Did your extended warranty pay off?

[ArmyGrunt66]

My 2009 1500 came with lifetime drivetrain warranty. It was hard to let that go but I needed a 2500 in 2014.

I bought my 2009 Ram 1500 4x4 new also, have the Lifetime Powertrain Warranty too, still own the Ram, just ticked over to 78,000 miles. I’ll never sell this vehicle because it’s not causing me headaches and it has this warranty. But if it was stolen or totaled to where the truck is no longer drivable, I’ll consider another Ram and knowing about these other warranties available is valuable, thanks everybody.

Kevin

 

[Goosewhole]

I voted that it did not pay off because the only time I had reason to use it, this happened (hope you got a few minutes. This is gonna be a long one):
I had a 2007.5 2500 QC LWB 4X4 with the 6.7L Cummins. When I bought it in October of 2010, the bank made it sound like they required the extended warranty for them to finance the truck, so I got it.. (I know, I know, but I was only 26 when I bought it.) I was about to leave work (Lowe's at the time) when I noticed the truck wasn't wanting to turn where I wanted it to. I looked up front and then two wheels were pointing different directions. Ruh roh. Took it to my mechanic, and the tie rod end had snapped on the passenger side. Thank God it did it in the parking lot and not on the interstate. Come to find out the extended warranty didn't cover steering components.
Next time, same truck, I had an injector fail. Took it in to my mechanic again, and he calls me back the next day saying he argued with the warranty company, but they refused to cover injectors, because my warranty didn't cover fuel delivery, either. He basically told me that the junk warranty they forced on me covered really nothing more than the block.
So there it is. I do currently have a full life-of-the-note warranty on my wife's Jeep, and I have an extended warranty on my current 2017 2500 6.7L, but it read through and made sure it covered that expensive stuff. I can see it being worth it, but I voted the way I did because the two times I need it, it didn't pay out a dime.

 

[pacofortacos]

Good point, there are many different extended service plans and quite a few aren't worth the paper they are written on.
Even the Mopar plans have several different plans and they cover different items - it is important to know what you are purchasing.

 

[chrisbh17]

Good point, there are many different extended service plans and quite a few aren't worth the paper they are written on.
Even the Mopar plans have several different plans and they cover different items - it is important to know what you are purchasing.

Another important note is that you do NOT need to buy the warranty at time of sale of the vehicle. The Mopar ones (which most agree are the best) are available anytime during the initial factory warranty. The price goes up a bit after having the vehicle 1 yr or 12K miles, but what it does is allow you to take a step back from the high pressure finance-office finisher and take some time to determine if you really want it. Also gives you a year to see how the vehicle is going (lots of small problems, big problems, no problems)

Also in the case of the Mopar warranties, they can be purchased from ANY FCA dealer. Not just the one you bought the vehicle from. They are added as a service contract and linked with your VIN and can be used at ANY authorized FCA service place.

 

[KalboKalbs]

As laid out it is situational for each owner to evaluate. As i tend to keep my vehicles a LONG time, getting my money back is quite likely.

Two extended warranties.


2019 Grand Cherokee Summit. Hemi. Every bell and whistle on this vehicle. 7 year / 100k. Only 8K miles. No issues. YET.


2015 1500 crew Hemi. 128K miles. Maxcare lifetime warranty.

- Blew the engine at 84K miles. Just over six weeks to get the truck back. Rental car. ZERO cost to me.

- Software updates zero cost.

- Key fob and cruise control replaced. $100.

- Radio / navigation unit replaced. $49. dunno why it wasn't the advertised $100 deductible.

- Engine oil leak. Replaced engine under warranty. Zero cost.


NO plans to sell vehicles.

 

[pacofortacos]

Another important note is that you do NOT need to buy the warranty at time of sale of the vehicle. The Mopar ones (which most agree are the best) are available anytime during the initial factory warranty. The price goes up a bit after having the vehicle 1 yr or 12K miles, but what it does is allow you to take a step back from the high pressure finance-office finisher and take some time to determine if you really want it. Also gives you a year to see how the vehicle is going (lots of small problems, big problems, no problems)

Also in the case of the Mopar warranties, they can be purchased from ANY FCA dealer. Not just the one you bought the vehicle from. They are added as a service contract and linked with your VIN and can be used at ANY authorized FCA service place.

Also, I think on all of the current MOPAR plans, if you do get rid of the vehicle before the service contract period is up, you are entitled to a prorated refund.
And I think they are transferable, which is a great private party selling point!

 

[RLJ10X]

ZERO cost?
What did the warranty cost Kalb?

How long did you have it before it paid anything?

 

[Larry Wald]

The only warranty ever worth the money was the Chrysler Lifetime warranty which is no longer offered.

 

[DrunkJeff]

I will say that these warranty do pay off, if you end up needing it. I run an aftermarket warranty claims department (not one of the ones that calls all the time, one of the ones that you buy with the vehicle). Every day I am authorizing full payment for anything from ball joints to engines, the latest engine one being a $26,000 job on a land rover.

Needless to say, i bought a 10 year - 100,000 mile warranty for my Ram that covers everything mechanical or electrical that is not a maintenance item for $1200 (employee perk).

I think it all depends on what your pease of mind is worth to you.

 

[Sinistre1]

Extended my bumper to bumper out to 8 years. 3rd year had a very small oil leak (none on the floor) but it was throwing an error code and causing power issues... timing wouldn't advance due to very low oil pressure. $100 deductible but I did have to pay for oil change. That said... would have been $1600 out of pocket for a $8 seal. Also had 3rd brake light blow due to water ingress. Changed the whole fixture. No charge and new one is LED! Anything g goes wrong in next 3.5 years and us covered... I'm earning money. Lol . I got a good deal on the Mopar warranty took low mileage and $100 deductible option. Wont likely hit the 60k cap within the time remaining. I just like the peace of mind that my used to be new toy wasnt going to become a money pit for at least 8 years.

 

[Sinistre1]

Went back and read some earlier posts. Guess there's a lot of pre- cogs in this forum. For anyone planning to keep their truck at least 6 or 7 years it really isn't hard to imagine some very expensive repair popping up after year 3. I don't usually warranty Jack-$%# but I made it my business to do so here. Why? Cause nearly nothing on this beast is cheap to fix. Can I see the high tech radio going in 7 years? Yep? Some kind of electrical Gremlin? Yep. Some other something that would be covered by my bumper to bumper... that's a yep too. What cant see is all of them being cheap. I reasoned if any two moderate ticket items go wrong I'm at break even. Beyond that I'm golden. So I used my sufficiently large tax return ( please no free money loaned to the Gov't arguments... already heard those) I consider it a xmas/ slush fund and every April I have a few thousand dollars to play around with separate from all my other savings.. point is unless I expected the truck to never need repair or for those repairs to be VW beetle cheap/ easy ((DIY) This was the one and only warranty that made sense to me. TV, fridge, stove, stereo... likely going to change them out soon enough for newer features or plain aesthetics and it would never be more than the cost of full replacement more than once every few years... or else I am not doing my homework well enough. None of that is true for a 45k truck. 2grand VERY well spent, imho.

 

[MAJ_Charlie]

I've got the MAX CARE plan on my wife's Durango and it's been good for us getting things repaired for a $100 deductible that would have cost us $$$$ out of pocket. I've got a 3rd party plan on my RAM which has also saved me $$$$ on repairs. There are quite a few things I do myself, but rebuilding a rear diff isn't one of them.

 

[Firefight1981]

I've got the MAX CARE plan on my wife's Durango and it's been good for us getting things repaired for a $100 deductible that would have cost us $$$$ out of pocket. I've got a 3rd party plan on my RAM which has also saved me $$$$ on repairs. There are quite a few things I do myself, but rebuilding a rear diff isn't one of them.

What third party company did you use for extended warranty?

 

[tron67j]

Soooo...

Found yet another site that talks about length of contract and it says "...length of warranty period may start from vehicle in service date...". So I get emails all the time with " last chance deal on MOPAR warranty". I called and found, withiut pulling any trigger, and of course they won't commit in writing, that since I have less than 7k miles on my 2018 they might start the 8 year warranty (the other 349 plans (their number) are not available to me with this deal) from my date of purchase if I buy right now. I also asked about repairs using other than brand new Mopar parts and they said that even factory warranty allows for rebuilt, refurbished, or even used parts to be used in a warranty repair. I looked at my factory warranty paperwork and there it is, things like the engine, radio, and computer can be replaced with non-new parts. This to "save me time". Ugh... I never let rebuilt anywhere near my vehicles. Too many rebuilt water pumps, power steering pump and the like just have leaked or froze up right after past repairs.

 

[MAJ_Charlie]

What third party company did you use for extended warranty?

I've had GWC Warranty thru the dealership which has been good until I "mileaged out" and I have AA Protection. Another good one depending on your mileage is Concord.