Advice on buying a new car in Thailand

[HauptmannUK]

20 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

Thanks. Does the 3 year factory warranty include service/maintenance (oil changes etc)?

Warranties do not cover routine servicing.  Often you can buy a 'service package' - effectively pre-paying for 3-5 years of servicing at a discount.. Sometimes the dealer might bundle this with the deal - I was offered this by BMW and MB dealers last year.  On a small Honda I doubt it...

Edited July 31, 2020 by HauptmannUK

[Sheryl]

51 minutes ago, DavisH said:

It's worth it - many parts that fail on a car can be expensive - LED headlights 30K (on my crv); the turbo unit is nearly 200K baht; steering rack 20K, cvt gearbox, 300K baht, etc. 

On my old civic my airbag sensor failed at 110K kms. Out of warranty, 17K baht. The evtra 40k kms warranty would ahve covered that, but the ultimate care was not avainable back then. 

 

Except that some are suggesting the clause excluding problems due to "wear and tear"  might mean something like that would not be covered....?

[Sheryl]

3 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said:

Warranties do not cover routine servicing.  Often you can buy a 'service package' - effectively pre-paying for 3-5 years of servicing at a discount.. Sometimes the dealer might bundle this with the deal - I was offered this by BMW and MB dealers last year.  On a small Honda I doubt it...

Noted.

 

Does the basic warranty also have a "wear and tear" exclusion?

 

I am starting to rethink my whole reason for buying new vs used car...especially since buying a new car in Thailand is turning out to be an enormously difficult, frustrating and time consuming undertaking.

[Don Mega]

2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Noted.

 

Does the basic warranty also have a "wear and tear" exclusion?

 

I am starting to rethink my whole reason for buying new vs used car...especially since buying a new car in Thailand is turning out to be an enormously difficult, frustrating and time consuming undertaking.

No new car warranties cover wear and tear items unless premature failure can be proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Edited July 31, 2020 by Don Mega

[Sheryl]

8 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

No new car warranties cover wear and tear items unless premature failure can be proven beyond reasonable doubt.

 

What exactly is defined as "wear and tear"?  Couldn't any part breakdown be so described?

 

What I am trying to get a handle on is whether these warranties actually pay out for repairs.

[HauptmannUK]

5 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Noted.

 

Does the basic warranty also have a "wear and tear" exclusion?

 

I am starting to rethink my whole reason for buying new vs used car...especially since buying a new car in Thailand is turning out to be an enormously difficult, frustrating and time consuming undertaking.

The factory warranty will exclude wear and tear items such as brakes, clutch, battery, A/C gas etc.  Pretty much everything else should be covered.  The 'extended warranty' is a form of insurance and basically requires something to fail suddenly for it to be covered.

For example, a gearbox oil leak would be covered by factory warranty, but probably not by the extended warranty (it would be attributed to age/mileage deterioration).

A transmission driveshaft suddenly snapping WOULD be covered by the extended warranty.

 

Many claims caN be a bit of a grey area. Personally I would have all servicing done at the supplying dealer. They are less likely to deny a claim if you are a known customer.

[Sheryl]

2 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said:

The factory warranty will exclude wear and tear items such as brakes, clutch, battery, A/C gas etc.  Pretty much everything else should be covered.  The 'extended warranty' is a form of insurance and basically requires something to fail suddenly for it to be covered.

For example, a gearbox oil leak would be covered by factory warranty, but probably not by the extended warranty (it would be attributed to age/mileage deterioration).

A transmission driveshaft suddenly snapping WOULD be covered by the extended warranty.

 

Many claims caN be a bit of a grey area. Personally I would have all servicing done at the supplying dealer. They are less likely to deny a claim if you are a known customer.

 

Clutch was one of the main things I was thinking of as in my experience it is one of the first things to go on a Honda (though admittedly not usually in the first 140,000 km).

 

How is it decided that a clutch or break failure is "wear and tear"?

[HauptmannUK]

5 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

What exactly is defined as "wear and tear"?  Couldn't any part breakdown be so described?

 

What I am trying to get a handle on is whether these warranties actually pay out for repairs.

Wear and tear is gradual deterioration with age and mileage.

For something to NOT be W&T is has to fail 'suddenly and catastrophically'.  It just completely stops working or you are driving along and it goes bang.

[HauptmannUK]

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

 

Clutch was one of the main things I was thinking of as in my experience it is one of the first things to go on a Honda (though admittedly not usually in the first 140,000 km).

 

How is it decided that a clutch or break failure is "wear and tear"?

Its very tricky. I would say any clutch or brake wear after the first six-twelve months (or 5-10k km) wouldn't be covered. They are highly sensitive to (mis)use....   

 

[Don Mega]

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

 

Clutch was one of the main things I was thinking of as in my experience it is one of the first things to go on a Honda (though admittedly not usually in the first 140,000 km).

 

How is it decided that a clutch or break failure is "wear and tear"?

Clutch and brakes are wear and tear items, basically anything that degrades with usage.

 

Obviously the drivetrain will degrade with usage but they fall under the drive train warranty, if maintained per scheduled service at an authourised dealership they are cover for catastrophic failure.

[Sheryl]

How about the rest of the manual transmission?

[Don Mega]

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

How about the rest of the manual transmission?

Sheryl, you dont come across as an 18yr old thaiboy thats going to drive the car hard and agressively, buy new and enjoy the fact you will be covered for anything that may go wrong...... toss in some new brakes pads every 100,000km maybe a new clutch at 150,000km, tyres every 50,000 and just enjoy.

 

Or buy 2nd hand and be prepared to cover the costs of a new gearbox/engine, some thing new (ish) will still have warranty but if Somchai has been tight on servicing that voids warranty... you will eat the repair costs.

 

FWIW oil changes have both a time and KM range for a reason.

[Sheryl]

13 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Sheryl, you dont come across as an 18yr old thaiboy thats going to drive the car hard and agressively, buy new and enjoy the fact you will be covered for anything that may go wrong...... toss in some new brakes pads every 100,000km maybe a new clutch at 150,000km, tyres every 50,000 and just enjoy.

 

Or buy 2nd hand and be prepared to cover the costs of a new gearbox/engine, some thing new (ish) will still have warranty but if Somchai has been tight on servicing that voids warranty... you will eat the repair costs.

 

FWIW oil changes have both a time and KM range for a reason.

 

Except what I seem to be hearing is (1) most things won't in fact be covered and (2) to have any chance of anything ever being covered I will have to spend considerable time and money taking it all the  way to the dealership for every single oil change. A full day of my time plus higher cost and hassles to schedule it. Not very appealing.

 

Until now I have always bought old cars and paid out of pocket for all repairs. Starting to look like not a bad strategy in terms of saving time and money. And purchasing used is certainly an easier buying experience.

[Don Mega]

6 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

 I will have to spend considerable time and money taking it all the  way to the dealership for every single oil change. A full day of my time plus higher cost and hassles to schedule it. Not very appealing.

 

 

I think new car purchasing is not for you if taking it back to the dealership  for scheduled servicing is an inconvenience.

[sometimewoodworker]

On 7/30/2020 at 6:10 PM, Sheryl said:

They are telling me 45 days!!! I can't imagine why.

 

I need to drive the car into Bangkok, that's why I ask.

We have just got our white plates, the car was purchased on the 2nd of May.

 

They are getting interest on the money you have paid before they pay the registration fees and taxes.

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, HauptmannUK said:

Many claims caN be a bit of a grey area. Personally I would have all servicing done at the supplying dealer. They are less likely to deny a claim if you are a known customer.

You can go to any Honda dealer for servicing to maintain the warranty. The cost is slightly higher than a non agent garage but not much.

24 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

I think new car purchasing is not for you if taking it back to the dealership  for scheduled servicing is an inconvenience.

No need at all to go to the original garage any Honda dealer will do.

 

35 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Except what I seem to be hearing is (1) most things won't in fact be covered and (2) to have any chance of anything ever being covered I will have to spend considerable time and money taking it all the  way to the dealership for every single oil change. A full day of my time plus higher cost and hassles to schedule it. Not very appealing.

The things covered are everything that should not wear out for a long time. As I mentioned service at your local Honda dealer will be OK to maintain the warranty. Service at a non dealer will be quite likely to void it. Your first service may be free or you may only need to pay for items used, but for that one you might need to go back to the original dealer, I don’t know the Honda details.
 

Wear and tear items will not be covered unless there is a manufacturing defect, a worn clutch can happen in hours from new by someone who doesn’t know how to drive a manual transmission.

[Sheryl]

6 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You can go to any Honda dealer for servicing to maintain the warranty. The cost is slightly higher than a non agent garage but not much.

No need at all to go to the original garage any Honda dealer will do.

 

The things covered are everything that should not wear out for a long time. As I mentioned service at your local Honda dealer will be OK to maintain the warranty. Service at a non dealer will be quite likely to void it. Your first service may be free or you may only need to pay for items used, but for that one you might need to go back to the original dealer, I don’t know the Honda details.
 

Wear and tear items will not be covered unless there is a manufacturing defect, a worn clutch can happen in hours from new by someone who doesn’t know how to drive a manual transmission.

 

There is only one dealer within an hour of me so that doesn't help much.

 

"The things covered are everything that should not wear out for a long time" = since the warranty period is only the first few years, sounds to me very much like nothing that is likely to need fixing within the warranty period is covered. In other words, highly unlikely that I'd ever get anything fixed under the warranty unless I somehow bought a real "lemon" which hopefully will not happen.

[Sheryl]

40 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

We have just got our white plates, the car was purchased on the 2nd of May.

 

They are getting interest on the money you have paid before they pay the registration fees and taxes.

 

Ah, so that is it. I wondered.

[sometimewoodworker]

Google translate said 

Honda is offering 24-hour off-site emergency service membership to new car owners for a period of 3 years or 100,000 km (one that comes first) free of charge. 
 

if yo go for the 5 year

 you ***

Maximum confidence, increased warranty period by 2 years or 40,000 km *

Feel comfortable with expenses Allows you to claim unlimited amount per transaction

Unlimited comfort Claim unlimited amount throughout the coverage

Peace of mind at all times With 24 hour emergency assistance for 5 years **

Always reliable, provided by a skilled technician Ready to use genuine parts from Honda.

Worth the investment Helps to increase the value of your car if it is resold.

Convenient everywhere, get service at Honda's standard service centers nationwide.

[sometimewoodworker]

6 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

There is only one dealer within an hour of me so that doesn't help much.

 

"The things covered are everything that should not wear out for a long time" = since the warranty period is only the first few years, sounds to me very much like nothing that is likely to need fixing within the warranty period is covered. In other words, highly unlikely that I'd ever get anything fixed under the warranty unless I somehow bought a real "lemon" which hopefully will not happen.

If you want your warranty, one very good reason for buying new, you will Probably have to use that dealer. But how many Km do you drive? The service interval is likely 10,000km or 12 months which ever is sooner. You can almost certainly make a booking for service so won’t wait long. 
 

Cars have a lot of parts any one could fail without it being a lemon but being expensive to  to fix.

 

car companies offer warranties that they expect very few people to use.

[Sheryl]

I should mention that I have zero confidence in the service quality at the only dealership within an hour me -- the 2 times I used them the work was shoddy in the extreme, they seem to cut corners/not really do what they are supposed to, take forever to get around to it (very, very long waits during which as far as can be seen they are all doing nothing but taking an extended break..you get the idea). So I doubt routine servicing would actually be done as required, more likely just signed off on with nothing really checked or done after making me wait many, many hours.  Adding that to the extra cost and time spent getting there, is why I am so unenthused about the idea of having to do even routine maintenance there. If it were quality work I'd be more amenable but it is not.

[Sheryl]

54 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

If you want your warranty, one very good reason for buying new, you will Probably have to use that dealer. But how many Km do you drive? The service interval is likely 10,000km or 12 months which ever is sooner. You can almost certainly make a booking for service so won’t wait long. 
 

 

See above. From experience I will wait 4-6 hours at least once there during which time they will not be working on my car. Usually not visibly working on any of cars in the lot...and  no one gets out of there in under 4-6 hours.

 

They cannot be trusted to actually change the filter, in fact truthfully can't even trust them to change the oil unless I am standing right there watching them. The guys down the road on the other hand are reliable.

[Sheryl]

Given how difficult and unpleasant buying a new car in Thailand turns out to be, I am surprised there aren't agents who do this for people for a commission. I would certainly have paid not to have spent 4 days of my life (and counting...) attempting to communicate with disinterested dealers. Someone should start a business....

[Susco]

20 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

From experience I will wait 4-6 hours at least once there during which time they will not be working on my car.

During the more than 2 decades living in Thailand I have owned several new cars, bought from different dealers.

 

Every time I need a maintenance I go to the garage, make an appointment and ask how long it will take to complete.

 

In the early years they didn't really understand the concept of making an appointment, but after I explained what I expected, they had no problem with it.

 

Now most garages have appointment system.

 

When I make appointment, and they have not started working on the car within the next 30 minutes after the scheduled time, I step in the car and drive it out of the workplace.

 

In all that time I had tgo do this only once, and the issue was quickly sorted

[sometimewoodworker]

43 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

See above. From experience I will wait 4-6 hours at least once there during which time they will not be working on my car. Usually not visibly working on any of cars in the lot...and  no one gets out of there in under 4-6 hours.

The dealers that I have used have a customer waiting area that overlooks the service area, the only time I’ve had to wait as long as you suggest was when the actual work took around 3 hours. All other times, with an appointment, it’s taken ½ an hour to 1 ½ hours.

 

26 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

I would certainly have paid not to have spent 4 days of my life (and counting...) attempting to communicate with disinterested dealers.

Our experience was very very different. We only spent about ½ a day in total over a few visits and it would have been quicker if we only went to a single dealer.

[Lancashirelad]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

Ah, so that is it. I wondered.

 (Re delayed registration). As mentioned by myself back in post #105.

 

You seem to have rushed in and bought a car at list price from a manufacturer and dealer you have no faith in. I did mention Toyota Approved Used as good value buys. The quality of follow on service available from the supplying or local dealer is just as important as the car itself.

 

If would perhaps have been prudent to ask here before going to the dealer if anyone had experience of buying a new Honda. It transpires several have. There may have been someone not too far away who would have been happy to go to the dealership with you. I would also have taken a trusted male Thai speaker along.

 

A few have mentioned that in order not to maintain the warranty all servicing must be done by a Honda agent. This may not be the case. The warranty would need to read in detail, but it may well be that any VAT registered garage is ok (i.e a bona fide business, not Fred with a shed in his back yard) providing genuine Honda parts are use and the correct manufacturer recommended oil.

 

One more tip: Be sure to ask for a handbook in English.

 

Quote

I am surprised there aren't agents who do this for people for a commission.

Funny you say that, I have thought about setting myself up (in the UK) as a car consultant. However I'm out of touch with the market now and don't consider I have sufficent knowledge, unlike 20 years ago.

Edited July 31, 2020 by Lancashirelad

[Lancashirelad]

* I've been unable to edit my posts here recently, even within the time limit. It show's I have edited the above post, I but couldn't.

 

If would perhaps have been........., should of course be It, not If.

[Sheryl]

9 hours ago, Lancashirelad said:

 (Re delayed registration). As mentioned by myself back in post #105.

 

You seem to have rushed in and bought a car at list price from a manufacturer and dealer you have no faith in. ..

 

Haven't rushed into anything and have not yet bought the car. That's the whole point of this thread: asking for info before buying.

 

I have plenty of faith in the manufacturer.  The local dealer, no.

[Sheryl]

13 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

The dealers that I have used have a customer waiting area that overlooks the service area, the only time I’ve had to wait as long as you suggest was when the actual work took around 3 hours. All other times, with an appointment, it’s taken ½ an hour to 1 ½ hours.

 

Our experience was very very different. We only spent about ½ a day in total over a few visits and it would have been quicker if we only went to a single dealer.

 

Doesn't really help me to know that other people living in different areas and dealing with different dealers had different experiences. I live where I live, and for servicing and repairs I am not going to make overnight trips out of province. Who would?

 

If there was a specific dealer you dealt with to buy that you would recommend and if that was in Bangkok please specify.  While I do not live in Bangkok I will be there for a few days next week and plan to try a few dealers there. Though I am not sure how registration would work if I buy from a dealer not in my province.

 

The 2 dealers I have been to so far (both out in the sticks) were as described.

[4reaL]

Just buy a Honda, they last and if maintained prove very reliable.