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Are extended warranties worth the cost?


jwblue
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Age old question. I know. I know the age old response is : NO!

 

I wanted to hear opinions on this board whether they are worth the cost for a new car.

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Even the regular warranties they give on new cars are nearly worthless. Extended? You have to be kidding.

 

They are better than nothing but they really won't cover much either.

 

Here is an example:

 

I was at a Nissan dealership buying a few maintenance parts and when I was at the cashier, a guy in front of me was complaining about an $800 bill to fix his air conditioner because the air conditioner was not covered under warranty by Nissan.

 

You really want to find out what is covered and what isn't first. Then if you ever do have a problem and for some reason you are lucky and covered, prepare to camp out at your dealership for days and/or drive their crappy loaner.

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You first need to find out exactly what's covered and what's not. Wearable items generally ain't and it can be worded that almost anything is wearable. Secondly, who will DO the repair work? Is your dealership goeig to do the wrench work or an independant shop? Is it a dealer supplied warranty or one of those joke CARS ones that a shady used car lot sells you? Many factors and lots of fine print to read...

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Be careful on the 'extended warranty'. There is really no such thing as an 'extended warraty' Rememeber that warranties are provided by the original manufacturer. What is usually sold as 'extended warranties' are in fact service or insurance policies from a thrid party provider.

 

On a new vehicle there is no point. You have a warranty when you purchase the original vehicle which lasts for 3+ years and 30+ miles or more depending on the manufacturer. Why purchase up front a policy and pay the interest and finance charges and increase your monthy payments on the vehicle when you can go get the same policy when the manufacturer warranty runs out? That assuming you even keep the vehicle after the warranty runs out.

 

 

As pointed out above, some do not cover everything, all of them have 'co-pays' that can vary based on the policy. In addition, even if the work is done at a dealer, the policy provider wants the cheapest part put on, so it will not always be a dealer part....it can even be a salvage yard part!!!!

Yes, that is correct. Salvage parts.

Edited by Alkorahil
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How about the Nissan Security + Plus vehicle protection plan?

 

Reading the brochure, they sure make it compelling to buy the warranty. From what I read, it seems

like a bumper to bumper warranty.

 

http://www.nissanusa...e-plan/Gold.pdf

 

Lets say the owner will drive the vehicle it can no longer run and purchase the extended 7 year plan.

 

If my niece pays $1,000 for the warranty, the question is will she have $1,000 worth of repairs from year 3 (when the

included warranty ends) to year 10.

 

My guess is, she might have $1K of repairs.

Edited by jwblue
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That one would be the better of the ones out there offered, but it is expensive too, however this one is only good at a nissan dealership and again like any other one, read the fine print as to what is and isnt covered.

Make sure to look at what it will cost to just add it in after the warranty runs out as well and do the matth verses purchasing it up front.

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Just from experience with the wifes Altima... If I could do it again I would not have gotten it. With the exception of ONE time (crank sensor) every other time has been "Sorry sir this isnt covered under the extended plan you purchased." and "yes sir I am aware that it is a bumper to bumper warranty, however it appears that this just does not fall under that."

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I am buddies with a General manager of a dealership and he said that 9 out of 10 of those warranties are sucker bets. I bought one with my sat vehicle and the only issue I had was not covered either.

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Just from experience with the wifes Altima... If I could do it again I would not have gotten it. With the exception of ONE time (crank sensor) every other time has been "Sorry sir this isnt covered under the extended plan you purchased." and "yes sir I am aware that it is a bumper to bumper warranty, however it appears that this just does not fall under that."

 

 

Was it the Nissan Security + Plus warranty or an aftermarket one?

 

What were the issues not covered?

Edited by jwblue
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My 2001 F250 Diesel had an extended warranty. That truck had so many problems, the only way it was worth only was that warranty.

I don't even remember what was covered anymore, but for all the problems it had, the warranty was the only thing that made it worth while.

 

Replaced:

  • Fuel injectors
  • Intercooler
  • Intercooler boot twice
  • Turbo
  • Trans rebuild
  • Some sort of chipset related to the Turbo.

 

That truck was only worth it for the warranty. As soon as it ran out, it was gone.

You'd be hauling a fifth wheel up a steep incline and there would be no turbo! The engine would struggle for almost 15 seconds until the turbo kicked in and it would haul fine.

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the last few issues I have had with her car I just fixed myself. Did not want to waste the time to take it the dealership only to be told that its not covered...

 

I took the car in and they charged me $80 for diagnosis and then REFUNDED it back because it was the crank sensor... (covered allegedly.)

 

Get this... cam sensor is not covered... WTH?

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Aftermarket warranties are hit and miss. Those offered by Nissan are much better. More or less a extension of the factory warranty. What you need to ask yourself is "How long am I going to keep this vehicle?". If you are one of those who changes cars all the time, then they are not for you. Next thing is to do your homework on the vehicle you want to buy. Search reviews, Internet forums,ask friends and family. On the other side of those warranties, they do tend to rip people, and the techs working on your vehicle, off. I hate having to deal with them. In some cases they have paid less than factory warranty and don't pay to have problems diagnosed.

 

What I recommend to people is to start a vehicle savings account. Start the account when you buy the car. Have money automaticly deposited into the account. As it builds, you can use the money for larger services or repairs as needed. If the situation ever occurs and the car is gone, then you can use the money you have saved for whatever, or roll it into the next

car.

Edited by 5523Pathfinder
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The answer depends on how you live. If the credit card is maxed and you are living hand-to-mouth, then costly extended warranties might be worthwhile.

 

Otherwise, insurance is always costly and self-insurance is ALWAYS cheaper (positive cash balances, maintenance and repair savings accounts, better yet, a bunch of dividend-paying blue-chip stocks or MLPs). There is no free lunch. American taxpayers are about to learn that lesson after this coming presidential election, no matter who is elected.

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Sigh. I have to agree man. I work three.... Yes three jobs... Because the primary pays so little and insurance which is going up is more than my house payment every month. The wife can't work because her check would pay daycare for the youngest addition.... Speaking of which.... Guys that like gals.... I'd advise getting your vasectomy some ASAP. Was yourself some heartache and a crapton of money....

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Like others have said you have to read what is and what is not covered. They might cover some internal items, but if you have a seal leaking that would be considered external, so that might no be covered. That was an example. If you can turn a wrench then I would say you can probably go without. Another think to think about. Some external warranties only pay so much per hour for labor. They might pay $50 an hour. The shop doing the work might be $80 per hour. You would have to make up the difference.

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