Extended Warranties: To buy or not to buy?

[Ed Morris]

Try refusing some dealerships' "generous offers" of an extended warranty and you'll get to hear them tell you all about how unreliable their own cars are, how you really NEED to protect yourself because the model you're buying is such utter crap it's been known to break down as soon as it's driven home from the showroom. Their sales pitch is so incongruous it's hard to decide if it's funny or just pathetic. ;-)

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[linbackr99]

I am a high mileage driver. My '10 Raptor had 100k, my 2012 12 had just shy of 140k, my 14 had 155k and my 17 currently has a shade over 110k . . . I did purchase the extended on the '17 because of the first gen and worries about the uncertainly of all that torque added to the 3.5 . . . it paid off as I needed am phasers at 79k and valve covers and oil pan at 90K - not brutally expensive repairs but by the time I paid and rented a vehicle it would have been in the $6000.00 ballpark . . . the extended care gets me to 120k and was @5k extra BUT it also was a special where it lowered my APR by 2% so it did not make much difference in the payment.

However - because I typically keep a vehicle 36 payments - which I try to make in 30 months (ish) I will not be purchasing the extended warranty on the Bronco. I will still put a bunch of miles on but now that I my home is in Vermont 12 months of the year (I was back and forth between the Dallas/Ft Worth area until a year ago) I won't be stacking quite as many miles . . . so the 36/60 will be okay.

 

[North7]

‘14 Odyssey coming up on 100k, ATM fluid drain/fill every other oil change (15k). No problem here.

One thing I added after the fourth trans, I recommend, a trans line filter.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/ATP...947735046&adgroup_id=107081866026&adtype=pla&

 

[Atomicdog]

There is no way I’m getting an extended warranty. If Broncos start having known production issues I’ll sell mine before the bumper to bumper expires.

 

[North7]

There is no way I’m getting an extended warranty. If Broncos start having known production issues I’ll sell mine before the bumper to bumper expires.

But you could lose $5K-$10K in value doing that vs a few thousand in potential repairs?

Sounds like a lose vs win.

 

[Atomicdog]

But you could lose $5K-$10K in value doing that vs a few thousand in potential repairs?

Sounds like a lose vs win.

If there are significant problems, yes. I'm past the point where I'm willing to deal with that type of thing. It's a time/value consideration for me.

 

[Penn65000]

I learned years ago when I bought a Ford SHO that the extended warranty wasn't worth the paper it was printed on. Had a clutch break the 2nd year. Not wear out, break. They said "all clutch parts are considered Normal Wear Items - not covered". Then had brake rotors warp. Normal Wear - not covered. 2 years later, more brake rotors - not covered. And so on for the 10 years I owned the Ford. NEVER AGAIN.

I had a 1991 SHO. Bought the extended warranty for three hundred bucks and saved me thousands. They covered the rotors (they kept warping and Ford kept replacing), electrical issue which took a week to diagnose, buttons malfunctioning and other items. I just had to be aggressive — like saying “are your rotors designed to warp?” I believe they even covered the clutch which went after 30-40k miles and then again. Was great engine (Yamaha) but Ford bits (all but the engine) were of mixed quality.

 

[mountainbronco]

The right answer, IMO, is to defer the decision to buy. Come on, you have a bumper to bumper, and, you can buy the extended later, as long as it is before the warranty expires.
If my Bronco has no major issues during bumper, I may consider. But, if it shows major weaknesses, it gets sold before the bumper expires.

And Rick, here you go, additional cost to the customers! Why? Because Ford should increase quality and reliabilty!

 

[AZshot]

I had a 1991 SHO. Bought the extended warranty for three hundred bucks and saved me thousands. They covered the rotors (they kept warping and Ford kept replacing), electrical issue which took a week to diagnose, buttons malfunctioning and other items. I just had to be aggressive — like saying “are your rotors designed to warp?” I believe they even covered the clutch which went after 30-40k miles and then again. Was great engine (Yamaha) but Ford bits (all but the engine) were of mixed quality.

You were lucky then. My dealership told me to pack sand. That's the problem with these ESP warrantees, it's up to the dealer to interpret the vague Ford language in them. A good dealer will help you out and take a loss and lose the money for the repair. An normal dealer (90% of them), will tell you it's not covered and tell you you have to pay up. Buy them at your own risk. Doesn't cost the dealership anything. Heck, they PROFIT from them. The owner pays and "hopes" it helps him one day if something breaks earlier than a reasonable person would expect. My clutches going out every 30K miles and brake rotors warping every 3 years were - wait for it - not covered by my dealer.

 

[Penn65000]

Try refusing some dealerships' "generous offers" of an extended warranty and you'll get to hear them tell you all about how unreliable their own cars are, how you really NEED to protect yourself because the model you're buying is such utter crap it's been known to break down as soon as it's driven home from the showroom. Their sales pitch is so incongruous it's hard to decide if it's funny or just pathetic. ;-)

You were lucky then. My dealership told me to pack sand. That's the problem with these ESP warrantees, it's up to the dealer to interpret the vague Ford language in them. A good dealer will help you out and take a loss and lose the money for the repair. An normal dealer (90% of them), will tell you it's not covered and to pay up. Buy them at your own risk. Doesn't cost the dealership anything. Heck, they PROFIT from them.

well I know cars and am always aggressive when I know there’s a flaw. I’ve always ended up well ahead with those warranties. But agree they’re a profit center for the dealer. Need to negotiate for best price.

 

[AZshot]

well I know cars and am always aggressive when I know there’s a flaw. I’ve always ended up well ahead with those warranties. But agree they’re a profit center for the dealer. Need to negotiate for best price.

Aggressiveness doesn't always work. I wrote Dearborn nasty-grams, called, them, and went on a personal vendetta against Borman Ford (yes, the astronaut) trying to get them to pay for my blown clutch splines (per the repair order) and warped brake rotors (per the repair order). They all told me to get bent, it was a "normal wear item" and pay for the repair or they would impound my SHO Taurus. Which they would have.

You got lucky. Most don't. A smart dealer knows you can pound your fist on the counter and threaten law suits but they have millions of dollars and lawyers that will drive your petty complaints into the ground and bankrupt you trying. ESP warranties are not worth they paper they are printed on if you need a new engine, clutch, anything expensive.

 

[Penn65000]

Aggressiveness doesn't always work. I wrote Dearborn nasty-grams, called, them, and went on a personal vendetta against Borman Ford (yes, the astronaut) trying to get them to pay for my blown clutch splines (per the repair order) and warped brake rotors (per the repair order). They all told me to get bent, it was a "normal wear item" and pay for the repair or they would impound my SHO Taurus. Which they would have.

You got lucky. Most don't. A smart dealer knows you can pound your fist on the counter and threaten law suits but they have millions of dollars and lawyers that will drive your petty complaints into the ground and bankrupt you trying. ESP warranties are not worth they paper they are printed on if you need a new engine, clutch, anything expensive.

Sorry to hear that. Rotors shouldn’t ever warp unless you’re racing the thing. If they warp it is a design flaw. I believe you. Ford has certainly been a pain Re my Bronco order and price protection. Based on my recent experience I won’t consider a Ford going forward.

 

[cclkramer]

What's the use in buying a extended warranty for a brand new truck that you wont use until your new Bronco warranty expires ? Alot can happen in 3 years! Shit! You might be dead! Get divorced and she gets your truck! I think I'll wait!

 

[Penn65000]

What's the use in buying a extended warranty for a brand new truck that you wont use until your new Bronco warranty expires ? Alot can happen in 3 years! Shit! You might be dead! Get divorced and she gets your truck! I think I'll wait!

Agree no reason to buy extended warranty until close to end of factory warranty. Fyi had one on an Infiniti and the dealer was always fine to charge repairs to the extended warranty. Maybe because “not Ford.” $3k and just one headlight seal fault would have been $1100. They fixed for free. Prob $6k in repairs for the $3k warranty and got prorated refund when I sold it.

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