phoenix1987

Hello everyone. Hope everyone is having a great day.
I recently bought a new 2018 Honda Civic sedan. I am loving the car! During the buying process, the finance manager at the dealer gave me many additional add-on options to add like extended warranty, anti-theft stuff etc. I ended up adding their "prepaid maintenance package" (from PSC Autoshield). It was added to my finance loan. Now that I think of it, I should have probably just bought it and not added it in the loan. Feel a bit stupid about it now. So the package cost is $447 for 5 maintenance visits. They say it is for 5000, 10000, 15000, 20000, 25000 miles. They said that the 15000 miles service is a big one which otherwise costs around $300. I later called the service center of this Honda dealership and asked about the cost of service at 15000 miles. They said that according to the maintenance minder, the car dashboard may indicate AB12 (something like that) at 15000 miles, in which case it is $325. Really?

Also, later I understood that the first oil change visit is free for new cars. I was also told that oil change should be done when the Honda dashboard show the orange wrench indicating oil at 15%. The 15% can happen anywhere between 5000-10000 miles depending on how you drive. So, I will have my first free oil change maybe around 7000 miles and the second one around 14000 miles, It means that I will use my first coupon around 14000 miles.

My question is, do you think it is worth it? Too expensive? Do you think this actually saves money with better quality of work? I do want to have all the Honda recommended maintenance done on my car on a timely manner for cars heath but wondering if this is just overpriced.


I can cancel this within 60 days and get 100% refund. After 60 days, it is pro-rated. The refund amount gets reduced from the loan principal amount. The interesting part is that my monthly EMI does not come down even if I cancel, even-though my loan principal amount will reduce. I spoke with the someone at the dealership and they said that if I cancel, my increased EMI will remain the same but I will finish my loan faster as the principal reduces. Seems strange. I am not sure if the final interest that I pay will be same as-if I did not add the prepaid package in the first place.

Sorry for the long post. Thank you for reading and all suggestions are appreciated!!

Regards

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

As a person that much prefers to work on his own car than paying someone to do the work for me (if I have the mechanical know how and the means -- and most of the time I do), I opted out of any extra crap like that.

AB12.. Let's see. They gave me a handy-dandy little cheat sheet to tell me what they'd do
A: Oil change ($40? Assuming there's a deal on oil/filters at Autozone, which there often is)
B: Replace oil and filter (see above. Deals autozone normally has is like.. 5qt oil and a filter for $40), and various system/component inspection (I know what I'm doing, for the most part)
1: Tire rotation/pressure check (free.. would take me like.. 30 minutes -- Cost me a dollar if I didn't feel like going to my dad's house and he has an air compressor)
2: Replace air filter ($20 for Honda OEM and 15 minutes)/check drive belt (we have a chain -- unnecessary)/replace cabin filter ($20 and 5 minutes)

and, to give you an idea of the other maintenance minder codes:
3: Tranny fluid change ($30 maybe?)
4: Spark plug change ($40 and 15 minutes if you splurge?), timing belt change (not applicable), inspect water pump, valve clearance adjustment (free. Takes like 45 minutes on a bad day assuming you have feeler gauges)
5: Coolant change ($30 maybe? assuming 2 jugs of coolant -- Honda Type 2)
6: Replace rear diff fluid (not applicable)

So, based on those maintenance minders, to me, not worth it at all. But I am quite mechanically inclined, so it may be different for others.

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

I never wait until 15% usual @ 60-45% remaining at 5K miles interval. They may in fact change the oil filter every other change.... No.

Their ATF #s are too high, I do it every 30K miles.

ezone

Ripoff.


No, that's a dealership thing. Not Honda. Some dealers will give you your first oil change with them free. They don't have to.

mac25

"$447 for 5 maintenance visits."

If it is for oil changes then it might make sense here in Vancouver.

My shop charges $92 before taxes for an oil change on a civic requiring 0w20.

$92 x 5 = $460 our tax is 12%, so that's $515.20. If they through in tire rotations then it makes sense. ...at least where I live, but you'll have to calculate the cost where you live.

brags

Phoenix1987 To answer Your Question If Your Handy at doing the following Listed below Yourself,? then Honestly No.! You dont need it. from my Point of View its Not worth Paying, Im not sure how handy You are at Doing maintanance things like the Following that Your Civic will need down the Road for Example:?

- oil & Filter changes
- transmission drain & Fill "If Automatic then min 3 x times drain & fill follows"
- spark plugs
- air filter
- coolant Drain & fills 3 x times
- power steering Fluid - extraction 3 x times

because really the reality of owning and maintaning a 2018 Honda Civic is No different than owning an Older One like mine 2008 Civic DX that is IF Your willing to do all things mentioned above Yourself?

phoenix1987

Thank you xRiCeBoYx for your reply! I really appreciate it. I am not really mechanically inclined to do all that stuff myself (I probably should try to though). But even then I am not sure if it is fairly priced.

phoenix1987

Thank you! So, do you think this maintenance package is worth it?

phoenix1987

Thank you for the detailed reply!

phoenix1987

Thank you! Do you think it is a ripoff because it is generally cheaper to get this done at a trusted non-dealer mechanic?

phoenix1987

Thank you! That makes sense. I live in California. I did a full synthetic oil change at a local mechanic and it cost me $82 with taxes (i will check if that included tire rotation). According to my Honda dealer, the 15,000 maintenance is expensive (~$300) which makes this maintenance plan worth it. I am not sure though. I will call a local mechanic and check about their prices for similar mileage maintenance.

phoenix1987

Thank you for your reply! To be honest, I am not handy with any of that maintenance stuff : (i should probably try to get handy though). Even if I am paying for it, I wanted to check if it is overpriced, for eg, if I do the same stuff from my local trusted mechanic.

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

Not for 5 intervals.

Take it to the dealer, and tell them exactly what you want done at each one.

ezone

The ONLY things that car will need up to 25,000 miles is oil changes and tire rotations. At an interval near 25k the minder system might tell you to replace the filter set (service item #2).

There is no 15k maintenance shown in your owners manual.
Read your owners manual.

phoenix1987

Thank you!