Extended Warranties for new vehicles

[kiwideus]

Originally Posted by jcat

Really? Our first VW, a 1982 Golf (2 repairs: alternator and choke) which we sold after 8 years, is still running. We bought a year-old VW Passat, used it for 12 years (2 minor repairs to the trunk latch), and traded it in for a year-old Passat station wagon (no repairs in three years). The old Passat was resold by the dealer.

Interesting - I thought the same. I have a VW Polo and it is a great car. My quality assurance tutor said that VW is one of the cars you can really depend on.

 

[whiteforest]

My Honda Civic is 10 years old now, close to 150,000 miles on it and it's never had any issues. (**Knock on wood!!!**) I'd say that a Civic is pretty reliable, and as others said, just set the money you would have spent on the warranty aside as a "just in case" fund.

 

[rapunzel47]

I drove my Honda Civic (Rufus) for 17 years with no more than ordinary maintenace. We retired him when we did, because finally he needed a repair that would cost more than his book value (which was pretty small by then

), and we had already decided that we no longer needed to be a 2-car family. I'd buy Honda again in a heartbeat, and I would not be paying for an extended warranty, because a significant portion of the cost goes straight into the dealer's pocket.

 

[momofmany]

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

What kind of car are you getting?

I never got the extended warranty until I bought my Prius. I probably (make that definitely) should have done more research, but didn't take the time. The dealer told me that the standard warranty doesn't cover a lot of the computer stuff, and the Prius has a lot of computers. The only time I had anything go wrong it wasn't the computer but it was covered 100%, so I'd say I got my money's worth out of it.

My DH bought the extended warranty with his Prius. The dealership covers general maintenance (oil changes, tire rotations, tune ups) with that warranty and when we did the math, it was cheaper to buy the warranty than to pay for all these things ourselves. And it also covers the batteries and computers, which could be very costly to repair.

I bought one with a Volvo, because I couldn't find any small shops in my area to service it, and the dealer rates were terribly high. I made money off of that warranty also.

For a general car that can be serviced anywhere without too many complex mechanics, I would not buy a warranty. I didn't buy one for my Toyota Matrix. I wouldn't buy one for a Honda Civic. They are work horses.

 

[trouts mom]

No need Karen. Hondas are built to last past their warranty expiration. Domestics are built to start falling apart after their warranty is up.

I would get an extended on a German car as well..sorry to say it but they don't have the best reputation either. (No offense...I am actually German! lol)

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by wearymicrobe

Run far far far away, new VW/Audi are good for leases and people who toss there cars every three years.

I sure don't agree with this comment. Hubby and I both drive VW diesels - his a Passat and mine a Jetta - awesome cars. They are both older cars as well (his is a 1997 and mine is a 2003). My old Passat (1995) is still in our driveway and is used if required while one of our other cars is being serviced or our daughter needs to use it while her Mini is being serviced.

Originally Posted by whiteforest

My Honda Civic is 10 years old now, close to 150,000 miles on it and it's never had any issues. (**Knock on wood!!!**) I'd say that a Civic is pretty reliable, and as others said, just set the money you would have spent on the warranty aside as a "just in case" fund.

I had one of these as my very first car. All my friends told me not to get one because they were new to North America at the time. I didn't listen to them and 6 years later that little car cost me a total of $600 - oil changes, new bulbs for the lights, lubes and general maintenance. I sold it to my friend when it had 200,000 miles on it and she drove it for another 5 years.

 

[AbbysMom]

Is it karma that we did not get the extended warranty and my husband hit a huge pothole last night? We've had the car two days and it has a flat tire, bent rim and needs an alignment.

One of the warranty plans would have covered it 100%.

 

[wearymicrobe]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

I sure don't agree with this comment. Hubby and I both drive VW diesels - his a Passat and mine a Jetta - awesome cars. They are both older cars as well (his is a 1997 and mine is a 2003). My old Passat (1995) is still in our driveway and is used if required while one of our other cars is being serviced or our daughter needs to use it while her Mini is being serviced.

There is a major difference between any VW made after 2003 and before, the early stuff is pretty indestructible. I have seen a few GTIs from the 80's run until the wheels fall off, the diesels are also typically built better.

The new stuff when it comes in is just expensive to repair and nothing is available after market. 3-5K suspension repairs parts only especially if they are self leveling, the soft touch plastic that they have in all the new ones, the beetle mainly though, crack and wear off and they are always part of a larger assembly that is mostersly expensive. Coil packs and diverter valves on anything that is a turbo, fluids that are 200-300% higher in list cost.

I like the cars I really do in fact I got the wife a turbo beetle convertible for her 30th birthday but its a lease and its going back after 3 years.

 

[GoldyCat]

Originally Posted by AbbysMom

Is it karma that we did not get the extended warranty and my husband hit a huge pothole last night? We've had the car two days and it has a flat tire, bent rim and needs an alignment.

One of the warranty plans would have covered it 100%.

I wasn't aware that any warranty would cover accidental damage.

I thought it was for things like factory defects, parts that wear out before they should, etc. Guess I'll have to study the warranty more closely the next time I buy a car.

 

[AbbysMom]

They had an additional tire protection we could have purchased.

Road Hazard Tire Protection*†
Honda Care Sentinel™ expands the tire manufacturer's warranty to cover damage caused by potholes, nails, glass, and other road hazard. The four original tires on your vehicle are covered for repairable leaks or punctures, up to $35 per repair. If replacement is required, this plan will cover the prorated cost up to $150.