Having car issues or needing an engine check means that for some time you will not have a vehicle to move around in. In fact, it is your ‘go-to’ vehicle whether to and from work, shopping, or even those occasional long drives out of town. But what happens when your Honda is in the shop for a longer period let’s say two weeks?
Are you left guessing what sort of transportation to use next, or does Honda give loaner cars? In this piece, we’re going to uncover the answer to the Honda loaner car policy and how to get a loaner car when your car is in for repair.
Read also: How To Get A Business Loan In Tennessee
Understanding Loaner Cars
Courtesy cars or loaner cars are ones that auto dealers provide to their clients whenever they want to replace a car that is being repaired or is under service. These cars enable one to continue with his/ her daily activities without any disruption such as not being able to get a car. Loaner cars are usually provided when the car is being worked on for major problems or when the warranty has to be honored not when the car is being taken for normal services.
Loaner car options vary per dealership; some do not charge for their loaner car service while others have certain requirements such as requiring comprehensive insurance for their loaner car. It is possible to ask for an early payout and getting an understanding of these policies can go a long way toward making the best of a bad situation when your car is in the shop.
Does Honda Offer Loaner Cars?
This depends on Honda as a brand that does not prescribe a policy that will force every dealer to have loaner cars for their customers. Therefore, this seems to be a matter that depends on the dealership you take your car for service or repairs.
Some of the Honda dealers accept to provide the customer with another car in case the one he or she hired is being worked on, while others do not. Loaner cars vary from one dealership to the other, so it is wise for everyone with a Honda to approach his or her dealership to be informed on how they handle loan cars.
Factors That Determine Loaner Car Availability
- Type of Service Being Performed: If you need significant repairs or warranty service that could take days, then the automobile will offer a loaner car. This is the common policy for the companies and it doesn’t entitle the customer to get a loaner vehicle if you need an oil change or tire rotation among other small services.
- Length of Service Time: The time that the service takes also has an important influence. If your car will be out for repair for a long time, the dealership may offer to avail a car for lease so that you are not stranded.
- Dealership Policy: It should be recalled that this policy is implemented depending on the discretion of the dealership houses, which means the provision of loan cars may also differ from one dealer to another. A few may have a number of loaner cars on standby while others may provide rental car reimbursement.
- Warranty Coverage: However, if you are still under warranty; especially extended or comprehensive warranty, you will maybe get lucky and have a car to borrow. Terms of warranty normally specify that customers shall be provided with an alternative means of transport.
Does Honda Give Loaner Cars
How to Get a Loaner Car from Honda
In order to acquire a loaner car from Honda, one has to talk to the dealership and make an appointment to service the car. Other questions that one needs to ask include one the availability of the loaner cars. However, they are short in the number of cars they give to borrowers and hence, it is advisable to make an appointment beforehand.
It is time to be precise when returning your car and agree with the service advisor on all the necessary issues concerning the loaner car, time, number of miles allowed, and the peculiarities of return. Some dealers demand extra insurance since they only allow comprehensive coverage on the loaner car. When calling for a ride, it is advisable to consider some details in advance, so that to get a loaner car and continue with your appointments.
Alternative Options if a Loaner Car Isn’t Available
- Rental Car Reimbursement: This is because some of the Honda warranties cover such services as rental car reimbursement. This means that during the time you are waiting for your car to be repaired, you can hire a car and Honda either pays for a part or the whole cost. Thus I encouraged you to go to your warranty provider and see if this applies to you.
- Rideshare Services: Self-driving cars’ success has been made possible by the popularity of such popular mobile applications as Uber and Lyft. These services may be more useful if you require transportation for a limited time only.
- Public Transportation: On the basis of where you live, you might consider using public transport to and from work when your car is with the mechanic. This can be cheaper than contracting for an automobile or Uber car hire services hence considered more efficient.
Read more: Can An LLC Get A Home Equity Loan
Benefits of Using a Loaner Car
- Convenience: The first advantage of having a loaner car is convenience. You can easily go on with your day’s activities such as going to work, picking up some groceries, or dropping the kids at school.
- Cost Savings: When you obtain a loaner car without charge, that means that you are not expending on car rentals or on-hire services.
- Peace of Mind: Loaner cars make sure that a person does not get stuck without a means of transport. It also comes in handy especially when you have to part with a lot of cash to have your car fixed.
Challenges of Getting a Loaner Car
It is not easy to get a loaner car in the following aspects. First of all, it can only be acquired sporadically, while at some dealerships may be virtually unavailable, which in turn is essential when it is in repeated demand at another. Second, high insurance coverage is usually mandatory hence might pose an issue in case your insurance policy does not make the cut at the dealership.
Besides, once you have gotten a loaner car, there are always conditions that govern its usage such as the number of miles that can be covered or how the car needs to be returned. Any deviations from these may attract penalties. As mentioned above, failing to rules may lead to the accrual of extra charges. These factors can make it a little challenging and thus require one to consider certain aspects when doing so and also when dealing with the dealership.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it must be pointed out that Honda has no policy where it mandates dealers to offer loaner cars but many dealers offer such service in endeavor to customer satisfaction. Basically, whether you get to take a loaner vehicle or not depends on the dealership in question, the kind of service that your car needs, and how long it will take to have the car fixed.
So it is advisable to visit your local Honda dealer and find out about their particular stance on this matter. But if a loaner car is not available then there are other ways of keeping you on the go while your Honda is being repaired.
Is it possible to ask for a particular model on a loan car basis?
Usually not, as it depends on the choice of the dealer and not the customer and it also depends on the number of loaner cars available with the dealer.
Is there a standard mileage policy as it relates to loaner cars?
Indeed, it is common to find that most loaner cars provided by auto shops have a quantitative limitation in terms of the number of miles on the vehicle. Make sure you ask the dealership, how much is the limit before leaving.
What do I do when I have an accident on the loaner car?
Always notify the dealership in case the product has succumbed to some damage. While the insurance might foot the bill for the repair work, you will have to cough out the amount for the deductible.