I took our long-term 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid in for its 22,500-mile service last week. This was a minor service, with only an oil change and tire rotation being required. I took the Accord to Clawson Honda of Fresno, Calif. I arrived at the scheduled time of 8 a.m., and a service advisor, Vicky, promptly met me and took town my details...
But after about 10 minutes of waiting in the lounge, Vicky came in to tell me that a recall notice affected our Accord Hybrid. It stipulated a PCM reprogram (a computer software update), which meant that the dealership needed more time with the Accord than I was willing to wait for. Vicki kindly arranged for a shuttle to take me home. At 10:30 a.m., she called me at home to tell me that the Accord was ready. The shuttle pickup went smoothly, and Clawson had washed the Accord for me. The final bill was $48.36 with the PCM update being under warranty.
As dealer visits go, this one was better than most. A courteous service advisor, prompt service and a good car wash car go a long way towards making a customer happy.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor, Edmunds.com, 22,604 miles
desmolicious says:
07:28 PM, 10/ 7/06
Makes me realise how cheap it is to service my Wrangler. Oil changes (w/ coupon that they send out monthly) are $19.99 at the dealer including safety check list. Wheel rotations? Costco rotates/balances for free.
billt9 says:
10:22 PM, 10/ 7/06
$20 oil & filter change and $20 ish tire rotation is about standard, + tax.
Edmunds just hasn't bought tires from Sam's/Walmart/Costco/Discount Tires etc yet to get free rotation. But they haven't put out an extra $360 to a new set of tires yet.
Just another typical bill.
vma131marine says:
10:27 AM, 10/10/06
That total actually seems low for an oil change and tyre rotation. The Accord Hybrid (at least the '06 anyway) requires 0W-20 oil which is a full synthetic. My first oil change cost $38.99 at the Honda dealer because of the synthetic oil.
desmolicious says:
12:05 PM, 10/10/06
Yup, full synth oil changs cost waaay more. Don't feel too bad. If you had a BMW M coupe or M3 (like I did), the requirement was special BMW 0W60 oil to maintain warranty. It was something like $12-$15 a quart!
CWCJr says:
01:47 PM, 12/29/08
Be sure to check your manual and not believe the service representative. a) The 2005 Accord Hybrid does NOT require 0W-20, it requires 5W-20. b) The 0W-20 special oil is required for the Civic and the Insight because of the clearance on an engine bearing. That does not apply to the V-6 in the Accord Hybrid. c) The 0W-20 Honda oil required for the Civic and Insight does not state anywhere (packaging, online, literature) that it is a synthetic. Just that it is specially blended for those vehicles.
FYI) My 2005 just went through the 60,000 mile check. The only issue I have had with it is from a rock through the AC condenser - $700+. Comprehensive insurance covered it. Also, a very POOR dent repair job ($2200) from hail damage by Dent Wizard. Someone used a highspeed drill or buffer wheel on the paint that left swirls in the paint.