Preventive maintenance/checks for a car just about to go out of warranty?
By Cars & Motorcycles on Apr 18, 2009 with Comments 2
Busybee asked: I have a 2004 Honday Civic Couple LX that has logged 35000 miles. The company warranty runs out at 36000 miles and I have an oil change due at the dealer. I wanted to know if there are some basic checks that I can ask the dealer or a mechanic to carry out before I run out of the warranty. I have not had any issues with the car so far, and have been following the factory recommended maintenance schedule.
Filed Under: Car Maintenance
About the Author:
The only new car I EVER bought brand new was a ’78 Honda. It NEVER saw the inside of a dealership’s garage, and NOTHING ever went wrong with that car until it got to 114,000 miles.
After I replaced the alternator, water pump, wheel bearings and front struts, it went without anything going wrong until 223,000 miles. That’s when I replaced all the above-mentioned stuff again and the CV joints.
At 233,000 miles I sold it for half what I paid for it.
You got a bulletproof car. I’m convinced to this day that most things that go wrong with cars are because dealership mechanics get their hands where they don’t belong when you take it in for “service”. Yeah, they service you alright, the same way a stallion services a mare.
The car I have now has 350,000 miles on it, 250,000 on the same engine, and I’ve had it 20 years. It’s EXTREMELY reliable, and costs next to nothing to maintain and keep in good repair. I spend far more on paint and upholstery than I do on mechanical stuff.
If you take that car in and tell the mechanic the warranty is about to expire, so would you please “do me a favor. . .” . . . he’ll do himself a big favor too, and when you’re leaving he’ll say “I’ll see you soon!” And he’ll mean it!
I’d look at what Honda reccomends for the 36k/40k service and have the technician follow that. Honda’s are terrific in terms of reliability and would continue to trust the car to operate just fine.