pay more.
Hoehn Honda (San Diego) - Robert Lennick (760) 438-1818 - $1025 Burns Honda (Marlton, NJ) - Harry, finance (856) 983-0600 - $995 Union Park Honda (Wilmington, DE) - Greg Allen (302) 573-5222 - $925 Hatfield Honda (Maumee, OH) - Don Towle (419) 893-5581 $925 + $57.21 tax = $982.21 Saratoga Honda (NY) - David Winnie (518) 587-9300 - $975 Empire Honda (Denver) - Jim Duvall (303) 399-1950 - $1025
I have done research on the web, and found other third party extended warranties from places such as WarrantyDirect.com and 1SourceAutoWarranty.com. These plans detail exactly what is covered and what is not, based on a chosen level of coverage. Does anyone have any feedback on these warranties compared to the Hondacare warranty. Also, is the Hondacare warranty described on any website?
I talked to a dealer that explained that the reimbursement from Honda takes so long that they require the customer to pay for the repairs and then get reimbursed. They don't even sell the Honda Care warranties because of this problem. Has anyone else ever heard this from a Honda Dealer? With Honda Care, am I restricted to Honda Dealers for repairs? I too would like to know of a web site explaining this stuff. Or maybe someone (very nice) could scan their docs on Honda Care and post them somewhere.
2001ody: The Honda Care Warranty is exclusionary meaning that everything is covered unless specifically stated otherwise in the policy. This is much better than the inclusionary warranties you mention (listing what is covered) since you might be surprised how many more things can break than are listed in the policy.
floth: I would suspect that dealer of reaching for "reasons" why he should make the higher profit selling you some other warranty than what he could make selling you the Honda Care Warranty. In reality, I'm sure you will find much more resistance to "foreign" warranties than you will to the Honda Care Warranty which must be accepted by every Honda dealer. Maybe someone can answer the question about using the Honda warranty at somewhere other than a Honda dealer. Since it would be senseless to me to go elsewhere for a covered repair unless circumstances absolutely required it, I would suspect that the Honda coverage has a similar "special circumstances" allowance for reimbursing you in the unlikely event that your vehicle could not be even towed to a Honda dealer (the towing is covered under the warranty as well). Anybody know for certain?
The aftermarket warranties can be exclusionary as you describe, it just cost about $75 more than an inclusionary warranty. For information purposes, the WarrantyDirect 'exclusionary' warranty is the "Diamond" plan, which covers the entire vehicle except for what is specifically listed. This is all on their website.
I bought a 100K warranty on my Dodge Truck from AAA which is serviced by General Electric. The warranty more than paid for itself when my transmission failed at 50K miles. The only problem was, on any repair over $500, GE requires their field rep. to authorize the repair. In this case, it took about 3 extra days for the GE rep. to show up, examine the failed transmission, and approve the repair. The Dodge place understandably would not order the new transmission until the repair was authorized. So instead of a 2 days in the shop, it took about a week to get my truck back. Worse yet, for 3 days I had a hard time sleeping because I figured that GE would figure some way out of paying for the new tranny. But, in the end they paid and the $2500 repair cost me only the $50 deductible. One funny thing though was that GE refused to paid for new transmission fluid for the tranny. So the repair shop said to GE "ok, I won't put any in and you will be paying for another transmission very soon". GE changed their mind and paid for the fluid.
So I am ahead $1400. The extended warranty cost $1100 and the new tranny would have cost $2500. Also, the truck will soon go on the market since I will be replacing it with a Odyssey EX/Navi in March. I expect I will recover some of the $1100 I paid for the warranty, since it will be transferable to the buyer.
I plan on purchasing the Honda Care warranty for my Odyssey, simply because I do not want to have to go through the hassles I went through with the GE warranty. I have heard stories where 3rd party warranty companies refused to pay for repairs for some reason or another.
I also have a friend that had a Saturn sedan with a Saturn extended warranty. The engine seized and the Saturn dealer said they could find no trace of oil in the engine. When the engine seized none of the idiot lights, including the oil pressure light came on. However, when my friend could not produce records of his oil changes (he threw them out), Saturn refused to pay for a new engine. He pursued the matter up through Saturn support channels but could not get them to pay for a new engine. In the end, he gave the car to a charity and took the tax write off. So the moral is, extended warranties of any kind are a lot like insurance. The provider will try to get out of paying if at all possible. But, in most cases, they can offer peace of mind and do pay off sometimes.
I understand that you can use regular or premium gas in the 2001 Odyssey. The difference will be in the horsepower. Would there be any problem with sometimes using regular, and sometimes using premium? I remember reading on the windstar forum some saying that it is not good to do that because of carbon buildup in the engine.
Come on now, no oil in the engine at all and no receipts for any oil changes. That guy got what he deserves. I check my oil every other fill up and keep all my receipts until the car is sold and then I put them in the glove box for the next owner. My dealers are glad I do cause it gives them proof that I took care of the vehicle and they get a better price for it. He must have some kind of file box etc. to keep important papers in (deeds, insurance papers, etc.) so a file on his Saturn wouldn't have taken up anymore room. Like I said, he got what he deserves.
What kind of resistance does the door have to run into to reverse directions? I tried to push on the door while it was closing and it did not want to stop. I have two small boys (less than 2) so I'm afraid they may get "ran over" by the doors. I want to get it fixed, if it is broken, as soon as possible. Any response would be appreciated.
As stated by Robr2 the doors do not reverse until the last 18 inches before they are shut. Up until that point they are learning the force needed to close the door at the same speed all the time. Example being that if you are parked up a hill or down hill the door will learn the angle and close force and keep the door speed at the same rate.So up until that point they are hard to reverse. If you are going to test their ability I would use a head rest or something like that just in case you did have a malfuntioning one it wouldn't cost you an arm or a leg ok, so that wasn't all that funny but I could'nt resist.Any how I have not yet seen one not funtion correctly but there is always that chance so be safe.Good luck
We are picking up our new Odyssey tomorrow. Does anyone have info/experience on the suggested break in period? How many miles at what maximum speed? It's been 12 years since we've had a brand new car (my wonderful Subaru was the last one and as I recall we were not supposed to drive over 50mph until we hit 500 miles). Any experiences shared will be helpful as I need to plan a couple of highway trips. Thanks!
The Odyssey needs to be broken in very slowly, don't drive over 30 mph for the first 1000 miles
I'm just kidding, the main thing with breaking in a new car is limited to a few things: 1) Don't rev the RPM's very high (close to redline is a big no-no) 2) Don't accelerate suddenly or very quickly, in other words, don't floor it. 3)Try not to cruise at the same exact speed for an extended period of time, try to allow variations in speed 4) Don't hit the brakes very hard for the first 500 miles - this will allow them to break-in properly
You could go 80mph and not worry about it, it's not like the old cars where you were limited to 50mph.
I don't remember the amount of miles you should do the above for but I think it is somewhere between 800 to 1000 miles. Check the owners manual, there is a section about the break in period you could read.
Yes, alan 927 has it right. The owners manual says what to do and how many miles. Think it is somewhere around 600. I am too lazy to go out to the garage and get the manual and look up the mileage.
But its say two things 1. No suddened stops which hurts the brake linings and 2. Do not floorboard it for the first xxx miles= no sudden accelerations. And that is it. Says nothing about a limit on the speed as they use to do. I would not drive over 80 though.
Keep the special break in oil-this is important- in there according to the manual which is 3750 under severe conditions and about double that under normal conditions. Read the manual
Unless we have some Honda insiders out there, it's too early to know about next year's Ody. However, Honda did wait until the Civic was redesigned this year to add side air bags as a $250 option, and may do the same for the Odyssey, which isn't expected to be redesigned for another two years (MY2004). Given the Odyssey's excellent safety ratings, it is probably not on the top of their list of changes for next year, but it would be a nice addition just the same.
Amazing proof of what happens when the company that builds your minivan is more interested in promoting the built-in video system for the kiddies than it is in trying to prevent them from becoming orphans......
I also have the fuel gauge and warning light problem. My dealer said it had to do with the "load" in the car. I have found no meaningful difference based on weight in the car. Honda's Southeast customer service office claims to be unaware of the problem. I told them to check out this forum. It sure seems they could come up with a fix for this if they were interested.
Our MPG has been improving since we bought the car. Now at about 4000 miles and getting slightly over 14 MPG.
The NAVI is a great tool even though it does contain some minor glitches.
We recently bought a used 2000 EX with 17k miles on it for $24,500. It was in virtually new condition as it had been driven as a company car for a honda power equipment executive.All miles were highway. Never had kids in it, third row seat was always stowed.Perfect interior. Accessories included with that price: factory trailer hitch(used to occassionaly tow a 500lb small equipment trailer)cargo mat,floor mats,alarm and locking lug nuts.
The clincher for us was the perfect condition of this van and the fact that in Georgia there is no sales tax on used vehicles purchased from a private party(saved around $1800)so the "drive it home" price was $24,500 versus 28,900(including tax) plus options plus waiting list for a new one. That assumes that I could get one for MSRP in the Atlanta area. I have heard that is difficult. Not sure if that represents an accurate value of the van because we made the deal with the buyer on the first day his ad ran in the paper. A week later when we closed the deal at the bank he told us that he had had many calls from people who offerred up to 2k more. He was a man of his word and honored our deal(in part due to a carefully worded bill of sale) but he regreted not fully appreciating the current demand for this vehicle due to the fact that he simply orders them and gets them with no wait and can buy them after 6 months of driving it for a substantial executive employee discount.
Bottom line: the Edmunds or Kelly value you get will likely be too low given the demand. However, if buyers have to pay the same sales tax in your state when buying from you as they would on a new van, that may reduce what you can get for a used one. All JMHO
Perhaps someone who has purchased the Honda Care Extended Warranty can help me out with this one. I just happened to re-read my paperwork and found that on the part 2 of the document (coverage) it has typed in 'Powertrain' I thought that kind curious and turned the paperwork over and to my horror read that there are (3) types of coverages: 1)Powertrain Coverage 2)High Tech Coverage 3)Comprehensive Coverage Since the last one 'Comprehensive' seems to be the one to cover everything, am I wrong in assuming that would be the 'bumper to bumper' coverage? I purchased it in October for $895.00 (thanks to this board) I remember specifically asking for the bumper to bumper coverage. What do other people have on their paperwork? Am I up the creek with out a paddle? Any info would be muchly appreciated.
I have the HCW 7/100/0 and don't see that anywhere. I don't think there is a HCW that is anything less then comprehensive and covers everything.
I wonder if you have the HCW. It says Honda Care on it. My dealer tried to sell me a non HCW as a HCW. If that is the case, it is not a problem. You can take the warranty back and get a HCW. In fact you can take back the HCW and get another one. There will be a charge for the time you have used it but that is not very big.
My advice is to call Customer Relations for HCW and talk with them. 1-800-999-5901 located in California. fax 1.310.781.4315
If the above CR is closed for the weekend you can proabably call the Roadside Assistance number, and ask them if you are in their data base. That way you will know if you have HCW RA # is 1.800.594.7400, but you may have to wait till Monday.
Hi, I'm sure it's somewhere in the 1200-odd postings in this forum, but I can't figure out how to search for the sources of the Honda Care Warranty for about $900. All I get back are the names of forums, not the specific postings.
Can anyone enlighten me, or give me the numbers of the postings that have this info?
The break in period in the Odyssey seems to end when you are ready for the thing to break. If you do not use the power doors, power windows, power driver seat controls, remote control, then they will not break. If you use them (as in my experience) they all do seem to break sooner or later. Returned from my Honda dealer this AM after busted seat was fixed.
I'm looking for an imported mini van that seats 7, but has the oomph and traction to handle Boston winters and an absurdly steep and unforgiving driveway. I'd prefer to avoid the extra height and weight of an SUB. The Odyssey seems like a great vehicle, but I'm wondering if anyone has other ideas.
I would really appreciate some advise from some the experts who read these posting... I got a call from a dealer (Honda of Joliet) that got my name from the e-honda web server. She has an LX with nothing on it yet for MSRP. We put down $500 to hold it and went down to drive it late today (Saturday). It was night and she was talking a lot so I did not get to really evaluate the car well. I noticed it pulls to the right and the engine did not seem to have the pick up of the one I drove at another dealership on Tuesday. This transmission also seemed to make more noise that the other I drove although it was difficult to tell how bad it is. It was closing time and they wanted to do the sale right away but I asked to have the alignment fixed before I buy. They agreed and will have it ready for me to buy Monday morning by 11am. The van only has 20 miles on it and its brand new, but I'm still suspicious about this van. Is this crazy on my part? The thing that concerned me was that the manager said to me "On Monday, if the car drives straight, you will buy the van?" This indicated to me that I'm not supposed to look at anything else on the van when I come on Monday. I'm getting cold feet on this van. Does anyone have any thoughts on if there can be some bad Odys when they are brand new? This is a tough one for me because I love the van and I want one soon but I just don't have a good feeling about this one. I find it hard to believe that they know something is wrong with the van in it's first 20 miles and want to push me into it quickly, but that is kind how it seems.
BTW prices are MSRP $24,340+remote entry, security system, roof rack +$1243, $979 for Honda Care 7yr/100K.
Unless you really need the van or don't need the money, I say forget it. In reality, it is unlikely that there is something wrong with a 20 mile van. However, the way car dealers often get people to buy (read the Edmunds undercover piece) is the high pressure "here today, gone tomorrow, bla, bla, bla if you do not buy it NOW". If you give in, they got you. (if you NEED the van now, you may have no choice.) However, if you purchase on your own terms, then you have the upper hand. If you can walk away, then they do not have you hostage to their fast (and incessant) talking and other auto dealer tactics to get your $$$$$$.
One step you can take is to run the VIN (it must be on a reciept you have for your downpayment) by your state's atty general and/or a car report service to be sure it was not a lemon, flood dmanaged or otherwise totalled (then brought back from the dead with extensive repairs), odometer tampered, etc. Also, as noted in earlier posts, check that all units on gauges are in miles and not metric (as in Canada - were you thinking you got to 80 on the speedometer kind of fast?). Good luck!
I wouldn't worry too much about the car pulling to the right, it is not unusual for a brand new car to be slightly out of alignment. As far as feeling not as fast compared to another one you drove. Again, don't worry about this, when you first get a car it needs to break-in and then it will get quicker and smoother. I know our Odyssey got a lot quicker & smoother especially at higher RPM's after we hit around 2000 miles which is well after the breakin period.
When you first get a brand new car, the parts are all brand new, after some miles they wear into each other and they usually get smoother.
One thing I always say when I buy a new car (and believe me, I've had a lot of new cars) I always wait until after I hit 1000 miles before I start to evaluate if something is wrong with it. If you have ever had new tires installed on your car, it is the same thing, you have to give the tires at least 500 miles to breakin. So I would go with a clear mind and test drive the van again. I have heard stories similar to yours where someone is lucky enough to find an LX that is not sold. It seems the waiting list is longer for the EX.
As far as the dealer being pushy . . . well I've heard that one a thousand times before, this is common practice in the auto industry, once in a while you will find a dealer whom isn't pushy but for the most part it is usually the former rather than the later.
Good luck with your choice, it is a great Van ! ! !
I spend quite a bit of time on the highways in central MD, south central PA, and from western MD to the eastern shore and seldom (very seldom) see an ODY on the road. I realize they are in short supply because I'm presently in a 3-4 month (only I hope) waiting line for an EX-Navi. However, they have been on the market for a few years now, and I'm lucky to see one every two weeks or so. Are ODY owners so protective of their investment that they're keeping them in garages hidden away from the public?? I keep reading in this forum about the joy of driving one and the miles before this or that, but I just don't see them. Maybe I'm just in the wrong state/part of the country. Looks as if I may become the local ODY "exhibitionist" when I'm finally "blessed" with one. Looking forward to it. de Hawkeye
floth, Odyssey's are notorios for pulling to the right...quiet few have had this problem...I know many have had no problems and Honda claims they have fixed it however they do crop up once in a while. You are also paying so much for Honda car care warranty. The price is $885 anything more is dealer profit. As for noisy transmission, well that is expected for a van this size, its just too heavy and hence the noise and the hessitant feel between 3rd and 4th gear. Friend of mine had his transmission replaced at only 29K mile...but overall this is a good van if you buy the Honda Care warranty.
It seems that you are having a "separation problem". That is separation of money for a product! LX Odysseys here in Maryland are VERY HARD to get, and actually ALL of my Odysseys are sold two months prior to them hitting the ground.
I would'nt worry about the LX not being a good product, and I am sure that you will get great service from it.
The naysayers here will try to convince you otherwise, but in reality the van will be gone quickly. If you like the color and the package, do it.
I have a 2001 ODY EX w/NAV on order. Is it possible to purchase the HCW after a year or so? This seems like a good long term investment, but I have some concerns over buying a warranty that runs concurrently with the 3 year/36000 mile factory warranty. What is the advantage in buying the HCW at time of delivery vs. buying the HCW after the manufacturer's warranty runs out.
You worded your post well.....many responses you have gotten.....here's mine.
If you can wait, then wait. Your spending a ton of dough, if you get the same gut reaction on the next one thats offered then chalk it up to buyers anxiety and pull the trigger. dj5 is right though, you can almost buy an EX for what the extras your getting charged for. You near chicago right? Then your really not that far from OH and they are selling Odys for $600-$1000 under MSRP in the Cleveland/Toledo belt. For a 6-8 hour drive you could have an EX WITH your warranty for just about the same price....think about it.
You're probably right. Our first road trip after we get our ODY will probably be south toward Va Bch. Maybe our EX-Navi will finally be able to see some of its "relatives" when we get out of MD. Thanks for the sighting report. de Hawkeye
2001 Odyssey EX I have a problem with the passenger side sliding door. Sometimes, (not when dropped off at the dealers), the door goes to engage to close and the rear portion of the door doesn't latch down and swings out slightly causing the alarm to go off. My wife has told me that sometimes the alarm sounds off while she is driving and the door appears to be closed properly. I'm miffed and have been told by the dealer they can not do something if they can't see it happen. Has anyone else see this or heard about or do you know what to look for and repair... the car only had 2k on it.
jmurman42 is right on as I am having some "separation problems". The most expensive car I have ever purchased was a new 96 Civic for $13,500. So ~$26,000 is a rather big step up miniman is also correct on his description of the dealers approach to my purchase. I forgot to get the VIN number so I'll check it out Monday. The price I indicated was incorrect in my last posting, it should have said $24,340+$1243 (this includes remote entry, security system, roof rack), $979 for Honda Care 7yr/100K which is not a bad deal as you'd expect to pay a bit more with the van on the lot
I will check the van out more carefully on Tuesday morning and update this board with what I find. That is if they don't sell it on Monday which they have indicated is likely to happen. If they sell it, I'll just have to wait for the next one as I need to feel comfortable with spending that much money.
I do have another option that I did not mention in my last posting Based on the very helpful advice of caviller, I also put $500 down for an LX at Elliott-Demick Honda in Michigan City, IN (Todd) which is supposed to arrive this week (same config as above for $24,340+$619). I checked the VIN# of my van-to-be and it was not a lemon at least according to the free web page: http://www.automotivesafety.com/home_sheet.html
My concern with that VIN # is that it begins with a "2". This means the vehicle was manufactured in Canada but does that mean it is a Canadian version? I think not, but I would like some opinions on that. This was according to the web page:
Thus, I'm probably going to buy the van in Michigan City, but I'll drive the one in Joliet to be sure and post my story here. I am interested in masshoosier's comment about $600-1000 below MSRP. Can you give me a dealer to call? That is a great price. I talked with Jay Honda in Cleveland and they would give it to me for MSRP plus decent prices on accessories, but still had to order the van.
Once a dealer said to me "people make to big of a deal out the purchase, but it's just a car ". IMHO he is wrong (at least for people who are not rich like me). If I put away $26,000 in a mutual fund today that got 9% annually, in 16 years I could send my two boys to college for 4 years with the final value $103,000 (albeit state schools only ). Cars are very expensive and many people don't realize it. A house costs more but it appreciates in value As good as Honda cars are, they still go down in value.
Many thanks for all the comments! This message board is fantastic! Knowledge is power and this board helps everyone be aware of other opinions and experiences about a very focused topic Honda Vans. I will never buy a car again without spending time on a message board like this.
My van did this as well... however it stayed like that, so the dealer had something to troubleshoot. They fixed it same day by replaceing the latch assy.
I've had problems with my power doors also. I just took the van to the dealer and told them about it. They adjusted them and after that the doors worked fine. You may want to try going to a different dealer. Also, there have been a couple of other times when I had problems similar to yours, when just running a rag over the contact points fixed the problem. I think the contacts are very sensitive to dust, and in my case, dog hair.
A 2000EX Nav with 5k miles just sold in the San Jose, CA area for $28k. The description was GG with leather seats and other unnamed extras. Original cost was $33k + tax, but the dealers in this area regularly get $2k+ over MSRP for an EX (don't know about Nav). Vehicle was apparently fine, just bigger than the owner needed. Sorry I don't know exact the options, but it was sold by the time I reached the sellers. Oh Well.
Comments
I called Princeton Honda and they were a little less. Some posts indicate that Honda's cost to dealer is 845.
My questions - Can you bargain on the price of the warranty?
Does anyone know of a good deal in the Northern NJ, NY, PA area?
Thanks.
http://www.1netweb.com/checklist.htm
I suspect if these people calculated this accurately, they would find that their city mpg in a Suburban would be substantially lower than 13.
Bottom line: If you are disappointed by the Odyssey mpg and trade it in for a Suburban you will be even more disappointed. If you are looking for a very good vehicle with excellent mileage I would recommend the Honda Civic. Also bottom line if you want a vehicle with good gas mileage in the city buy one that has a light weight.
If you know you will be driving the van over 20K miles per year it is much more cost effective to get a 5 year/100K warranty for about $200 less.
Honda doesn't sell a warranty for more than 100K miles.
If your van is over 2 years old and has more than 18-24K miles then you will pay more.
Hoehn Honda (San Diego) - Robert Lennick (760) 438-1818 - $1025
Burns Honda (Marlton, NJ) - Harry, finance (856) 983-0600 - $995
Union Park Honda (Wilmington, DE) - Greg Allen (302) 573-5222 - $925
Hatfield Honda (Maumee, OH) - Don Towle (419) 893-5581 $925 + $57.21 tax = $982.21
Saratoga Honda (NY) - David Winnie (518) 587-9300 - $975
Empire Honda (Denver) - Jim Duvall (303) 399-1950 - $1025
With Honda Care, am I restricted to Honda Dealers for repairs? I too would like to know of a web site explaining this stuff. Or maybe someone (very nice) could scan their docs on Honda Care and post them somewhere.
floth: I would suspect that dealer of reaching for "reasons" why he should make the higher profit selling you some other warranty than what he could make selling you the Honda Care Warranty. In reality, I'm sure you will find much more resistance to "foreign" warranties than you will to the Honda Care Warranty which must be accepted by every Honda dealer. Maybe someone can answer the question about using the Honda warranty at somewhere other than a Honda dealer. Since it would be senseless to me to go elsewhere for a covered repair unless circumstances absolutely required it, I would suspect that the Honda coverage has a similar "special circumstances" allowance for reimbursing you in the unlikely event that your vehicle could not be even towed to a Honda dealer (the towing is covered under the warranty as well). Anybody know for certain?
So I am ahead $1400. The extended warranty cost $1100 and the new tranny would have cost $2500. Also, the truck will soon go on the market since I will be replacing it with a Odyssey EX/Navi in March. I expect I will recover some of the $1100 I paid for the warranty, since it will be transferable to the buyer.
I plan on purchasing the Honda Care warranty for my Odyssey, simply because I do not want to have to go through the hassles I went through with the GE warranty. I have heard stories where 3rd party warranty companies refused to pay for repairs for some reason or another.
I also have a friend that had a Saturn sedan with a Saturn extended warranty. The engine seized and the Saturn dealer said they could find no trace of oil in the engine. When the engine seized none of the idiot lights, including the oil pressure light came on. However, when my friend could not produce records of his oil changes (he threw them out), Saturn refused to pay for a new engine. He pursued the matter up through Saturn support channels but could not get them to pay for a new engine. In the end, he gave the car to a charity and took the tax write off. So the moral is, extended warranties of any kind are a lot like insurance. The provider will try to get out of paying if at all possible. But, in most cases, they can offer peace of mind and do pay off sometimes.
Thanks
Best of Luck
It is a great van but since we only have 2 children and they don't need as much room as they did, we were thinking of going into an Audi A6.
Does anyone know what I could get for it, we are located in Long Island New York where there is still a nice waiting list for a new one.
Thanks for any responses.
I'm just kidding, the main thing with breaking in a new car is limited to a few things:
1) Don't rev the RPM's very high (close to redline is a big no-no)
2) Don't accelerate suddenly or very quickly, in other words, don't floor it.
3)Try not to cruise at the same exact speed for an extended period of time, try to allow variations in speed
4) Don't hit the brakes very hard for the first 500 miles - this will allow them to break-in properly
You could go 80mph and not worry about it, it's not like the old cars where you were limited to 50mph.
I don't remember the amount of miles you should do the above for but I think it is somewhere between 800 to 1000 miles. Check the owners manual, there is a section about the break in period you could read.
Good luck, it is a great vehicle.
But its say two things 1. No suddened stops which hurts the brake linings and 2. Do not floorboard it for the first xxx miles= no sudden accelerations. And that is it. Says nothing about a limit on the speed as they use to do. I would not drive over 80 though.
Keep the special break in oil-this is important- in there according to the manual which is 3750 under severe conditions and about double that under normal conditions. Read the manual
I also have the fuel gauge and warning light problem. My dealer said it had to do with the "load" in the car. I have found no meaningful difference based on weight in the car. Honda's Southeast customer service office claims to be unaware of the problem. I told them to check out this forum. It sure seems they could come up with a fix for this if they were interested.
Our MPG has been improving since we bought the car. Now at about 4000 miles and getting slightly over 14 MPG.
The NAVI is a great tool even though it does contain some minor glitches.
The clincher for us was the perfect condition of this van and the fact that in Georgia there is no sales tax on used vehicles purchased from a private party(saved around $1800)so the "drive it home" price was $24,500 versus 28,900(including tax) plus options plus waiting list for a new one. That assumes that I could get one for MSRP in the Atlanta area. I have heard that is difficult.
Not sure if that represents an accurate value of the van because we made the deal with the buyer on the first day his ad ran in the paper. A week later when we closed the deal at the bank he told us that he had had many calls from people who offerred up to 2k more. He was a man of his word and honored our deal(in part due to a carefully worded bill of sale) but he regreted not fully appreciating the current demand for this vehicle due to the fact that he simply orders them and gets them with no wait and can buy them after 6 months of driving it for a substantial executive employee discount.
Bottom line: the Edmunds or Kelly value you get will likely be too low given the demand. However, if buyers have to pay the same sales tax in your state when buying from you as they would on a new van, that may reduce what you can get for a used one. All JMHO
1)Powertrain Coverage
2)High Tech Coverage
3)Comprehensive Coverage
Since the last one 'Comprehensive' seems to be the one to cover everything, am I wrong in assuming that would be the 'bumper to bumper' coverage?
I purchased it in October for $895.00 (thanks to this board) I remember specifically asking for the bumper to bumper coverage.
What do other people have on their paperwork?
Am I up the creek with out a paddle?
Any info would be muchly appreciated.
I wonder if you have the HCW. It says Honda Care on it. My dealer tried to sell me a non HCW as a HCW. If that is the case, it is not a problem. You can take the warranty back and get a HCW. In fact you can take back the HCW and get another one. There will be a charge for the time you have used it but that is not very big.
My advice is to call Customer Relations for HCW and talk with them. 1-800-999-5901 located in California. fax 1.310.781.4315
If the above CR is closed for the weekend you can proabably call the Roadside Assistance number, and ask them if you are in their data base. That way you will know if you have HCW RA # is 1.800.594.7400, but you may have to wait till Monday.
I'm sure it's somewhere in the 1200-odd postings in this forum, but I can't figure out how to search for the sources of the Honda Care Warranty for about $900. All I get back are the names of forums, not the specific postings.
Can anyone enlighten me, or give me the numbers of the postings that have this info?
Thanks,
Ian
Guess they've gone up a bit, but still less than my dealer is asking...
Thanks again,
Ian
I got a call from a dealer (Honda of Joliet) that got my name from the e-honda web server. She has an LX with nothing on it yet for MSRP. We put down $500 to hold it and went down to drive it late today (Saturday). It was night and she was talking a lot so I did not get to really evaluate the car well. I noticed it pulls to the right and the engine did not seem to have the pick up of the one I drove at another dealership on Tuesday. This transmission also seemed to make more noise that the other I drove although it was difficult to tell how bad it is. It was closing time and they wanted to do the sale right away but I asked to have the alignment fixed before I buy. They agreed and will have it ready for me to buy Monday morning by 11am. The van only has 20 miles on it and its brand new, but I'm still suspicious about this van. Is this crazy on my part?
The thing that concerned me was that the manager said to me "On Monday, if the car drives straight, you will buy the van?" This indicated to me that I'm not supposed to look at anything else on the van when I come on Monday. I'm getting cold feet on this van. Does anyone have any thoughts on if there can be some bad Odys when they are brand new? This is a tough one for me because I love the van and I want one soon but I just don't have a good feeling about this one. I find it hard to believe that they know something is wrong with the van in it's first 20 miles and want to push me into it quickly, but that is kind how it seems.
BTW prices are MSRP $24,340+remote entry, security system, roof rack +$1243, $979 for Honda Care 7yr/100K.
One step you can take is to run the VIN (it must be on a reciept you have for your downpayment) by your state's atty general and/or a car report service to be sure it was not a lemon, flood dmanaged or otherwise totalled (then brought back from the dead with extensive repairs), odometer tampered, etc. Also, as noted in earlier posts, check that all units on gauges are in miles and not metric (as in Canada - were you thinking you got to 80 on the speedometer kind of fast?).
Good luck!
I know our Odyssey got a lot quicker & smoother especially at higher RPM's after we hit around 2000 miles which is well after the breakin period.
When you first get a brand new car, the parts are all brand new, after some miles they wear into each other and they usually get smoother.
One thing I always say when I buy a new car (and believe me, I've had a lot of new cars) I always wait until after I hit 1000 miles before I start to evaluate if something is wrong with it.
If you have ever had new tires installed on your car, it is the same thing, you have to give the tires at least 500 miles to breakin.
So I would go with a clear mind and test drive the van again. I have heard stories similar to yours where someone is lucky enough to find an LX that is not sold. It seems the waiting list is longer for the EX.
As far as the dealer being pushy . . . well I've heard that one a thousand times before, this is common practice in the auto industry, once in a while you will find a dealer whom isn't pushy but for the most part it is usually the former rather than the later.
Good luck with your choice, it is a great Van ! ! !
de Hawkeye
I would'nt worry about the LX not being a good product, and I am sure that you will get great service from it.
The naysayers here will try to convince you otherwise, but in reality the van will be gone quickly. If you like the color and the package, do it.
rockycow
You could get an EX for the price they are charging you for this LX with all the add-ons. I would pass on this deal.
If you can wait, then wait. Your spending a ton of dough, if you get the same gut reaction on the next one thats offered then chalk it up to buyers anxiety and pull the trigger. dj5 is right though, you can almost buy an EX for what the extras your getting charged for. You near chicago right? Then your really not that far from OH and they are selling Odys for $600-$1000 under MSRP in the Cleveland/Toledo belt. For a 6-8 hour drive you could have an EX WITH your warranty for just about the same price....think about it.
Brenda
de Hawkeye
2001 Odyssey EX
I have a problem with the passenger side sliding door. Sometimes, (not when dropped off at the dealers), the door goes to engage to close and the rear portion of the door doesn't latch down and swings out slightly causing the alarm to go off. My wife has told me that sometimes the alarm sounds off while she is driving and the door appears to be closed properly. I'm miffed and have been told by the dealer they can not do something if they can't see it happen. Has anyone else see this or heard about or do you know what to look for and repair... the car only had 2k on it.
Thanks,
Dean
dsienna@home.com
I will check the van out more carefully on Tuesday morning and update this board with what I find. That is if they don't sell it on Monday which they have indicated is likely to happen. If they sell it, I'll just have to wait for the next one as I need to feel comfortable with spending that much money.
I do have another option that I did not mention in my last posting Based on the very helpful advice of caviller, I also put $500 down for an LX at Elliott-Demick Honda in Michigan City, IN (Todd) which is supposed to arrive this week (same config as above for $24,340+$619). I checked the VIN# of my van-to-be and it was not a lemon at least according to the free web page: http://www.automotivesafety.com/home_sheet.html
My concern with that VIN # is that it begins with a "2". This means the vehicle was manufactured in Canada but does that mean it is a Canadian version? I think not, but I would like some opinions on that. This was according to the web page:
http://www.autoinsurancetips.com/vin.htm
Thus, I'm probably going to buy the van in Michigan City, but I'll drive the one in Joliet to be sure and post my story here. I am interested in masshoosier's comment about $600-1000 below MSRP. Can you give me a dealer to call? That is a great price. I talked with Jay Honda in Cleveland and they would give it to me for MSRP plus decent prices on accessories, but still had to order the van.
Once a dealer said to me "people make to big of a deal out the purchase, but it's just a car ". IMHO he is wrong (at least for people who are not rich like me). If I put away $26,000 in a mutual fund today that got 9% annually, in 16 years I could send my two boys to college for 4 years with the final value $103,000 (albeit state schools only ). Cars are very expensive and many people don't realize it. A house costs more but it appreciates in value As good as Honda cars are, they still go down in value.
Many thanks for all the comments! This message board is fantastic! Knowledge is power and this board helps everyone be aware of other opinions and experiences about a very focused topic Honda Vans. I will never buy a car again without spending time on a message board like this.