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Extended Warranty - Toyota Extra Care

alohatofualohatofu Member Posts: 16
edited August 2015 in Toyota
A dealer offered me 7year 100,000 miles extended warranty through Toyota Extra Care Platinum for $940. Do you think this is a good deal or not? They said that why would be able to lower my interest to 5.5% if I purchase this extended warranty. I have a few questions.

1) Do you think at $940 is a good price?
2) Do you think I can cancel the extended warranty and get the refund and keep the low APR?

See also: Secrets of Negotiating a Car Extended Warranty
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Comments

  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    I just purchased an '08 Toyota Corolla and the dealer highly recommended buying an extended warranty from Fidelity Warranty Services, Inc. - they are out of FL. It's a Platinum Coverage which is 7 yrs/ 100,000 miles but mine cost $1562.00. I have a $0 deductible. This warranty also came with GPR - guaranteed price refund - if I never have to use the warranty I get the $1562 back. I called Fidelity today and they confirmed this.

    Now I am having 2nd thoughts abt this. I have 30 days to cancel. I spoke to the dealer today abt my concerns with the warranty and he said it was from Toyota which made me feel better. Fidelity is owned by JM Moran Company which owns Southeast Toyota - they distribute all the Toyota in the Southeast.

    I don't think they would be very happy with me if I cancel this policy yet I am wondering if it's worth it.

    What do you all think?
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    "dealer highly recommended buying an extended warranty from Fidelity Warranty Services, Inc." I highly recommend to buy some land on Mars too.

    Fidelity Warranty Services, Inc. sounds not like Toyota to me. GPR is definitely a sales gimmick. You need Toyota Extra Care warranty. Use link bellow for reference but I'm sure you can find lower prices.

    http://www.bernardiwarranty.com/Departments/Toyota-Extra-Care/Corolla/New-Coroll- - - - a-Personal.aspx

    Keep in my mind that you can buy extended warranty any time before you car hits 3 year/ 36K miles limit.
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    I wish I had known this before I was pressured into the warranty from my dealer! I live in NC, would this make a difference to your policy? The Bernardi warranty is a lot cheaper too.

    I did find out that Fidelity is owned by the JM Moran Company which owns and they own Southeast Toyota which means that they supply the Toyota's around the Southeast.
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    Link I gave you is not for "Bernardi warranty". This is factory direct Toyota Care warranty that honored in every Toyota dealership across the US. Bernardi Toyota dealer only sells it at discount price but if you do some reading in the extended warranty thread you might find another dealer that sell it for even less.
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    How hard is it going to be to cancel the warranty I purchased? I know the dealer is going to be mad and probably nasty. What are my rights? Not sure if you know this or not....
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    You said that you have 30 days to cancel. Read the fine print on your warranty contract. Go ahead and cancel while you can. I'd care less about "mad and probably nasty" dealer who's taken advantage of me.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Check the fine print about getting a Toyota warranty too. Some manufacturers won't let you cancel and then turn around and get the extended warranty again.

    The SET Fidelity warranty should be different from the Toyota one, but there may be some agreement between Toyota and that distributor that may come back to bite you. Probably not a problem, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    Steve - Are all these types of warranties a rip off? Are they legally bound to honor their service contract? I'm sure I could find something cheaper but I wonder if it's worth all the work to save a couple hundred dollars.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Are all these types of warranties a rip off?

    Ah, that depends on who you ask and how well you sleep at night knowing it may cost you $1200 to fix your navigation (or other expensive computerized doo-hickey, like the ECU) in your SUV a few months after the manufacturer warranty expires.

    I think extended warranties are a big profit center for the dealers and I've never thought they are worth it. I have made buying decisions based on long factory drivetrain warranties though. (5/50 and 7/70 for my last two new cars).

    Personally I'd rather keep the cash in my interest bearing bank account and hope for the best. Plenty of people report that an extended warranty has paid in spades for them though.

    I think the best ones are like the ones Subaru and I think Honda offers, and you say the one you got has this deal - you buy them, but if you don't use them during the extended warranty period, you get your money back. Maybe Lucky_777 knows something about this gimmick that I don't though.

    I don't really trust the non-manufacturer warranties much - too many of those outfits have gone bankrupt leaving owners holding a worthless scrap of paper.

    Are they legally bound to honor their service contract?

    Well, they are supposed to do what the contract says they'll do, right? The reputation that many of the aftermarket companies have is that they have a long laundry list of items that aren't covered, and will take any opportunity to deny your claim. So then you have to go to the BBB or court to try to enforce the contract.

    The manufacturer backed warranties are supposedly a bit better about spelling out coverage since how they treat their warranty customers also reflects on how they treat their car customers in general. And dealers may be more familiar with how the factory backed ones work, which may be a factor if you plan to move, or you travel a lot or if your dealer folds.

    Other talking points:

    You have a factory warranty so any extended warranty will be running at the same time as the factory warranty, and you may not get any benefit from the extended one until after the factory warranty expires. This harkens back to another point of Lucky's - since you can buy one before your car hits the 3 year/ 36K miles (or whatever) warranty limit, if you wait, that gives you ample time to predict whether your SUV is a creampuff or has some issues. If it has lots of issues, you may decide to trade, and that may negate your ability to get your extended warranty money back and it may not be transferable to the new owner.

    An aftermarket extended warranty company may require you to pay for the repair up front, submit paperwork and then wait for payment. Or they may take a few days to authorize work, which can mean an extra trip to the dealer. Rumor has it that the manufacturer backed warranty is easier to deal with in this area.

    Hope this hasn't made your decision harder. :blush:
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    I normally don't buy extended warranty but in my case I've taken few things in consideration. Firstly I tend to keep cars for long time, though not as long as I used to before. 7 years is a minimum for me. This is a first year production for HL and looking at Avalon and Camry first year production issues I wanted to have better long term coverage. Lastly I paid $560 for Toyota platinum extra care for a vehicle with price around $30K. So far I had zero issues with the HL but for the money I paid for the warranty I can sleep better for the next 7 years.

    As far as blndamb15 paid $1562.00 for the COROLLA warranty... If you look at the car price vs extended warranty price ratio then warranty cost was 5-6 times highier for blndamb15's Corolla then for my HL. For the money he spent on the car I'd rather buy a 2008 Camry with most of the bugs worked out by now and wouldn't worry about a thing. I wouldn't buy any warranty for Corolla. It is dependable, relatively cheap, and had been around for a while.

    My advise to blndamb15 - cancel your warranty, get your money back and invest them somewhere. When you'll be close to 3year/36K limit then revisit extended warranty issue again.
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    No you didn't make my decision harder. It would have been a lot easier if I had known all this before buying the car but I wasn't aware of this type of thing. They really gave me a great price on the car plus a great interest rate so I saw the extended warranty as an insurance policy. If I never use the warranty, I get the $1500 back. The dealer has been in this area forever so I figured if anything happens with this warranty, I could go back to the dealership since they are the ones who sold it to me. I'm sure they wouldn't like showing up on the news with the a consumer reporter talking abt their business practices if they decide not to honor what they sold me.

    I had a Honda before, bought it used, and I seemed to have so many problems with it that the thought of having a warranty to save me some money in the event of a breakdown for my new car seemed like a smart idea.

    I did call Fidelity Warranty Services yesterday and they seem legit and they did confirm the refund policy.

    Does anyone know how much the dealership makes on selling these warranties? I am curious to find out.

    Thanks so much for your time. This is really a great education for me!
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    One more thing to add to my post above... Don't hold your breath on getting $1500 back. Chances are high that you'll have a non major issue within next seven years. Once you get your car repaired even for let's say $50, or $200, or $500 then you can kiss your $1500 good bye. And if you invest your $1500 today in the moderate mutual fund then it will be worth around $3K in 7 years.
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    Lucky, you give a good case for cancelling this warranty. Have you or anyone you know, ever done this?

    I have another question, and you might now know the answer, but why are businesses allowed such bad business practices? Shouldn't stuff like this be against the law?
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    Steve, I tried to be so careful in getting a good deal on a car. The warranty was for me an insurance policy against big repairs. Now, I'm beginning to think that I should cancel this. I spoke to the dealer yesterday about my concerns with the warranty company. He definitely sounded defensive, like he knew I was thinking of cancelling it. So, now if I do go ahead and tell him to cancel it, I'm concerned abt his attitude and getting his cooperation with the cancellation. He could sit on it for months and all I could do was bother him weekly to see if it's been done.

    I am getting the feeling that their livelyhood is based on selling these warranties.

    Any suggestions on the best way to handle this? I know I sound clueless, and I am, so any suggestions would be helpful.
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    Some people here canceled warranty without a problem but you need to read a fine print on yours. I'd say then sooner you do it then better. As far as car dealers and "bad business practices"... They go hand by hand for ages. You hadn't seen the worst of it yet. Nothing new here.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Does anyone know how much the dealership makes on selling these warranties?

    I've seen reports as high as 60 to 80% profit on each plan:

    shadow5599, "Malibu/Malibu Maxx: Warranty/Extended Warranty" #19, 31 May 2006 8:02 am

    My gut tells me 40 to 50% is more typical and my guess is that the profit margin is lower with the factory backed ones.

    Here's another option to further muddle the issue - you could tell the dealer you paid too much and you're going to cancel unless he lowers the price $500. :shades:
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    Ok, but here's the thing: I'm scared to do this! The guy seems mean and like he would be angry. I'm not upset at all with the car, I love it actually, but I wish I hadn't bought the warranty.

    Can someone give me some courage here to do this?????
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    He's not gonna bite you. You're not stealing from him, but him from you. This is your right to cancel and this is your money. I guess you need to bring your mom along to scare the hell out of him. :mad:

    You never said how much you paid for the car, I'm sure your were taken there too.
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    Actually, I got a great deal on the car.

    My mom is like me, very passive, so she wouldn't be much help.

    Geez, I hate this type of stuff!

    How do you do it? You sound like nobody gets one over on you. What the secret?
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    Secret is very simple. Educate yourself before not after. This site has wealth of information on car buying process. I knew about warranty, windows etching, seat protection, and other high margin gimmicks ahead of time and refused everything on the spot. Don't be afraid to confront the dealer. Get your hard earned money back from him or he'll spend it on gold watch or silk tie.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I suppose you could cancel by certified letter. Maybe cc the local consumer protection agency. It's just money though; the dealer may grumble but will quickly move on to another sale, and the people in the service department won't know you from Adam. The whole staff may turn over in six months too.

    I've purchased three new cars since 1982. There's no way I'm not going to leave money on the table when I buy my next one - the dealers sell cars every day and they'll get me one way or another. That's ok, as long as my deal is fair. They have to eat too.

    Check the Prices Paid discussions, TMV and watch out for the rip-off room (where the F&I person tries to sell you the etching and mop & glow), and then get your best deal and then forget it. Life's too short. Go take a nice drive and enjoy your new car. :shades:

    And next time do it all by email or fax and never go to the dealer after you've done all your test-driving.
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    I did that with the price of the car - I used this site so I knew what a good price was - but I wasn't prepared for the warranty thing. I had so many problems with my other cars, big items failing and expensive repairs, that the thought of not having to worry about it sounded like a great thing to me. Plus, with the price refunded if I never use it, it didn't seem like much risk. That was the clincher for me.

    Thanks for all your help. You've been really great :blush:

    I'll post later on the results of this whole thing. :D
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    Thanks Steve. I don't mind them making money off of me, I understand that's business. Actually if this was a true Toyota warranty I'd be happier abt it. Some people I've talked to said that they always buy extended warranties but only from the company & not 3rd parties. Since I only buy a new car every 7 - 10 years, I'm not familiar with their sales tactics or how they bait people into buying stuff they don't need. (I didn't buy the mop & glow ;) or his etchings.) In 10 years, when I buy another car, I'll have to go through this all over again :sick:

    Well, thanks for all your help as well. I've learned a lot through this entire process. :D
  • blndamb15blndamb15 Member Posts: 12
    Just wanted to let both you and lucky777 know that I cancelled the ext warranty last week. Everything went well - they were actually fine with it. Thanks for your input!
  • pwmusicpwmusic Member Posts: 5
    Where did you find a better deal?
  • gunga64gunga64 Member Posts: 271
    If you want other options. But I'd look at the deductible. Nothing stinks more then have a warranty and then something breaks but you have a high deductible like $150-250.00 and refuse to fix it.

    Was going to get one for my sienna from SamsClub in 2001. As time went by the warranty costs went up dramatically. In 2001 it started at like $1200.00 a few years later the quote was for over $2000.00 for the same warranty. I think with Toyota you would do better with out an extended warranty. Specially since the drive train has moved up some. Our sienna repairs added up to about $550.00 during the time the warranty would have been in place. So spending 2k would have been a really bad idea. Start running synthetic oil as soon as they allow you to prevent engine problems it also helps prevent wear and tear and its realitivy cheap. Do your maintence as it states. Transmission fluid drain not a flush, antifreeze etc. I did them every 30k
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    Buy only Toyota Extra care warranty. Never buy third party. Read here lucky_777, "Toyota Highlander Prices Paid and Buying Experience" #2703, 2 Oct 2007 7:50 am and above.
  • balboa2151balboa2151 Member Posts: 5
    i have 36600 on my rav4 what extended warranty would be best to buy. i called many toyota dealers and they all tell me the same thing that i can't buy a toyota warranty because i am past 36000. thanks rich
  • cubanpete2cubanpete2 Member Posts: 6
    I just purchased a 2005 Highlander 4WD 6cyl and it is in superb condition. Purely for aesthetics, I had them add leather seats and "wood" panelling from a Toyota dealer certified company. The wood is cheap plastic (I expected expensive plastic or some kind of laminate) and when I asked if I could have a nicer wood/leather steering wheel installed, the dealer said that they didn't do this in that the risk of damaging the air bag electronics was too high. Can anyone who owns a "limited" Highlander (which comes with the "wood" interior on some models) tell me if theirs is plastic or laminate? Also, regarding the steering wheel, while what the dealer said makes sense I would like to know if anyone else has done this, or has an educated opinion on if they are correct in their assessment. Many thanks in advance. PAS
  • dema1dema1 Member Posts: 2
    Lucky 777,

    Where did you buy your Toyota Extra Care warranty and what were the terms? I had just purchased a 2008 Highlander Sport 4X2 for my wife and the dealer was trying to sell me the Platinum Toyota Extra Care 6yr/100K for $995.
    I believe I can do better, but don't want to go with anyone but Toyota.

    Any recommendation would be greatly appreciated.
  • nwcyclistnwcyclist Member Posts: 2
    I realize your post wasn't addressed to me, but I recently purchased a 6yr 100K Platinum Toyota Extra Care warranry ($0 deductible) for my 4x4 '08 Highlander. The lowest price I found was $880 from Toyota of Greenfield. Transaction was very easy.
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    I bought 7y/75K Toyota Platinum no deductible for $560 from Midwest superstore http://www.midwestsuperstore.com/. That was for 4x4. 4x2 should be $60 - 100 less.
  • dema1dema1 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for all who responded, as when I presented the various prices to the dealer, they were able to adjust the price of a 7yr/100K (0 deductible) Toyota Platinum Extra Care warranty from $1235 to $890. Which I believe is more in line with the going rate.

    Thanks again to all.
  • tinsytinsy Member Posts: 6
    We have also just purchased a 2008 Highlander Limited (love it) and am wanting to purchase extended warranty. I am glad to see the lower prices here, my own dealership offered a non-Toyota warranty, did some cking around found out about Toyota Platimum Care and am very glad to find the price from the boards here much less, than I thought. Would you mind telling me the name of the dealership and where you purchased your warranty from. I called another Toyota dealership and they said you can purchase Toyota warranty from any dealership....they just put in your vin # and pull up your car. Would like to be fair & purchase from where I bought the car if they will match price.
    Thank You, this forum has been great
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    http://www.midwestsuperstore.com/

    call and ask for financial department.
  • tinsytinsy Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the help. I did sign up for the Platinum care at my dealership.
    7/100,000 for 900.00

    I would not have had the leverage had it not been for this forum. Thank you everyone.
    It is a little higher than some posted here but seeing how I bought the Highlander Limited 2x4 MSRP 40,300 for 35,300 OTD I felt I had an excellent deal. In my state we pay sales tax seperately directly to the state. So to keep all the paper work in one place it was worth it.
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    You lost at list $200, but that's small change...
  • tinsytinsy Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for replying. I felt it was a good deal(esp for an '08 redesigned), just wanted to know where I stood. Appreciate the info. Do you have the break down?
  • lucky_777lucky_777 Member Posts: 205
    All I said, that you could pay at list $200 less for the same warranty if you'd shop around. As far as car price you need to post in the "Prices paid" thread. You have to list every option that you got and itemize what you paid for it.
  • tinsytinsy Member Posts: 6
    Gotcha
  • guymadisonguymadison Member Posts: 2
    I got my dealer to match the Toyota Extended Warranty from Troy for 6 yr/100,000 miles no deduction for $875 for my new 2008 Highlander Hybrid. Thanks to ALL for the information. Without your advice I would have been stuck with a $1400 3rd party warranty.
  • trelfaztrelfaz Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 7y/100,000 mile warranty for my 2008 highlander hybrid from jerry in the finance dept. from http://www.midwestsuperstore.com/. The cost was only $964.00 all others were well over $1200.00 And the great thing is I didnt have to haggle he gave me the low price up front and since I live out of state there was no sales tax.
  • mforermforer Member Posts: 3
    Hi Everyone,
    I'm going to buy a Toyota certified '03 Matrix if things work out with the price. Car purchasers don't generally know that they can purchase an extended warranty from a dealership OTHER THAN the dealership they are buying the car at. It's most important for those that willing to share their extended warranty "bumper to bumper"/ "wrap around" pricing deals to list the amount, type of policy (gold or platinum) and dealership contact info. Without that info, no one will know which dealership to contact and to patronize. Query: Desperately in need of some contact info for dealerships that offer great prices for extended warranties and their prices. The more info, the better. Thanks a bunch in advance. Time is of the essence! :shades:
  • mforermforer Member Posts: 3
    Thanks a lot for your posting but one important question...."Toyota of Greenfield?" What state is that dealership? Do you have their website info and if so, please post it? You bought your Toyota Extra Care warranty from them, but where in hatties are they? :cry:
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Just a wild guess, but try www.toyotaofgreenfield.com. :)

    Looks like they are in Mass. Don't see a warranty link off-hand.
  • sebemismnusasebemismnusa Member Posts: 23
    My relatives and I have bought several Toyota Extended Warranties from Toyota of
    Greenfield, Massachusetts. Their web site is http://www.toyotaofgreenfield.com/

    I saved hundreds of dollars from other Toyota dealers. This is a "standard" Toyota warranty from Toyota. Toyota of Greenfield just sold this for less (I guess make a profit on volume)
    End
  • dakineguydakineguy Member Posts: 46
    I just bought a 2008 Highlander Limited FWD Platinum Warranty from Tustin Toyota (7 years/100K miles/$0 deductible) for $955.
  • kevnjonikevnjoni Member Posts: 2
    I am interested in purchasing Toyota's Platinum Warranty for my new '08 Highland Limited. Do you have the name of the person at Tustin Toyota who sold you the warranty?
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Do you have the name of the person ...

    We ask that you not post the names of sales people or other contact information here. If you wish to exchange that kind of information then please take it to email. Thanks.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • kevnjonikevnjoni Member Posts: 2
    So noted. dakineguy, at your earliest convenience, would you please contact me through my email address and let me know the name of the person at Tustin Toyota that I should contact for Toyota's Platinum Warranty price. Thanks.
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