A huge role in the automotive world is played by customers’ attachments to specific brands as well as their reputation. This is also confirmed by the approach to the sale of used cars by authorized dealers of the brand. In the Honda Certified Pre owned program (Honda Approved), only models of own production are available, of course in the appropriate technical and visual condition.
This first element allows manufacturers to keep loyal customers satisfied with the quality of the product and service for decades, while the second one often attracts new customers. Honda has been focusing on regular customers for years, on relationships that last for years.
Honda Certified Pre owned or “Honda Approved”?
Searching the secondary market for a used Honda car is not so easy to find a copy which is sold by a selected dealer as part of the program. Currently, the offer includes less than 40 cars (throughout Poland), which shows the care with which the Honda Approved dealer program selects cars for its customers, choosing the quality of the product and service of the authorized concessionaire – which, on a daily basis, sells brand new cars.
As in the case of other used car dealer programs, in order to provide customers with comfort and safety while purchasing a pre-owned car as well, Honda has adopted a control procedure to verify all cars offered. In one respect, the Honda Approved program stands out from other similar solutions for the sale of used cars. In this program, you won’t buy a car of a different brand than Honda – on the program’s website, only cars of the Japanese brand from different generations are listed – you can search for various Civic models. In the individual offer from dealers, of course, as part of commission sales, you can find used cars of other brands, however they are not protected by the Honda Approved program.
Cars sold in the Honda Approved program are covered by an additional warranty, regardless of age and mileage – which only confirms the high value of even the used cars. The car sold under the Honda Approved program is covered by at least a 12-month warranty, and the customer receives a one-year Assistance package. The Assistance package, which supplements the warranty, includes roadside assistance in the event of a vehicle breakdown. As in the case of other Assistance packages, Honda provides support in the event of a low battery and a punctured tire, and also other situations requiring towing to the workshop.
The Honda Approved program puts satisfaction of its customers first, which is the foundation of a future long-term relationship. For this reason, Honda nonetheless compensates for the age of used cars it sells, offering in addition a car replacement program within 30 days or 1,000 kilometers of purchase. The customer has the right to exchange the car of their choice for another of similar value from the Honda Approved offer in a clearly defined situation. A new buyer can replace the car in the event of a breakdown in the first days in a situation when the breakdown cannot be removed until 30 days after the purchase. Of course, the replacement program does not replace the provisions in force in Polish legislation defining consumer rights.
The Honda Approved program also caters to customers who don’t know much about the automotive industry. On the website of the program, you can get help in choosing a used car. The system, after introducing several variables, presents you suggestions from the current Honda Approved offer. Set the budget that you plan to spend on the purchase of a car, determine the size of the vehicle (bodywork) and the characteristics of the routes that you usually cover.
Authorized Honda dealers will evaluate any branded car provided by the customer free of charge, of course, it must meet the quality standards of the brand in relation to products, have an accident-free past and documented mileage. Then, if the presented valuation is satisfactory for the customer, the dealer buys the car, or accepts it in the settlement – it goes on sale in the commission system, outside the Honda Approved program. It also gets prepared in technical and visual terms, which gives the new owner the confidence to buy a reliable car.
Who is the program addressed to?
At the very beginning of the program, the specialization only for Honda cars clearly specifies the target group of customers. The Honda Approved program offer is mostly checked only by people interested in buying a car of this Japanese brand, famous for its high durability and resistance to wear. In addition, customers are attracted by a one-year warranty supported by Assistance and a high level of service from an authorized Honda dealership.
Financing in the program
With Honda Approved, you can count on the comprehensive help and advice of qualified dealers. In addition to helping you choose used cars, when needed, their task is also to determine your financial needs and match appropriate solutions to the value of the transaction and the age of the selected car. You can easily finance the purchase of a Honda car in a form such as credit and leasing – the latter intended for business customers. In the case of leasing, you must remember that the car you selected must be sold with a full VAT invoice. For individual customers, also on the spot at the Honda Approved showroom, the advisor can present credit simulations taking into account the different amounts of own contribution and the loan period and the template of the contract. Your creditworthiness can also be checked immediately, which allows to shorten the procedure of granting financing and finalizing the purchase of a car.
How are cars checked in the Honda program?
When buying a used car, customers who choose the offer of dealer programs count on a higher purchase price, which is justified not only by a higher level of sales service but also by the certainty that the purchased car is actually in good condition and its history is true (the pool of additional services is also not insignificant). The Honda dealership employees inspect the car thoroughly before putting it on the official offer, checking 125 checkpoints.
Inspecting used cars in the Honda service is preceded by checking their history, service repairs, accident history and compliance with the factory specifications resulting from the VIN number. This information comes from Honda’s system. If the car meets these criteria, it is passed to the service center where the thickness and condition of the paint coating is checked, residues from possible accident repairs are searched, the wheel-axle assembly, braking system and power unit are checked together with the equipment for signs of wear. Of course, in the Honda Approved program, the car is also subjected to computer diagnostics, which allows to detect errors in the system. At the end of the inspection, each car is put on a test drive, during which an experienced employee in practice assesses the correct operation of the wheel-axle assembly, braking system and all on-board systems.
Which vehicles are available?
The Honda Approved program’s strict focus on the Japanese-branded cars limits the choice to a few models of different generations. With the help of an experienced advisor, the customers can find the right offer for them. Some dealers also offer cars from other brands, but this information is not available on the official Honda Approved website. Contact to dealers can be found on the websites of individual dealers.
Honda
The Honda Approved model range, as we have already mentioned, is limited to cars used only by the Japanese brand. Due to the age criterion, which allows up to seven years of age, there are two generations of the compact Civic, SUV CRV, HRV, sport CRZ, the last incarnation of the middle class Accord or the urban Jazz model. Most of them are gasoline engines, which are especially recommended for this Japanese manufacturer. The Diesel 1.6 and 2.2 versions are slightly less common. Currently, the program’s offer includes less than 40 copies in various price ranges, most of them is fueled with gasoline.
Other brands
The Honda Approved dealership program offers only Honda cars. Cars left in the settlement or purchased by authorized Honda dealers are sold on a commission basis, in which case the terms of additional benefits are individually determined by the dealer with the customer. Any assurances shall be given to the customer in writing.
Used cars from companies – fleet hits of the program
The scale of the Honda Approved program compared to other programs on the market is small. The low number of used cars with a fleet history also explains the low popularity of Honda cars in the company’s fleets. Occasionally, Honda Approved offers used units that were previously owned by companies – most often left in the settlement. Their great advantage from the point of view of the next customer – a company – is the sale with a full VAT invoice.
Advantages of the “Honda” program
Purchasing used cars in dealer programs gives a number of benefits. In the case of Honda Approved, the customer can count on:
- A certificate confirming the mileage of a given copy
- One-year warranty
- One-year assistance package
- Car replacement program lasting 30 days or up to 1000 km
- Attractive terms of purchase financing
- True vehicle history with full service documentation
- Thorough check of each car sold based on 125 checkpoints
- Possibility of leaving an old car in the settlement
- Drawbacks of the program
The Honda Approved program also includes some inconveniences that the customer must take into account:
- A small offer scattered throughout the car dealerships in Poland
- Prices above the market average
- Limiting the offer practically only to Honda cars
The Honda Approved program will satisfy very particular customers looking only for a perfectly maintained second-hand Honda car. Additional services such as warranty, the assistance package should not put our vigilance to sleep. As in the case of any purchase of a used car, it is worth checking its history yourself by purchasing an autoDNA report. By spending a small amount, in a short time we will confirm the reliability of the seller’s promises.
