How Honda is making car maintanence affordable again
The cost of living crisis is having an impact on how Australians maintain their vehicles.
As rising prices for basic goods and groceries force households to adjust their spending habits, car owners are delaying regular services to save money according to a survey conducting last year on behalf of insurance provider, Youi.
The 2024 Car Care and Costs survey found that more than a third of respondents drove a vehicle that was overdue for prescribed maintenance, with almost three quarters of those citing cost as the primary reason for holding off.
Even though most mainstream auto brands now offer capped-price servicing plans that provide a transparent view of basic costs for the first few years of new-vehicle ownership, it's easy to see why those on a tightening budget are holding off as some cars can cost a lot to maintain and prices can fluctuate at certain mileage benchmarks depending on the scope of work required.
And that makes it hard to budget for, especially if the vehicle requires a major service which may cost three times as much as the prior visit.
But that's not the case if you own a Honda, which makes it easy to plan and affordable to keep your vehicle in good health.
In fact, Honda's Genuine Servicing program is one of the best value and most transparent in the business, with the first five scheduled service visits costing just $199 each – no matter which model you own, whether it's a regular petrol-powered HR-V city runabout, a complex CR-V hybrid or the high-performance Civic Type R.
It's the same price for every vehicle (sold on or after October 1, 2022), and every time, for the first 50,000km or five years, with zero bill shock.
With more than 90 Honda Service Centres around the country, covering all metropolitan cities and major regional centres, it's easy to keep your car in good health – as we experienced recently when the Honda CR-V RS e:HEV we were road-testing was due for its first annual service.
First, we checked the Honda Australia website to find the closest service centre, which provided a list with their location, contact details, operating hours and even a Google star rating with a link to reviews.
From there, you can choose to either call, visit the dealer's website or simply book online, which we did.
Depending the scope of work and the number of bookings at the Service Centre on any particular day, a regular service can take between two hours and a full working day.
Thankfully, all Honda Service Centres have a bespoke lounge where customers can wait in comfort. Or, when making the booking, you can request access to a loan vehicle if one is available.
And because the service is so affordable, don't think that the technicians do little more than kick the tyres and look under the bonnet.
Nope, all Honda Service Centres are staffed by fully qualified and expertly trained technicians that complete a comprehensive mechanical and safety check that follows the unique requirements prescribed by Honda in the Owner's Warranty and Service Manual for each individual vehicle.
No matter what, each visit includes replacing the engine oil and oil filter, a full inspection of the suspension, steering, brakes, exhaust and fuel system components, electronic diagnostics and battery condition tests, and a thorough review of key safety items such as lights, indicators, and windscreen wipers.
The technician will also replace the brake fluid and air filter when applicable or when required according to the prescribed maintenance schedule, and rotate the wheels for optimum wear.
Once the essential work is complete, the technician will test drive the vehicle to assess for any operational or quality concerns, before compiling a final report for the owner. And even give it a wash, so it is sparkling when you pick it up.
A key part of Honda's customer-centric pledge is that it promises to notify consumers immediately if any additional work is recommended or required, and to provide a cost estimate prior to approval.
So, it's that simple – and affordable – to ensure your Honda stays healthy.
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