extended warranty
Champion
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,702
Likes: 2
From: N. Florida
Warranty Direct quoted me pretty good prices, but I elected to go "bare-back", just keeping the manufacturer's warranty. On both cars, we've had no repairs needed that weren't covered by the OEM warranty.
In most cases, you're better off putting whatever you'd have paid for the warranty away in the bank. It's a crap-shoot: you're betting something will fail that's covered, they KNOW it won't.
Cases in point for both sides: I paid about $1,200 for a warranty on a '95 Dodge Van. The motor died LONG after the warranty expired, so I was out the warranty cost AND the replacement motor. There was another vehicle that had a failure long after the warranty expired, but I forget which it was.
I paid about $1,400 for a warranty on a Chevy 1500. Chevy spent over $3,000 on that POS in the two years I owned it, but a lot of that would have been covered anyway, so some of that $1,400 was probably wasted.
We bought a '86 Olds Cutlass and a warranty on it. That warranty probably paid for itself in alternators and the refund we got when we traded the car. My mom bought a '93 Buick LeSabre and an extended warranty. That warranty bought three alternators and a water pump or two, so it paid for itself.
My mom bought a '03 LeSabre and wanted to buy an extended warranty. I told her to forget it. The car needed work on the rear passenger power window a year or so later. The bill (because she went to the dealer): $520. Once again, they tried to sell her an $1,800 warranty. She told me, "See -- if I'd had the warranty, the window would be covered." I asked her if $1,800 was a fair price for a $520 repair (which anywhere else would probably not have been more than $350)
In most cases, you're better off putting whatever you'd have paid for the warranty away in the bank. It's a crap-shoot: you're betting something will fail that's covered, they KNOW it won't.
Cases in point for both sides: I paid about $1,200 for a warranty on a '95 Dodge Van. The motor died LONG after the warranty expired, so I was out the warranty cost AND the replacement motor. There was another vehicle that had a failure long after the warranty expired, but I forget which it was.
I paid about $1,400 for a warranty on a Chevy 1500. Chevy spent over $3,000 on that POS in the two years I owned it, but a lot of that would have been covered anyway, so some of that $1,400 was probably wasted.
We bought a '86 Olds Cutlass and a warranty on it. That warranty probably paid for itself in alternators and the refund we got when we traded the car. My mom bought a '93 Buick LeSabre and an extended warranty. That warranty bought three alternators and a water pump or two, so it paid for itself.
My mom bought a '03 LeSabre and wanted to buy an extended warranty. I told her to forget it. The car needed work on the rear passenger power window a year or so later. The bill (because she went to the dealer): $520. Once again, they tried to sell her an $1,800 warranty. She told me, "See -- if I'd had the warranty, the window would be covered." I asked her if $1,800 was a fair price for a $520 repair (which anywhere else would probably not have been more than $350)
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
From: NC
I hear you, but with todays economy i was able to pay $2,200 for a lifetime warranty on my wifes H3 Hummer and this truck has been nothing but problems since we bought it so it will pay for itself in due time.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: SLC, Utah
I know I got an extended 2 year on my truck, but not sure what I paid. Id have to look at my paperwork. I owned an Audi A4 before I got my truck and got a 3 year ext warranty with that and it came in handy cause it ended up breaking down a lot and the engine also blew in it which got covered. as far as recommending a company Im not sure.