I am in the process of buying a second hand Civic from a local Honda dealer.
I will be paying a fair price and the car is in excellent condition.
However the Service Book is missing. It has only covered 11,000 miles in it's 18 months so by rights is only missing one stamp. The dealership tell me they have record of the car being serviced on the Honda database, will order me a new service book and have it stamped. The remaining 18 months of the 3 year warranty will be unaffected.
Now this all sounds rosy to me, however I am a cynic.
Is 'losing the service book' a way of hiding something?
Any experienced voices welcome.
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I would feel the same as you, but if the car is on the honda database (and you have seen the computer details) and they are willing to honour the rest of the warranty then i don't think it is a risk. Even if it hadn't been serviced it has only gone over the oil change interval by about 1000 miles or 6 months - so hardly any cause for concern.
Normally i would say never buy a car without full service history, but this is an exception to the rule.
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This sounds fine by me.
When was the last time a Civic needed much warranty work anyway? its not a Merc or Fiat is it?
Maybe ring up Honda UK with the reg number to confirm. Will you be getting the car serviced at the supplying dealer? If so its not your problem but his.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Ask them to print out the service history data. Or if you think he?s being crafty with his tippex, ask a different Honda dealer to show you.
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Fear not - Its a Honda. No problemmo....
My Civic only had one problem in three year warranty with passenger window electric motor failure. This was replaced quickly and without aggravation by the local Honda dealer. Honda dealers are probably giving Toyota dealers a run for their money as the best around.
Don't get cocky though Blue Haddock!
Seriously - Don't worry.
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I would concurr with all the above.
It sounds OK to me but you really don't want any grief arising from this.
The problem is that when you talk to the dealer you are going through an intermediary. You are NOT talking to Honda direct.
Should that Honda dealer close down, any undertakings they have made on the vehicle without Honda's knowledge or approval will probably be invalid, and trying to get Honda to keep to them via another dealer or direct could be difficult.
My approach would be to check with Honda themselves in writing that the history of the car is SOUND and will support the remainig warranty, and that the warranty is still effective despite the lack of a service booklet. A telephone conversation to their warranty department together with names/contact details of personnel etc is the best way to start this.
Then get the same from the dealer in question that the warranty is effective and the service schedule has been met. Also get the copy of the computer printout to back this up.
Furthermore, you need to consider any possible implications that may arise when you come to sell the car or trade it in via that dealership or another. Does the price reflect this?
H
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Cheers for your thoughts!
Phoned Honda and they recommended I ask for a print out from the Dealership of the Record of Service.
This I did and was presented with evidence that the service was completed.
All seems well.
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Questions to consider are how quickly the car racked up that mileage, and just how long has it been sitting unused on the dealer's forecourt?
I insisted my Honda dealer did an oil and filter change, and replace the battery on the Accord I bought from them with 12k on the clock, after discovering that it had actually been sitting around for more than six months. The first service had been carried out beforehand, but oil degrades regardless of use.
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