Extended Warranties

bobst

"Heater hose bundle leaked at TEE at 65K: a known Windstar issue, considered 'wear and tear', VERY expensive fix not covered"

That's ridiculous! So Ford expects the heater hoses to start leaking at 65K miles and they consider it wear and tear. It shows they aren't stupid because they know their products are pieces of junk.

bobw3

If your repair history is the norm for a Windstar, then that's pretty sad. I guess on the one hand it's good to get opinions from those who have purchased and used extended warranties like those on this forum; however, it seems like the only people talking are those who have used them, but that's not a very good sample, since there are lots of people who never use an extended warranty after they buy one,ex and those who never buy one and wish they had. As well as those like me who never bought one and are glad they didn't. Again, my '91 Escort & '99 Cougar (both first year models) had hardly any problems before 100K miles, but not nearly enough problems to justify $1500 in an extended warranty. Maybe because I drive a lot of highway miles, which are easier on a car. But for those that drive low miles in a known unreliable car, then an extended warranty would be good. But I think the average quality of most cars is to a point that most people won't have any problems before 100K miles.

mitzij

I work for a car dealership, back in the Service department. Part of my job is dealing with service contract companies. Thankfully, we don't do much business with these companies, as a minority of people have them. Most of my customers are still within mfg. warranty. I can tell you that the majority of people who buy service contracts do not see a full return of their 'investment'. I've seen about 5 or so people in the 5 years I've been here get more from their service contracts than they put into them. I had a claim denied because I requested a 'window motor' (not covered) when I should have said 'window regulator' (covered). My boss called them back and clarified that the part required was a window regulator (which has the motor attached-the only way you can get it)
For me, the bad part about service contracts is the control thing. They control what's covered, they control how much they will pay (parts and labor), they have control over when and where the vehicle gets fixed. They even control the TYPE of parts they will pay for. (Try getting an OEM transmission out of an aftermarket service contract company for your 5 year old car @ 75k miles.) I want to control how much I pay and what I'm paying for.
I have better peace of mind having a little money in savings than I would have by having a contract that says someone else will take care of the bill on my car if it breaks down.

mikefm58

Good post and that has been my experience also. Years ago I bought a used vehicle that still had a 3rd party warranty and had a loud ticking sound coming from the engine. The dealer would not look at it unless I authorized an engine tear down and depending on what part was defective, would determine if me or the warranty company would pay for it. Luckily they found out it was the water pump, fully covered, before they had to tear down the engine. And then I had to wait 3 days while they mailed them the part as they wouldn't pay for a Chrylser water pump.

20endicott

Hi
About to purchase an extended warranty for a GMC Savanna. Does anyone have any experience with American Mercury Insurance / AFI Management Company or with Old Republic Insurance (ORAIS). Looked at Warranty Direct which is a RRG company and is not re-insured they claim they have the best coverage and will pay direct to the service providers. Most of the feedback I have read suggested to stay away from RRG companies selling warranties, they are not regulated by most states.

mikefm58

Most here would recommend staying away from anything but a manufacturer backed warranty. I've never heard of American Mercury so I can't comment on them.
.
You in Endicott NY? I used to live right across the river in Apalachin, working for IBM until they had lay-offs.

20endicott

Thank you for your response, American Mercury Insurance has been around since 1962 and based on the west coast (CA). with offices in oklahoma city and starting to setup offices on the east coast. Sorry not from the Endicott NY area, I am aware of IBM we used to provide them with targets for PVD operation onto wafers.

nortsr1

I suggest that whatever warranty you decide to purchase (and I truly believe one should only purchase an Mfg.OEM warranty) that you check with the garage or dealership that is going to be servicing your vehicle. I believe you will get quite a shock when you find out the mostly all of them will not want to be bothered trying to get your claim settled, let alone try to get them on the phone!!!

mitzij

My shop will contact service contract companies and deal with claims, however, if the company wants to send me a check (in two weeks or thirty days), we have the customer pay us, and the customer can wait for the check. Most service contract companies will pay by credit card within a day or two, so we've only had to resort to this measure a couple of times since I've been here.

My boss says we have been tricked out of money in the past by service contract companies, so we are leary of the aftermarket ones. GMPP (we're a Chevy dealer) is the easiest one I handle. An automated system integrated into my warranty system makes my job soooo much easier.

anthony8

I recently bought a 2005 toyota from a Nissan dealer. I'm one of those safety freaks and have heard so many horror stories about cars even new cars. So of course I was talked into purchasing an extended warranty. The manufacturer warranty covers 3 years/ 36ooo miles. The nissan backed warranty is bumper to bumper for 6 years/80ooo miles. Has anyone heard of it? It is Nissan Plan Plus that appears to cover everything that toyota covers and more. I signed a paper also stating that if I did not use the warranty I get my money back. What do you think?

mitzij

Can the Nissan dealer work on your Toyota (do they have the computer equipment/ know-how)? If not, you need to call your favorite mechanic (or Toyota dealer) and be sure they will honor the Nissan Service Contract. Our nearby Ford dealer sells ESPs for Chevies sometimes. We bill the Ford dealer and he bills Ford ESP. It's a bit of a circular pain in the rear, but it works pretty well.

I'm sure you already figured this: will you be driving this car for over 3 years/ 36k miles? Will you still have this car 80k miles from now? If not, a service contract would not be the best place to put your money.

dm3

I just bought a 2006 GC with 36mo/36k warranty and no powertrain warranty.

Where can I find the least expensive genuine Dodge extended warranty? I've already checked out a mess of websites. My list so far is...
http://www.chryslerwarrantys.com
http://www.extended-warranty-pro.com

And 3rd party
http://www.1sourceautowarranty.com
https://www.warrantydirect.com

I'd really rather get a Dodge/Chrysler warranty, but the prices I've found on the above websites are still really high. For a 7yr/100k mi, 0 deductible they want $2600 on my 2006 Grand Caravan. Thats discounted. I had been debating buying a 2006 Toyota Sienna. There's a Toyota dealer that will sell the Toyota extended warranty for 7yr/100k mi, 0 deductible for $773. Thats HUGE difference in price. I guess its must be very telling and indicate that Chrysler products really do have a much higher rate of problems. But I hope thats a thing of the past...
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wlbrown9

Try www.chryslerwarranty.com (Des Moines Chrysler)

I used them several years ago to buy a Maxcare warranty for a jeep...it was a genuine DC Warranty. Their page quotes $1455 for a 6 year/75000 mile $0 deductible. Going to a 7yr/100000 warranty jumps to $2486. Are you really going to keep it that extra year? Your call. If I were you I would be tempted to jump on teh 6yr/75000 for $1455. IF the GC turns out to be a gem, might keep it that extra year. IF it gets to be a real problem, get rid of it when the warranty is about to go out.

BTW, I looked again and scrolling down, if you go 7yr/100000 with a $100 DEDUCTIBLE the price drops to $1905. This might be a good compromise.

Remember, most of the time you don't have to pay sales tax if purchased out of state. I'm in Tenn so saving 9.25% on my MaxCare was worth about a $100 saving.

20endicott

Has anybody purchased an extended warranty from this company? Ultimate warranty Corp is based in Cleveland, Ohio

1spillman

FYI 20endicott
There is a warranty company based in Cleveland that has been sued by the Ohio Attorney General and has also recently filed for bankruptcy. They had several different websites, but were the same company. I don't know if they are the same people, it seems like alot of the bogus warranty companies get shut down and reappear under a different name.
BUYER BEWARE

mitzij

I could find very little info on this company. They do have a website, which told me ZIPPO. I couldn't find a contract to read, but their best coverage looked like it was 'named component' coverage, not the kind I'd like. It looks like they are backed by a risk retention group, so that's a strike against them, too.
I've not dealt with them, or heard of them, but I would say be verrryy careful.

1spillman

20endicott
I am not saying that this is the same company, but it does seem odd. Also if the contracts are backed by a risk retention group, well we all know what happen to Warranty Gold.

mikefm58

Amazing.
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With all the negative posts about buying 3rd party warranties. Why are you even asking? What kind of answers do you think you'll get?
.
My advice, save your money and put it in the bank in case your car breaks down. Or only buy a warranty that's backed by the auto manufacturer.

Kirstie_H

Per our membership agreement, phone numbers aren't allowed. Thus, posts with that info have been removed.

casandranow

I'm buying a used 1999 Jeep Cherokee and I want to get a warranty other than the 30 day one that the car lot includes. It's not a dealership, but they have a warranty company by the name of Guardian that has a one year program for $598, but the contract is kins of sketchy in that I have a feeling there are plenty of loopholes. Although I don't think it's the same Guardian as mentioned here other places. It's based in PA from the brochure I was given.

The car has over 60k on it, so I was researching some online warranty companies, but most I could find were either for extended from the manufacturer or don't cover that high mileage.

Can anyone rec a trustworthy and more importantly, reasonable company. I want a warranty, but don't want to spend tons of money, because my mechanic is a family friend and is very cheap to begin with.

fordfool

> I'm buying a used 1999 Jeep Cherokee and I want to get a warranty
> other than the 30 day one that the car lot includes.

A '99 Cherokee isn't a junker. Ask for a 90-day comprehensive
warranty or walk. Salesmen better appreciate the customer's
point of view when talking to your back.

> I want a warranty, but don't want to spend tons of money, because
> my mechanic is a family friend and is very cheap to begin with.

Better to invest in a thorough inspection by your mechanic while
saving for the inevitable repairs and maintenance.

mikefm58

" my mechanic is a family friend and is very cheap to begin with. "

That in itself is worth much more than the warranty. Gaurdian sounds shady, stay away. If you can't afford a Chrysler warranty, save your money. Have you looked at chryslerwarrantys.com?

casandranow

>

I actually haven't. I honestly wasn't aware I could get a Chrysler warranty other than an extended one when purchasing new. I'll have to check into that as well.

Yeah, it's advantageous having almost a personal mechanic. Only problem is that he doesn't have some of the higher tech equipment that the dealers have, so every once in a while he'll miss something small. That's why I figured having a warranty was a decent idea, because it would cover dealer repairs if a problem pops up that he's not equipped to deal with.

Thanks for both your imput.

anthony8

I recently purchased a Scion at a Nissan dealer. I paid $1700 6years/ 80000 miles for the extended warranty. I then heard that I could buy a Toyota extended warranty for just $895 6 years/75000 miles. I want to cancell my nissan warranty and purchase the toyota warranty. Does anyone know about Toyota's warranty?

mikefm58

You bought a Nissan warranty that will cover a Toyota? Are you sure it's not some 3rd party warranty?

Kirstie_H

Hm... simply not possible. Nissan is not in a position to back a vehicle they didn't make with a warranty. Basically, by definition, a warranty can only be granted by the manufacturer of a product as the manufacturer is the only entity in a position to guarantee the workmanship.

liferules

I don't know...I have seen Honda extended warranties offered on many other makes of cars, so maybe this is true as well...Honda Care for non-Hondas

Kirstie_H

Ah.... but then it's not a warranty. It is a service contract.

A warranty, by definition, warrants the solid manufacture of a product. You can't warrant something you didn't make. Still, if you're going to have a 3rd-party service contract, better to purchase one that's from a known entity like Honda or Nissan than a potential fly-by-night operation.

mitzij

HondaCare, Ford ESP, GMPP-they are ALL service contracts. None of them are actually 'extensions of the manufacturer's warranty'. Sales-types use that phrasing often when selling a service contract, but it's actually incorrect. I think it's misleading. People think they're getting the same coverage as the original mfg warranty and they're not. Kinda like a genuine-reproduction Tiffany Lamp. It's pretty, but it ain't no Tiffany.
The benefit of buying a manufacturer backed service contract is that the customer can lean on the mfg to cover things that might not technically be covered.
The shop has a more cut-and-dried system to determine what is covered.
I've NEVER had GMPP tell me to use aftermarket or salvaged parts for a repair.
The manufacturer is likely to be in business longer than any aftermarket joint.

liferules

I see....thanks, Kirstie!

andrelaplume

I have a toyota platinum plus zero deductible 7/75K bumper to bumper warranty on my 02 Camry. It actually lists what is 'not' covered. We had the same one on our Rav. Ironically the RAV required numerous repairs early on including an engine short block. Most were covered under the car's 'original warranty' but some were covered by the extension. I figure the $690 I spent was good insurance for year 4-7...I may never use it but if needed it does cover almost everything and there is no deductible. Seemed fair to me. Of course the price started out at $1100! The internet is a wonderfull thing for comparison shopping. In the end my dealer matched an internet price.

One thing. If you can you may better off purchasing just before the original warranty expires. It may cost you another $100 or so but realize (at least in Toyota's case) that they prorate the warranty form the date of purrchase. So if I sold my car after 2 years I would not get my whole $690 back but rather a portion. That stinks. Of course they make the point that you can drop your AAA or AAA+ and save $25-$60 a year. I wonder how many people drop their AAA+ though. I was hesitant to do so becase if I break down on vacationin an area where there is no Toyota dealer for miles...what does the Toyota roadside assistance do. At least AAA will get me to some other dealer who can hopefully get the repair done and I'll get reimbursed.

Also check the rules. I think Honda offered a very similar warranty ro my Toyota's but they changed it so that if you purchase after a couple of year I believe you are stuck with a $100 deductible. Those deductibles add up if you have a car prone to repairs---as my old Mystique was.

Good Luck!

passatoner

I have a 2002 VW Passat 1.8T.
Can someone suggest a good/reliable extended warranty vendor. Does VW offer an extended warranty? If so, where can I get details about that?
What vendor would you suggest. I was looking at WarrantyDirect - apparently they are the only ONLINE vendor for California (where I live). Any have good/bad experience with them.

Thanks all.

mikefm58

You won't get a recommendation here for anything but a manufacturer backed warranty. Some of us got burned by the Warranty Gold fiasco.

mitzij

Ultimate Warranty Corp? The one that I just got done with one claim on?
Yeah, they're just wonderful. I only had to leave 6 messages with the payment department and 1 message with the "manager" of the claims payment department over the course of one week before I got paid.
What's the deal with the contract having the company name "VSC Premier" with the claims dept being "Ultimate Warranty Corp"? Having multiple names makes communication with the customer very confusing.

audia8q

A trade paper named....Used Car News came today and it had this news story about Platinum warranty. I know some of you will be interested.

Platinum Warranty Corp., after lengthy financial and legal troubles, has ceased operations.
The Cleveland bankruptcy court converted the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to Chapter 7 Oct. 12.
A trustee will now be appointed and the company’s assets will be liqudated.
Platinum, owned and operated by Anthony J. Hodel, was a major provider of service contracts to used-car dealers nationwide. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, and ceased operations Sept. 30.
The closing was a long time coming.
On May 12, 2004, Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro filed a lawsuit against the company in Cuyahoga County on behalf of consumers. Petro said Platinum did not honor its automotive service contracts.
After receiving more than 140 complaints, Petro took action.
The initial meeting of creditors was held June 27. An examination of the company’s records revealed missing documents.
The July operating report also showed a net
monthly loss of $15,000. U.S. Bankruptcy Court North District of Ohio records also show that the
May, June and July operating reports did not include complete operating statements and balance sheets. The statements also left out any columns reflecting the prior month’s revenues and expenses as well as omitting a column detailing assets and liabilities at the time of filing.
These reports led U.S. Trustee Saul Eisen and attorney advisor Amy L. Good, working out of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Ohio, to request the bankruptcy court to enter an order to change the case from the voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy to an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
This would clear the way for the sale of the company’s assets so that debtors could be repaid.
The company has been around since 1985, but not everyone was impressed by its bottom line.
J.D. Wilson, chief operating officer of the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association, said the company applied to be a preferred provider.
“They never became an NIADA preferred provider,” Wilson said. “A preferred provider for the NIADA means that a client has committed to use our marketing vehicles to reach prospective clients. There were too many questions about Platinum’s finances to give them that endorsement.”

mikefm58

Good info. Hmmmm, where have I seen that before? Oh yeah, in the papers Warranty Gold mailed to me as they went bankrupt.

STAY AWAY FROM 3RD PARTY WARRANTY COMPANIES!!!

audia8q

The scary part is they will re-appear as a new warranty company under a new and improved name in no time......The last big warranty failure has already produced a new warranty company with the same crooked owners.

mikefm58

" The scary part is they will re-appear as a new warranty company under a new and improved name in no time......The last big warranty failure has already produced a new warranty company with the same crooked owners. "

And continue to do business over the internet with customers that are in states where they are not licensed to. As Warranty Gold did and the previous owners are now doing.......Sad.

theyok

I was taken aback when I realized i had bought an extended warranty for essentially 1.5 years--(I drive 20K per year) on a honda crv which is already certified used. I may have option to cancel please advise-- what would you do or who should I ask? First time using this chat thing.

situation. Honda CRV EX has 58 K with a cerified used honda warranty for 1 year or 12K. I added honda's warranty to 100 K for 800 dollars. That is 400 a year if I drive less than my expected 20 k. I was rushed to buy a car as my car was totalled in a bad accident and I was frankly not thinking clearly.

Now I am thinking, this car already has power train warranty for 100k... what am I really buying? What goes wrong with a honda. ??? (I just had an impala -- not used to reliable cars) Anyway, i have the option of cancelling the extended warranty if I call Honda and get the 800 refunded to the credit union lien holder.

I am thinking this would be smart after driving that car home today and seeing how smooth it is. Any advice? There is a chance I will drive way less this next year because of being shook up by the accident. Please help!

mikefm58

" this car already has power train warranty for 100k "

I don't think so. I've got a '99 CRV and all it had was the basic 3/36. Check your warranty booklet to be sure.

clovisguy

I just noticed Honda has increased the price for extended warranties on cars over 6K. Who will check to see what the actual miles are when they sell you a warranty online? What if someone purchases one but has service records before and after the purchase date that don't reflect any wrong doing?

151ranch

He means the certified warranty that came with the car - Honda's is 12/12 bumper to bumper and 7 year/100k powertrain.

mikefm58

That is surprising. The power train warranty is better on a certified used car than a new car, doesn't make sense to me.

jurbina

I'm new on this forum, just looking for some help on choosing extended warranty company. I've been reading up on this topic for the past couple of days. Yeah, i know choosing a third party warranty company is a bad idea. I recently bought a '00 Nissan Altima w/70k miles and would like to have some type of warranty to cover anything that can go wrong with it. I came upone AAAutowarranty.com and i liked what i read. They aren't affiliated with AAA, though by looking at name u think that they were but, they are not! Anyone have any expierence dealing with this company? Please any advice would be helpful. Thanks!!!

clovisguy

Warrantydirect.com has something for you, Jurbina.

Kirstie_H

jurbina, you state that you know that buying a third-party warranty is a bad idea. I'm afraid you're not likely to get much advice that varies from your statement from members in this Forum.

mikefm58

" Please any advice would be helpful "

Put the money in a savings account for unexpected repairs. If you were going to finance the warranty, put the add'l monthly payment amount in a savings account each month.

If you know 3rd party warranties are a bad idea, then why are you looking?

mitzij

DITTO....DITTO....DITTO...

beverlybeach

I have purchased a private sale used 2003 Toyota Camry It is still under the original warranty by the dealer for 36,000 or 3 yrs.
Is it wise to purchase an extended warranty for this vehicle ? What kind of extended warranty?

mikefm58

" Is it wise to purchase an extended warranty for this vehicle? What kind of extended warranty? "

My opinion for a Camry would be no, just make sure you do all the maint. But if it gives you piece of mind, shop around for a warranty backed by Toyota.