Extended warranty

When I bought my '99 in 2004 I bought a 5 yr/100k mile extended warranty through a company called "Warranty Direct". It cost me 2k. I had a MAF replaced under that warrant but that was it, so they made out on that one. Now 2012 I still have the car, 32k miles, no problems and no more warranty left. I've been thinking about buying another extended warranty for the car. Does anybody know of a good company if I decide to go that route? My thoughts are: spend a few thousand on extended warranty that will eventually expire or spend a few thousand on preventive maintenance like IMSR, RMS, clutch, AOS, etc., that might last longer than the warranty. Any thoughts or recommendations?

Quotes source post: 9491680

Save your money. In my experience warranties rarely return on their investment.

Quotes source post: 9491701

+1 Wellardmac

And be careful, while the warranty sounds good, may times major repairs will be denied. I've heard many auto repair policies are actually "never pay" policies.

I voted no when I bought mine with 30k miles. The more I dug into the whole aftermarket warranty business the more shady it seemed. Do some reading about the different companies and you'll see what I'm talking about. Even the ones people say are great still look shady to me when you look under the hood.

I bought a 36 month/36K mile extended warranty for $3K when I purchased my C2 Cab. In the first 7months it covered 2 new window regulators ($1200 each) and a new starter ($450). These are Stealer prices by the way, so it has almost paid for itself so far. They deny, deny, deny coverage and have sent out inspectors so they are a royal pain in the a$$ to deal with. Still, it does provide some peace of mind. As we speak my Indy is replacing the AOS. Not covered of course.

Gonzo why was the AOS not covered? Out of warranty or refused? If refused what justification?

Refused. Very specific on what is covered. How many cars have an AOS? They don't cover carbeurators either.

Try AAA.

Read the small print very carefully. I almost bought one after I was told by the sales person all the wonderfull things they covered. It sounded great until I got to the part that said "total cost of covered repairs may not exceed $3500" So yeah, they cover major engine failure but only to a certain amount. In a 911, that particular amount was pretty worthless. On the other hand, my current 996 C4S came with a warranty that I was able to transfer over from the previous owner. This warranty also has a maximum total payout but it's limited to the price paid for the car at the time of the warranty purchase. That is, the previous owner paid $50k for the car, so they will stop paying for repairs after the accumulated repair bills exceed $50k. I found out that they paid for an entire differential replacement just before I bought it so there's ten grand that's been used up. I haven't had to use it yet, but I'm hopeful. Anyway, read ALL the small print. Good luck.

Never believed in them before - but - I also purchased a used C4S and bought out the balance of the warranty for 12 months/23k miles (yes the previous owner didn't drive it much). So far they covered the oil sending unit, front hood struts, rear differential seal, and today they confirmed that they will cover the replacement of my radio. So I already recovered over 100% of what I paid for the warranty. And to my surprise there has been no attempt at refusal on anything. Dealer places a phone call, hangs up and says "yep, you are covered, when do want to bring it in"? And to think I was actually passing on buying out the balance, it was the previous owner that convinced me to do it, even though he could have had a refund for the amount I was charged to buy it out. Maybe it was my Guardian at work? Since I am the guy who typically NEVER buys an extended warranty on anything, ever.

I bought a 3 year/45000 which ever came first.. The car had 45000 on it so was covered up to 90000 or 3yrs which ever bla bla bla. That was 1 year ago. Its done 56000 now. I claimed on an inside courtosy light not working when the doors are opening. Refused. I complained of a noisy gearbox (transmission as the americans call them). No problems they whipped it out and put in a refurbished one which I believe cost about $3500. It took them a month to complete that episode but well worth the wait. I believe in getting my moneysworth and have been battering the hell out of this car and can't make it break down on me. lol. Hoping at least the ims or a valve would explode. I keep checking my oil filter. Everything running as it should. Just watch.........when the warranty runs out...... BANG... thats just my luck.... so I may extend the warranty. Mine covers major parts like the running parts ie:- engine, motors, but not electrical parts. I doubt them covering brakes and clutch a they are wearable parts. If ANYTHING goes on it I will at least attempt to get them to mend it for me on the warranty. I think the best thing is to put away cash every month towards our 996 cars. $25 a week is not much to ask just in case of an unexpected cash lay out.

Look, the companies stay in business because they have figured out that you'll typically pay them more than they pay you (which is amazing, given the atomic IMS in your car that will explode, cause you $20,000,000 in damage, and run off with your wife and kids). That said, I have one for peace of mind. I bought mine from my authorized dealer, because that's who is servicing my car. They sold me one through Fidelity, which has an excellent reputation and BBB rating, and they tell me they've never had a claim denied. So, if you buy one, I'd definitely talk to your dealership or Indy, see who they have a good relationship with, and work with them. Not only do you get first hand info on how they operate, you presumably are working with someone who has some leverage in the event you do ever get into a dispute with them. Edit: There are two companies with Fidelity in their name, one is very good, the other is not. This is the one you want: http://www.fidelitywarrantyservices.com/

I don't usually buy extended warranties but I bought one for my Suburban when I got it new. I bought the EW from my credit union as I expected they would stand behind it. One of the best decisions I ever made. They replaced 2 rear ends, a differential, and repaired the heated seats when they quit working. Definately worked out for me. With that said, I do not have one on my 996. Ted

would be nice if you guys with good experience shared the name of your providers I have a fidelity warranty bought from the deal as well. I never used it but I feel it is the price for peace of mind. investing into preventive maintenance is good, but you replace things that might not need to be replaced and then your money is dried up. If something else breaks you are out of pocket for more. Only thing that sucks is that warranty do not cover for most of those preventive things that will eventually fail, like the AOS, clutch... I am right there with you thinking about either doing preventive or extend the warranty. From what I could read, the fidelity plan would cover the engine replacement in case of IMS, but that is the only valuable coverage they offer, after that the list of exclusion is so long, almost everything else is not covered. Would be nice to ear who got what replaced under which coverage. I wish I could use the warranty I got but the car has been dead reliable

I've had extended warranties on a half dozen cars, and all of them paid me back the initial cost and then some, as much as double in a couple cases. All warranties are not created equal, and neither are the companies that sell them. I would not ever go with Warranty Direct, they're just a little too sales-aggressive and I find that unsettling. I've had warranties through MBA and Paragon (where I currently have mine), and never had a problem with coverage denial. I always try to opt for what's called an "exclusionary" warranty, which gives a short list of NON-covered items, and then anything not on that list is covered. It's almost impossible to buy that kind of warranty for a car over 5 yrs old however. If you get the one that has lists of covered items, read it carefully. Anything not specifically named is going to be denied. Most people who complain about not getting their money's worth from extended auto warranties arises from not having read and understood the latter fact. Highly specialised or proprietary parts (like Intermediate Shafts, brake-by-wire, etc.) are not likely to be listed on boiler-plate policies, and so failures will come down to an adjuster's interpretation. Is an IMS bearing "any internally lubricated engine part" or, because it's a sealed bearing and therefore NOT lubricated by the engine oiling system, can the failure thereof be denied coverage. On a '99 I would be pleasantly surprised if a bona-fide company will write anything but a limited powertrain warranty, so expect much of what goes wrong with a 13 yr-old car not to be covered. Another issue to which careful attention need be paid is any clause that limits the payout of single repairs and warranty-lifetime total payouts. Many of the warranties will not pay more for repairs than the current wholesale value of the vehicle. So if you've a car worth $15K at dealer wholesale and it needs a $25K engine, you're going to be $10K out-of-pocket. Still not that bad considering, but you do need to be aware of it.

okay - pulled the contract and it is from Warranty Solutions - Managed by Wachovia and insured by Heritage Indemnity Company. The contract is their top tier for a used car, it appears that the bump to this top tier is what has provided me with the no push back coverage so far. The warranty does have both specific inclusions and exclusions. I noticed that most exclusions have to with failure to maintain service schedules at authorized dealerships or the installation of any non OEM part. It also includes car rental and trip interuption It was $2400 for 2yrs 24000 miles on 10/15/2010 - $100 deductible per visit - so repairs can be bundled during one visit and the deductible remains $100 Hope this helps.

Quotes source post: 9504795

If a 996 owner puts aside $25 a week as stated on my previous post, that figure would amount to $2600 over 2 years. That wont go far if the vehicle has to go into a garage for repair. But it would go further on DIY work. On that score it would appear that the extended warranty is the way to go PLUS putting aside $25 a week for diy work. What a bummer. Should I ever find metal or plastic in my oil filter, I would be giving fair warning to my warranty people of impending IMS or internal engine problems. Would they honor my information and tell me to take the vehicle into a garage of my choosing (as they did with the transmission probs) mentioned on my previous posting, remains to be seen. Would they pay fro an immediate retro fit IMS installation? Who knows. Or better still, who really cares/// Lets cross those bridges when/IF we come to them. Anyone interested in buying my 996 lol. It's driving me nuts.

I would be surprised to see the warranty people make preventive maintenance based on oil filter debris as they can always hope the car will hold until you sell it. I mean that so far nothing can predict an engine failure for sure. Seems that most failure are happening without any symptoms.