More Extended Warranty discussions

[BiXLL]

I have read through some older threads on extended warranty. It seems a lot of people are against them, but that is not the intent of this thread. I am going to get one when I make my purchase, most likely through Flood ESP.

 

I want to get the 8 year 125,000 coverage as I usually keep a car quite a while. (current car is a 2002 Toyota avalon with 175,000) My question and desired topic of discussion here is what level and what deductables are people buying?

 

Myself, I am thinking 8 year Premium Care which is basicly a bumper to bumper warranty. I am also thinking that the $380.00 difference between 0 and 50 deductable which works out to $47.50 more per year why not go 0 de3ductable? Am I looking at this wrong, what am I not considering? I mean to me its a no brainer with the minor differences in price versus coverage? Tell me your thoughts

[Texasota]

Myself, I am thinking 8 year Premium Care which is basicly a bumper to bumper warranty. I am also thinking that the $380.00 difference between 0 and 50 deductable which works out to $47.50 more per year why not go 0 de3ductable? Am I looking at this wrong, what am I not considering? I mean to me its a no brainer with the minor differences in price versus coverage? Tell me your thoughts

If the cost difference is $380.00 more for the $0.00 deductible, then you have to make more than 8 claims against this ESP before you would be ahead of the game. Do you think you will use it more than 8 times when considering Fords 3 year 36,000 bumper to bumper warranty plus the 5 year 60,000 power train warranty plus the 8 year 100,000 hybrid component warranty (which includes the eCVT and the HVB)?

Edited February 7, 2015 by Texasota

[Easy Rider]

It's a no brainer to me that the ODDS are that you will not get back your initial outlay regardless.

So the less money you waste the better.

 

If you MUST do this, go for at least a $100 deductible.

If you can't afford $100 per case after the initial warranty expires, then you can't afford to be paying for the warranty either.

This is only supposed to save you from HUGE, major repair bills.

 

P.S. It really is a good idea to get a copy of the actual contract and READ it before you sign anything.

[BiXLL]

I was thinking that this car will have some very high priced electronics on it. I would venture to say that in a lot of the electronics, 1 use of the warranty would pay for it? I dont know exactly what is involved in the regen braking system, but that seems like it could be a very expensive weak spot on the car since hybrids have not been around all that long? I have no idea what is right and what is wrong, please don't think I am argueing here. I am simply trying to create a conversation and maybe learn something or change the way I am thinking by listening to how others think.

[jeff_h]

You noted that you've already read the other threads on this subject, so you know that some are for purchasing them, some are against it.

 

My anecdotal example is my 2010 FFH for which I purchased a 4yr/100k ESP, and used it once for an O2 sensor, and that's it. So Ford made some money of me on that. On the other hand, a co-worker also bought a 2010 FFH just a couple months after me, he also got the ESP, and his car had several gremlins and the warranty costs were over $6k. So for him it was definitely worth it.

 

I tend to get them to outlay a known amount as a hedge against an unknown amount, but like others will note it's a matter of rolling the dice. So it depends on your tolerance for risk, and for me I would rather nail down the known expense and move on with life. If others don't, that's their call. There's no need for anyone to berate one as throwring money away if one does not choose to get one... nor is there a need to do the same for those that don't choose to get one and say that they'll be sorry. It's your money, make your choices and those who don't like it can attempt to perform an act that is not humanly possible.

 

That said, I have the 4yr/125k on my car and 7yr/100k on her car.

[Texasota]

I am not an advocate for or against extended warranties. I have bought them in the past but not on any recent car purchases. Here is Consumer Reports advice:

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/04/extended-warranties-for-cars-are-an-expensive-game/index.htm

 

There is a wide spectrum of opinions on CR but it is worth the time to read their take and then make your own decision.

[acdii]

I got 4 year 125K $200 deductible. If there are any major repairs, they will be much more than $200 to repair, and for the most part any minor repairs done will be under $200.

[mwr]

I got 4 year 125K $200 deductible. If there are any major repairs, they will be much more than $200 to repair, and for the most part any minor repairs done will be under $200.

I would bet anything under $200 would be something other than a repair :-)

Edited February 8, 2015 by mwr

[BiXLL]

I am not an advocate for or against extended warranties. I have bought them in the past but not on any recent car purchases. Here is Consumer Reports advice:

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/04/extended-warranties-for-cars-are-an-expensive-game/index.htm

 

There is a wide spectrum of opinions on CR but it is worth the time to read their take and then make your own decision.

Good read, thanks

[Easy Rider]

I got 4 year 125K $200 deductible. If there are any major repairs, they will be much more than $200 to repair, and for the most part any minor repairs done will be under $200.

+1 :thumbsup:

 

Gaze into the future......about 2 years or whenever your BTB coverage runs out........and think about whether or not you could cover a $1500 replacement of a computer board (or similar) without it causing a crisis in your life. If it would cause you grief, then get the warranty with a higher deductible. If it would NOT put a crimp in your budget then it's best to go with the odds and skip it altogether.

 

P.S. If you cannot afford to cover a $200 repair bill now and then, maybe you should seek the services of a financial counselor.......and think about whether or not a brand new, high end car is really the right choice for you.

[TonyHzNV]

I am not an advocate for or against extended warranties. I have bought them in the past but not on any recent car purchases. Here is Consumer Reports advice:

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/04/extended-warranties-for-cars-are-an-expensive-game/index.htm

 

There is a wide spectrum of opinions on CR but it is worth the time to read their take and then make your own decision.

It's not that I trust or distrust CR, they do publish a lot of good, interesting information. My view is that 2010 cars (the newest in the article) being 5 years old are much less sophisticated than a 2015 model due simply to the technological advances of the last 5 years. If you factor in that we are talking hybrids here, we add another level of sophistication & technology. I would bet the large majority of vehicles surveyed in the CR article are regular gas powered vehicles and not hybrids, as hybrids and electrics comprise a very small percentage of the auto population. As sophisticated as our cars are and considering all the electronic components alone that could fail, I would feel much better having a Premium Care ESP for at least 8 yrs/100K to match the unique Hybrid component warranty assuming that I plan to keep the car that long.

Edited February 9, 2015 by TonyHzNV

[hybridbear]

My recommendation is to wait until your B2B warranty is about to expire before buying the ESP. The price difference is minimal. By waiting you will know how well your particular car works. If you've had lots of little issues then you may want to buy the $0 deductible plan since you'd expect to have more visits. If you've had few issues then the higher deductible plan might have the lowest expected overall cost. Or, you may decide that you don't want to keep this car a long time and thus you don't want an ESP at all.

 

Another thing to address: is the deductible per service visit or per issue? Suppose you bring the car in for 3 small issues. Is that one deductible payment or 3 deductible payments?

Edited February 9, 2015 by hybridbear

[machoman1337]

Damn, I need to buy an ESP soon - my car first hit the road in August 2012 so my warranty will expire this summer. Ford Canada likes to hose us on those though - even at the current exchange rate of 80 cents, there are some nice savings to be had buying the warranty down south (I confirmed on another forum that a US warranty will be honoured in Canada and vice versa). The only challenge left is finding a US dealer who will be willing to sell the ESP to a Canadian in the first place. I plan to use a friend's address (the way some Canadians manage to buy new cars in the states), and hopefully they won't ask to see my driver's license.

 

For those who bought an ESP, which one did you get and for how much? Would BaseCare be sufficient coverage or is it worth ponying up a little more for PremiumCare or ExtraCare?

Edited February 10, 2015 by machoman1337

[hybridbear]

Damn, I need to buy an ESP soon - my car first hit the road in August 2012 so my warranty will expire this summer. Ford Canada likes to hose us on those though - even at the current exchange rate of 80 cents, there are some nice savings to be had buying the warranty down south (I confirmed on another forum that a US warranty will be honoured in Canada and vice versa). The only challenge left is finding a US dealer who will be willing to sell the ESP to a Canadian in the first place. I plan to use a friend's address (the way some Canadians manage to buy new cars in the states), and hopefully they won't ask to see my driver's license.

 

For those who bought an ESP, which one did you get and for how much? Would BaseCare be sufficient coverage or is it worth ponying up a little more for PremiumCare or ExtraCare?

There may be some issues with your warranty not being honored if you buy it using fraudulent information. Technically, the contract would not be legally enforceable in that instance.

 

Have you tried calling Flood Ford or Anderson-Koch Ford to ask them about selling the ESP to a Canadian? It might not appear on their website as an option, but you never know what they'll say if you call.

 

As far as which warranty, read what is covered by BaseCare, ExtraCare & PremiumCare along with what the 5/60 factory warranty covers & the 8 year emissions warranty & the 8/100 hybrid components warranty and make a decision.

[acdii]

If you're going to buy one, buy the best one.

[md13ffhguy]

If you're going to buy one, buy the best one.

What makes one the best?

[acdii]

Premiumcare covers the most, so you are completely covered. The others have gaps that they dont cover, like interior electronics and such.

[md13ffhguy]

Right, so you're advocating paying the most to cover the most. Ok.

[acdii]

There are 4 levels of care,

 

Powertrain, which covers whats under the hood, Except Electrical. So if anything electrical fails, like the PCM, Not Covered.

 

Base Care Everything under the hood, AC suspension , brakes, steering and Electrical. There are limits to what is covered, not all electrical is covered, nor are specialty electronics, like roll over control modules, etc.

 

Extra Care, add High Tech. These are the ones you want covered as it covers the dash displays, center stack, etc. If any one of these items goes bad, big money to repair. However, there are limitations to what is actually covered. It does not cover hybrid components. Again, not everything is covered, like the drivers tech package, lane keeping, auto high beams, rain sense wipers, are not covered.

 

Premium Care, Add the ford stereo, rear suspension, Emissions, and Safety. This one covers everything except body panels.

 

If you plan to drive beyond the hybrid warranty, the PremiumCare is the one to go with, up to 125K miles.

Edited February 12, 2015 by acdii

[Texasota]

If you plan to drive beyond the hybrid warranty, the PremiumCare is the one to go with, up to 125K miles.

 

This is very much a matter of personal choice and what you are comfortable with. Nothing wrong with paying for an extended warranty if it makes you more comfortable. But in most cases, as the CR survey data shows, very few purchasers of an extended warranty come out ahead in the end.

[GrySql]

I've only had one ESP Premium Care Warranty (100k miles), it was for my 2000 Expedition EB 4X4, with every option gizmo Ford had for it.

The ESP paid me back a couple times over, the last $1k repair occurred at 99k miles, just before the Warranty ended.

That was a complicated vehicle but not nearly as complicated as the FFH.

 

My FFH is at 37k miles now and I am really, really happy to have the best ESP policy they offer.

Edited February 12, 2015 by GrySql

[acdii]

Same here!

[thrasher086]

I am in the same boat and going to purchase a warranty for my FFH. As of right now, I drive about 10,000 a year so a 8 year/ 100k would be perfect. I am the type of person who feels better knowing if I have an issue, I will not have to worry about what it will cost to get it fix if its 100 bucks or 1000 bucks. To me, there is some value to "piece of mind" when it comes to my car and repairs. I automatically want the premiumcare package due to that.

 

I used to own a Honda Civic which they did not have a deductible on warranties so this is new to me. If something needed to be looked at, I would take it in, mechanics would take a look and they would either say "normal", "can't replicate" or they would fix the issue. It was no cost to me even if they didn't find anything. Now say with Ford I bring my car in and I have a 50 dollar deductible. I tell them that this is making a noise or that isn't working, they take a look and can't find anything but they obviously had to use time to see what I was talking about. Do I still have to pay the 50 bucks? If I do then I will be getting the 0$ deductible to avoid that.

[TonyHzNV]

I used to own a Honda Civic which they did not have a deductible on warranties so this is new to me. If something needed to be looked at, I would take it in, mechanics would take a look and they would either say "normal", "can't replicate" or they would fix the issue. It was no cost to me even if they didn't find anything. Now say with Ford I bring my car in and I have a 50 dollar deductible. I tell them that this is making a noise or that isn't working, they take a look and can't find anything but they obviously had to use time to see what I was talking about. Do I still have to pay the 50 bucks? If I do then I will be getting the 0$ deductible to avoid that.

I hate to say it, but that is pretty much up to the dealer. Some will find a way to write it up so you don't pay anything and some will charge you for every minute the car was in the shop. The ones who will charge you for looking are probably the same guys who would charge you to turn Daylight Running Lights (DRL's) on and don't consider Customer Service to be high on their priority list. Those who truly believe in customer service won't charge you because they want you to be happy and come back when you need service, etc. I have both kinds here in Vegas, so needless to say, I go where the customer is king!

[thrasher086]

I decided to go with the $0 deductible premiumcare for 8 years 100k. I got it for $1704. I was told it is only a 50 dollar markup from what Ford charges the dealer. If everyone is looking to get the best deal, you have till March 2nd since the prices will be increasing.