Extended Warranties

b52_bob

Have a 97 Breeze 75,000 miles. Need a EXT Warrantee. Can any experts give me direction on a worthwhile warrantee company???
THX B52_Bob

carguy79

I know the the ESP's for AL, FL, GA, NC, and SC are all from Southeast Toyota. They are serviced by JM&A Group (aka Fidelity Warranty, Century Warranty)out of Deerfield Beach FL. The MS, LA, OK, and TX are more than likely serviced by a provider approved or financed by Gulf States Toyota. If I am not mistaken, SET and Gulf States Toyota are the only two distributors in the US that have not been bought out by TMS.

sohappy_1

Does anyone have an opinion or experience filing a claim with Geico's Mechanical Breakdown Insurance? I have a 2003 350Z with 13,800 miles on it that's covered with the MBI. Should I get Nissan's Security+Plus extended warranty before it's too late or too costly?

mvls1

I have no experience with GEICO products, but it seems that you must have your auto insurance with them in order to get the MBI according to their web site. I would think that their coverage would pay out if needed as they are owned and backed by Berkshire Hathaway. For those who don't know who or what Berkshire Hathaway is it is run by the billionaire, Warren Buffett. Do a web search and you will find that GEICO is solid as a rock with assets exceeding 12 billion dollars. Please, tell us how you happened to come to purchase this policy, what it cost and is it true that it is paid (renewed) annually like your auto insurance?

sohappy_1

Your vehicle must be insured with Geico. It cost $44 every 6 months with a $250 deductible. My cost over the 7 year period will be $616. It automatically renews every six months with my policy. It's good for 7 years or 100,000 miles whichever comes first. Below is information copied from their website and the last section is copied from my policy:

Mechanical Breakdown Insurance Buys You Peace of Mind
You've purchased collision insurance to protect your new car in case of an accident and comprehensive insurance to protect against hazards such as fire, theft, or broken glass. But what happens when your air conditioning dies or your automatic windows won't close, just after your car is out of warranty?

GEICO’s Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI) is designed to protect you from these bumps along the road. After a $250 deductible, MBI covers repairs to all mechanical parts of the car - except for maintenance and wear and tear. That means you'll never be saddled with unanticipated and expensive repair bills.

Special Protection For New Cars
MBI is specially designed to protect your new or leased car that is less than 15 months old and with less than 15,000 miles. Once you've purchased MBI, you can renew it for up to seven years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first).

Better Than An Extended Warranty
GEICO’s MBI provides better coverage and is cheaper than the typical dealer extended warranty. MBI coverage:
Includes all parts and systems-not just the specific list of items covered by most dealer warranties.
Saves you money. You pay only a small premium each policy period-not a large lump-sum payment up front.
Lets you get your car repaired wherever you like.
Swap Your Extended Warranty For GEICO’s MBI
Already purchased your dealer’s extended warranty? Most contracts give you a full refund if you cancel within 30 to 60 days.

It’s easy to add MBI coverage to your policy. Do it online or give us a call.

MBI Exclusions
Exclusions to this policy include such regular maintenance services as tune-ups, suspension alignment, wheel balancing, filters, lubrication, coolant and fluids, spark plugs, brake pads and linings, brake shoes, and tires. Also, breakdown repairs made necessary by intentional damage, corrosion, misuse, or improper maintenance are not covered. Multi-Risk Insurance coverage is in excess of coverage provided by your manufacturer’s warranty. Read the policy amendment for the complete terms and conditions of this coverage.

Listed on policy:

Multi-Risk is a package of coverages that includes Comprehensive, Collision and Mechanical Breakdown (MBI). This coverage protects you from expensive auto repair bills when your car experiences a mechanical failure. Multi-Risk is usually much more affordable than the Extended Warranty offered by your car dealership and in some instances covers more. Varying deductibles are available for the Comprehensive and Collision portions of the package; a $250 deductible applies to the Mechanical Breakdown. You should add Multi-Risk protection to your policy as soon after the car is purchased as possible. GEICO Multi-Risk can only be added if it is a current model year vehicle, the vehicle is less than 15 months old and the odometer reading is less than 15,000 miles, and you are the first title holder. Multi-Risk coverage expires once the vehicle is 7 years old or reaches 100,000 miles.

illinialumni

I just bought a Chevy Malibu, and want to get an extended warranty. I have seen several messages where people say that they would trust AAA with the extended warranty, but has anyone actually bought one? The price they are offering me is significantly less than my GM dealer, and less than even the guy up in PA, and AAA's covers tire damage (up to 500 over the life of the contract). My contact at AAA says that they recently switched to American Mercury (part of Mercury Insurance) as the provider. One does NOT have to pay the AAA dues during the life of the contract assuming you don't care about the free trip maps and non roadside assistance stuff. Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

mitzij

I've never dealt with AAA service contracts, but if you want to: get a copy of both AAA's contract (ask for it) and GM's contract (is on GMPP's website). Read both carefully and be sure AAA covers what you think it does. Also, be sure your favorite mechanic will deal with AAA if you have a claim.

willie330

I just tried the same thing and got the same results, however I had just spoken on the phone to an insurance agent that told me that "Warranty Direct" had lost there rating from AM Best.

willie330

I have spent the better part of the day calling about extended warranties. I just purchased a 2002 Seville with a year to go on the mfg. warranty. From the info that I have gathered American Mercury Platinum is one of the better policies. Anyone have any thoughts on this.

danf1

If you are stll under the factory warranty, then you can get a GM warranty on your car. Read back a few pages and you will see why that would be the best thing to do.

illinialumni

Any particular message number?

I did spend a while last night reading through the American Mercury contract, and jeez are there a lot of clauses. They are even very explicit that if you fail to meet the recommended maintenance (i.e. I go 3001 miles between oil changes) it can void the entire warranty. I am sure that this is standard verbiage, but I didn't see it in the GMPP, and it is a bit intimidating.

dampier

In 2001 I signed up for 1 Source to continue my warranty on a 1998 Chevy Malibu. After experiencing all of the most common failures, costing me well over $1000 in repairs, I figured I should probably protect myself from what would be coming next.

It's March 2005 now and my Malibu was totalled in an accident last month, so I can now give you my 3 1/2 years of experience with this company, without any bias, as my contract with them is now basically over.

Plusses: Company lets you split up payments to cover your contract, which is likely going to be in the $1500 range; contract covers more than most extended warranties; company re-assures independent repair people that services will be paid at the end of the day on 1 Source's own major credit card account making it possible for you to have your car repaired just about anywhere; contract offered $0 deductible and lasted five years.

Minuses: Long hold times on toll free repair hotline leading to many complaints from service departments about them spending long periods of time waiting to get authorization; uneven experience with covered repairs - it seemed more at the discretion of the 1 Source rep you reach; nitpicky and more reluctant to cover repairs without inconvenient "third party inspection," which grows more frequent the more often you use the warranty; Attempted to require me and the dealer to accept overnight shipped parts because 1 Source claimed the dealer was asking too much; unresponsive to complaints.

Overall: If you can afford patience and don't mind renting a car while waiting for someone to verify the necessity of a repair, this company might work well - otherwise try for dealer warranty first.

1 Source is heavily advertised online, especially by so-called "independent" review sites of extended warranties. These usually push Warranty Direct and 1 Source, and virtually all have a vested interest in providing glowing reviews as they earn their money by getting people to sign up.

During the first two years I had the warranty, I experienced no problems. They readily covered repairs that clearly fell within my service agreement. But clearly belt tightening has been taking its toll on 1 Source. The more you use your warranty, the more picky they become. I noticed this when I reached within $500 of having the warranty pay for itself. Suddenly, the company wanted to cover repairs on the cheap by actually asking a dealer to accept parts shipped overnight to them instead of using the parts already on hand. You can imagine many dealers flatly saying no to this arrangement, but what especially becomes a nuisance is the fact you don't have your car at the end of the day and instead have to wait on 1 Source. After a heated complaint call by me, 1 Source relented and paid the claim, but I was wondering why I had to call in the first place.

One November 28, 2003, my car had problems that would require the installation of a parts kit. Pep Boys was to do the work, and it was clearly covered under my contract. The Pep Boys rep was shocked to tell me 1 Source balked at the repair because:

a) they only wanted to cover one part that had failed and were rejecting the fact the replacement part was provided only as part of a cartridge;

b) that despite the strong recommendation of the manufacturer that both sides of the car be repaired because failure was imminent, 1 Source would only cover the failed part, not one that was imminently in danger or doing so, which would have put my life and my passengers' lives at risk;

c) the 1 Source rep who claimed to have worked at a dealership several years ago took it upon himself to argue with Pep Boys about the kinds of parts used in cars today. As the Pep Boys rep explained, the 1 Source rep may have knew what he was talking about 10 years ago, but it's a whole new world out there, and the 1 Source rep had an ego to protect.

d) Amazingly, the 1 Source rep admitted that, during our round of calls to him and Pep Boys just before Thanksgiving, he was the -only rep- working there that day, that the guy sent to replace him for the next shift (emphasis on GUY and not the plural) never bothered to show up, and he was just closing down the call center early and going home. He also actually complained about how lousy his working conditions were at 1 Source and that "he felt for me" but his bosses were "cracking down" on claims because "money was tight." The best he could do for me was to send out an independent inspector three days later, and giving me a small allowance to rent a car while I waited.

I was completely outraged by this, and the Pep Boys service department couldn't believe it either. Despite complaints to 1 Source which they ignored, I ended up having to pay for the entire repair myself. Once you complete a repair out of pocket, you lose your right to appeal with them, because they use their contract clause that says you must allow your car to be inspected upon request.

The bottom line here is that unless your vehicle suffers a catastrophic failure that requires a multi-thousand dollar repair (and you can bet they'll want to inspect that), the average customer is probably going to find that the closer you get to getting your money's worth, the harder 1 Source will be about covering that work. Since they realize most people aren't going to rent a car for a day or two - they'll pay repair costs out of pocket - it gets hard to ever see your money back on the types of repairs most of us will encounter (wiper motor, window motor, bushing bars, door handles, heating/electrical, etc.)

The service guy at my dealer said that he sees extended warranties come and go. The ones offered by the dealer/manufacturer usually cover you without a lot of arguments. The third party providers are another story, and most service guys hate to deal with them.

I hope this helps others who are looking into extended warranties as I did.

Phillip Dampier

mvls1

Which regional AAA are you located in as I would like to speak so someone there about their program. Also did you find any information on their web site or Mercury Insurances web site?

1spillman

I have been checking myself on extended warranties and some of it is still really confusing. I have been told that warranties backed by RRG's are very risky by my dealer (they sell the factory warranty). The warranty companies
online that are backed by a RRG tell me they are re insured, so I will not have any problems. I just spoke to a person at a online warranty company, that said a directly insured contract is the best. I did find this link very interesting
http://www.5starwarranty.com/BreakingNews.cfm
Could someone explain

Kirstie_H

Thanks for taking the time to share your personal experience, Phillip.

Suddenly, the company wanted to cover repairs on the cheap by actually asking a dealer to accept parts shipped overnight to them instead of using the parts already on hand.

The only way this is likely to result in savings is if the parts shipped are used rather than new. Hm... how can it be truly cheaper for 1Source to purchase the part AND pay for overnight shipping?

liferules

Phillip,

Great review! I feel much more informed now, and agree with all of your suggestions.

Thanks.

illinialumni

I am located in the AAA South region. The information I got was directly from them, although I did find some other information from the American Mercury website. The wording copied below is directly from the contract (Words in ALL CAPS are just as they are written in the contract). Point #4 is certainly intimidating.

I want to repeat that I still believe that AAA is about as honest a company as any of us are going to find regarding 3rd party warranties (I have seen enough here to discount ANY of the other web based ones). The person I have spoken to at AAA has been extremely helpful and spent alot of time helping me out.

What I haven't found here yet is someone else who has used American Mercury. I still have time to decide, so hopefully we can find someone.

DIRECTLY COPIED FROM THEIR CONTRACT SAMPLE
----------------------------
----------------------------
A. VEHICLE MAINTENANCE:
1. You MUST follow the instructions contained within Your Vehicle owner’s manual regarding proper operation and scheduled maintenance. Your Vehicle manufacturer’s mileage recommendations will be considered the maximum allowable interval between service requirements.
2. You MUST retain Maintenance Records, as defined herein. If You perform maintenance on the Vehicle Yourself, You must maintain a log showing the date, mileage and type of maintenance service performed. You must also keep receipts for the purchase of the products used to perform the maintenance service (e.g., lubricants, and filters).
3. In the event of a Mechanical Breakdown, You will be requested to produce all Maintenance Records, proving that proper maintenance has been performed before a Mechanical Breakdown will be covered under this Contract, regardless of where maintenance is performed and by whom.
SECTION V. GENERAL PROVISIONS
A. This is a Vehicle Service Contract between You and Us. It is NOT an automobile liability or physical damage insurance policy, nor a warranty or guaranty. It does NOT comply with any financial responsibility law or cover consequential loss of any kind.
B. Contract Period: This Contract expires at 12:01 a.m. on the expiration date shown in Your Declarations, or when the number of miles identified as the expiration mileage in Your Declarations appears on Your Vehicle’s odometer, whichever occurs first.
4. Failure to produce all requested Maintenance Records will cause denial of benefits under this Contract.
A Routine Maintenance and Repair Log is provided to assist You in planning and keeping track of the maintenance required on Your Vehicle, regardless of where the maintenance is performed.
5. Some examples of maintenance that are recommended by the manufacturer of Your Vehicle are:

a) Change engine and transmission oils and filters
b) Check other required fluid levels
c) Change air and fuel filters
d) Replace worn timing belt, fan belts, and hoses
e) Tune-ups, adjustments and alignments
f ) Inspect C.V. joint boots
g) Flush radiator and replace coolant
h) Re-pack wheel bearings

Refer to Your Vehicle manufacturer owner’s manual for all recommended maintenance services. If You do not have a Vehicle owner’s manual You must either purchase one from a franchise dealer or You may contact Us and We will provide You with the maintenance requirements for Your Vehicle as required by this Contract.

willie330

Did exactly that yesterday. The Cadillac dealership I bought the car from couldn't match Black Cadillac and Oldsmobile of PA on the cost of the GMPP and it definetly is the safest way to go and apparently the cheapest. Thanks for the info.

illinialumni

Any luck mvls? I am very interested in your opinion. I just saw a few pages back where you were asking about AAA with the Nationwide plan. The guy I have spoken to at AAA said that they liked Mercury better.

boating

I purchased an extended warranty from AAA five years ago for a 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Cost was $1,300 with a $50 ded. Chrysler warranty at time for same coverage was $2,200. After the repairs that were covered exceeded the initial cost, frequently an "inspector" had to examine vehicle before repairs were "authorized" by warranty company. This caused scheduling problems for dealership mechanics. Vehicle was always repaired by 5-starr Chrysler/Dodge dealer. Several times my Jeep was at the dealership lot for up to a week while being repaired. Service writer encountered problems such as no return phone calls and busy signals from warranty provider. Dealership stopped handling AAA warranties and wanted customers to pay for repair and told to submitt repair order to AAA provider for reimbursment. Would I but an extended warranty from AAA again? Absolutely not! I would purchase one directly from manufacturer, ie. Honda-Honda Care, ect.

driftracer

That's very typical with most private service contracts, except that many claims are denied, you didn't mention that AAA denied any of your claims.

That's why I preach using manufacturer's contracts - the dealership service manager is the "adjuster" if there is a need for one, and also the rental car and payment granting authority.

Your transmission fails, you have it towed, they put you in a rental, order parts, fix it, you pay your deductible (if you have one), and pick up your vehicle - simple as that.

As far as mfr service contracts costing more, that's just not accurate - sure an F&I manager may mark it up to sky high, but a little research on your part beforehand will tell you what to pay - if they don't want to play by your rules at delivery, you can always buy online from any of the hundreds of dealers selling mfr service contracts.

illinialumni

I find out that these two places that sell over the internet CAN'T sell to Florida!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh. Can anyone here tell me how GM would know if I had the warranty bought from a relative's address outside of Florida? Any thoughts? Just when I was really happy to have made a decision to go with another GM dealer this happens.

Kirstie_H

Yes. The upside is that you could get a cheap warranty. The downside is that you could be charged with fraud. It's not legal to claim you live somewhere you don't in order to skirt the laws of your state of legal residence. This will be especially apparant if you purchased the car in Florida and it's registered in Florida.

You may or may not get caught, but all-in-all, doesn't seem like a winning solution.

151ranch

The reason they can't sell in Florida is the Department of Insurance regulates the pricing in Florida. Basically it locks in the commissions the dealerships make, so everyone that buys from the dealership gets charged the same price for the same warranty. The intent was to keep people from getting charged too much, but in your case it keeps you from getting a cheaper warranty.

I would check with your auto liability insurer to see if they sell warranties or mechanical breakdown insurance if you really don't want to buy the GMPP from your dealer.

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi illinialumni. 151ranch is absolutely right. In the interest of protecting consumers, the state of Florida prohibits the negotiation of selling prices of extended warranties. Any extended warranty sold in your state must be done so at one price. It is a silly law because while it helps consumers who are too lazy to shop around and get a good deal, it hurts educated shoppers like yourself. So the problem with purchasing a policy from a dealer in a different state isn't exactly that they aren't allowed to sell to you, it is just that they can not sell to you at their normal discounted prices.

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illinialumni

For what its worth, this is directly from the Florida statutes (I actually believe that since they post the price on their website for "all consumers" that there is no problem, but hey this isn't a law discussion):

634.1815 Rebating; when allowed.--
(1) No salesperson shall rebate any portion of his or her commission except as follows:
(a) The rebate shall be available to all consumers in the same actuarial class.
(b) The rebate shall be in accordance with a rebating schedule filed by the salesperson with the service agreement company issuing the service agreement to which the rebate applies. The service agreement company shall maintain a copy of all rebating schedules for a period of 3 years.
(c) The rebating schedule shall be uniformly applied so all consumers who purchase the same service agreement through the salesperson for the same coverage shall receive the same percentage rebate.
(d) The rebate schedule shall be prominently displayed in public view in the salesperson's place of business, and a copy shall be made available to consumers on request at no charge.
(e) The age, sex, place of residence, race, nationality, ethnic origin, marital status, or occupation of the consumer shall not be used in determining the percentage of the rebate or whether a rebate is available.
(2) No rebate shall be withheld or limited in amount based on factors which are unfairly discriminatory.
(3) No rebate shall be given which is not reflected on the rebate schedule.
(4) No rebate shall be refused or granted based upon the purchase of or failure to purchase collateral business.

buck99

I have bought many extended warranties over the years but only one third party warranty. I was not happy with the way that they had to inspect what the dealer had already found and then denied it for some technicality. From that point on I only bought the GM Major Guard warranty and have been very pleased. I also researched the pricing of this warranty and found huge differences in the price. H&H Chevrolet in Kershaw, SC sells these warranties for $100 over their cost.

cadillacmike

"The reason they can't sell in Florida is the Department of Insurance regulates the pricing in Florida. Basically it locks in the commissions the dealerships make, so everyone that buys from the dealership gets charged the same price for the same warranty. The intent was to keep people from getting charged too much, but in your case it keeps you from getting a cheaper warranty. "

I guess this proves that the F&I guy wasn't lying to me when he told me the exact same thing owhen I bought one of my recent cars!

Also, note how the law in FL considers these things as a type of "insurance" not a "warranty"...

mitzij

Service contracts are more like insurance. Definitely not warranties.

cadillacmike

"Service contracts are more like insurance. Definitely not warranties"

Yes, the word "actuarial" gives it away!

varuscelli

Just a bit of follow-up, and with many thanks for related replies from the folks on this list (especially driftracer).

I did some non-local calling around and ended up getting an out-of-state quote on a Toyota Platinum Extra Care Plan at 84 months/75,000 miles $0 deductible for $630 and 84 months/100,000 miles $0 deductible for $875. (This in regard to a recently purchased 2005 Camry.)

After receiving this quote, I e-mailed every Toyota dealership in my local area (about 10 of them) asking them if they could beat the price I was offered. The e-mail part was easy, just me sending out a rather "boiler-plated" or "template-style" e-mail with the same text repeated to each dealership. After using Toyota's own website to identify all the dealerships that I'd consider local, it didn't take that long for me to send an e-mail copy to each dealership asking that it be forwarded to their finance department/finance manager.

I had some non-responders, a couple who said, "Sorry, we can't beat that," and a couple who were even fairly insulting in their replies (insinuating that I was just "claiming" to have the plan available at this price).

However, one of the local dealerships has e-mailed me with an offer that beats the out-of-state offer quoted above. Locally, they offered me 84 months/75,000 miles/$0 deductible at $600 and 84 months/100,000 miles/$0 deductible at $850.

I've not yet signed on the dotted line with any specific dealership, but the choices seem to be narrowing much in my favor by virtue of some comparison shopping and willingness to ask what is being offered by whom (the "can you beat this quote?" approach).

Thanks again for the great feedback. I'll likely post an update on my final decision once it's made, for anyone interested. What a great place these forums are...

scribe2u

I cannot find a web site for Gulf States Toyota, the distributor. gulfstatestoyota.com is a single dealer in Houston. With around 150 dealers, you'd think that GST (the distributor) could afford a web site. Are they hiding from the public?

151ranch

Yes, they are hiding, wouldn't you? Seriously, they have ads all over the Automotive News, etc. But since they are essentially a middleman, why would they have a website for the public? They only sell their products through the dealers.

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2001/1008/118_print.html

Also, http://www.toyotatechs.com

voicemailking

Purchased a pre-owned 2003 ES 300 lexus from a private party. I can get a 6 year 100,000 mile platinum policy from lexus for about $1500....Is it worth it?? Car has 30,000 miles and i want some kind of plan..only drawback i see is i can only use lexus for repairs, where if i get a 3rd party extended policy i could go to my mechanic..thnaks in advance!!

rmactahoe

Thought I would share with the board the best price I have found so far for an OEM GM Warranty.

As mentioned several pages back, Black Pontiac Cadillac's GM Outlet has some kicka** pricing. Here is the link to their pricing (You have to choose vehicle class first)

http://www.gmoutlet.com/quote/emailserver/majorguard/mgn_email2.htm

As they sell on the Internet, you don't have to pay sales tax if you live outside of PA. For me, that means an immediate savings of almost 8%. However, be careful of their processing fee if paying by credit card, though they are offering $30 discount if you buy by March 31/05

If you have found any better pricing, please let me know as I am about to bite on this very soon.

Thanks,
RMAC

danf1

Buy two things. First get the Lexus backed service contract, and second buy your mechanic a beer. You can still use him for general maintenance, just not warranty work.

maureenbr

I would like to know which dealers offered the best deal. I just bought a 2005 Solara convertible and would like to get the Toyota Plat Extra care plan as well. I've been doing a few searches and came across www.toyotawarranty.com , they are dealership in Ohio. But the prices you found are at least $200 less. Please let us all know. Thanks!!

68mpolo

Hello,
I need some feedback.
Just purchased a new 05 Saturn V6 FWD Vue three weeks ago. I was able to get 0% financing so I opted to buy the extended 5 year/60K mile warranty. The Vue I have now is actually the "second" view because I took advantage of Saturn's 30 day exchange policy (the first Vue I picked up had AC problems which I let them attempt to fix after the second day of ownership, problem occured again 2 days later). The Vue I have so far has been problem free.
This car will be used by my wife for relatively close driving (within 5-15 mile radius) of our home and the occaional road trip.
We plan on keeping this car for a while.
My question is, Is it worth it to have this warranty or should I take advantage of the 60 day return policy?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

gilf

I just bought a new '05 Nissan Pathfinder. Dealer offered 2 days before pickup an extended bumper-bumper warranty of 6yr 100,000 for $1300. He said this is $200 off. I said I would think about it. I went in on Sat to get my truck and he knocked the extended warranty coverage down again to $970. He also stated all along that it will be refunded 100% if I were to never use it over the 6 yrs. Is this a good deal, scam? What should I look for or ask questions about? He said I can come in anytime(within reason) to buy it. He also stated that the strict guidlines(doing all services required) set in the initial warranty won't be as strict if I were to purchase this extended warranty. I am pretty sure thats a crock of s..., and I told him so. However I still might be interested in the extended warranty. Is this a good deal?

boomer1b

Who backs the warranty? Is it a nissan warranty or a 3rd party?

...Proceed with caution !

qbrozen

I don't see how it could be refunded after the 6 years if you don't use it. That would mean the company backing the insurance would not make any money. Think about it, they have to pay all claims, but refund on those not making claims? That's a lose-lose proposition. The only wins would be from those who used the warranty for, say, one $200 repair in 6 years.

boomer1b

Some ex-warranty companies allow a partial refund if the plan is not used during a certian time period.

driftracer

at our dealership in Wyoming who was making that promise until he was fired. Sounds great, it's a win/win...especially for the F&I guy and dealership, but the chances that you'll use it once or twice, or trade or sell the car without the warranty going full-term, are MUCH greater than you keeping the vehicle for 6 years and 75,000 miles and not having a warranty claim...

He was run out of town on a rail. The dealership owners didn't want to employ someone who would use such weak tactics to make sales, especially at the huge risk to their 60 year old (at the time, 1993) store and outstanding business reputation...

keeferb

We also just bought an '05 Pathfinder last week. When the finance guy brought up the extended warranty option, I politely declined. I told him I bought one on my last vehicle and never used it. He said the new Nissan warranty is fully refundable if it is never used. I still declined, but was intrigued by this new 'money-back' warranty.

qbrozen

right, but that's totally different.

qbrozen

Heck, if its true, I don't see how anyone could turn it down. You have absolutely nothing to lose.

driftracer

if you're reading this on your day off, can you drop me an e-mail with the status of the GTO deal? Trying to plan days off for my wife and I for Friday..thanks.

68mpolo

driftracer,
I'm new to this board and was wondering if you could offer some advice for me. I posted #930 "Saturn Warranty" It's a $0 deductible, exclusionary policy (seems to have a lot of exclusions). I'm wondering if the $1350 spent on the warranty is worth it. I do plan to keep the car for a while AS LONG as it is relatively problem free. I am already bringing the Vue in on Monday to get a faulty stock speaker checked and to also get my brakes checked. Again, this will be my wife's vehicle and will be used primarily for short distance driving. Any advice would be greatly apprecitated.
Thanks.

driftracer

How long will you keep the Vue? You seem to drive very few miles, compared to the 15-20k annual average. If 4 years or less, I don't think you'd need more than the 3/36 basic warranty.

If 5-6 years, your 5 year plan won't cover you the entire time.

Saturn's warranties are set in price and non-negotiable, but I know they offer in-house $250 checks (like rebates) that can be used on the warranty or accessories - the F&I person had several of these in her desk when I bought my Ion Redline.

My point on time and miles is that if you only drive 10,000 miles per year, and plan to keep the vehicle 4 years or less, extended coverage probably isn't necessary.

68mpolo

Thanks for the response!!!
I bought the Vue for my wife and child just to get them in a larger vehicle (I traded in my Mazda3). I'm not sure how long we'll keep the vue, I'm thinking atleast for the whole 5 year loan. But we are planning on having more children in the future so we'll have to see how well the Vue accomodates that.

I doubt we'll get even 10K miles a year out of it. I was just a little concerned because of Saturn's poor percieved reliability and the fact that the first Vue I bought had problems with it already. Im hoping this one won't have too many problems either.

What are the $250 checks you mentioned??

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my question.