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Lifetime warranty

22K views 103 replies 35 participants last post by  J13ntv 
#1 ·
Question.......is there any advantage to purchasing the lifetime warranty with the vehicle over getting it at a later date as long as it's within the first year of ownership?

Al
 
#41 ·
At the bottom of this message, click "post reply". a new window will open. once the window opens, click the paperclip. from there choose "browse" until you find the file on your computer. click the file, then upload, you're good to go.
 
#43 ·
I think everyone's being way too paranoid and litigious.
 
#45 ·
Ok I just want to say that this is a good discussion but let's try to keep the flame wars to a minimum. No one wants to read that stuff.

I typically never buy any kind of extended warranty as I don't think they are usually worth it, and agree that making a claim can be problematic depending on the company that is covering the item warrantied. Someone stated correctly that this is more about a relationship. That's why I wouldn't even consider an extended warranty on electronics or appliances...those things just don't have the lifespan that demands that kind of warranty and I just replace them as I desire more features or they die.

With auto warranties, I think the return for an extended is definitely driven by how long you plan to own the vehicle and how comfortable you are with handling the repairs yourself. I typically keep my cars 3 years or less, although this will be my first brand new car, so if I follow that cycle there is no need for an extended warranty. I've tentatively decided to force myself into a 48 month loan to help accelerate the pay down so that if in the likely event that I want to trade around year 3 this will hopefully mean the loan balance has kept pace with the big depreciation i'll take in years 1-2. If I decide that I just love the jeep so much that I can't part with it I can always buy the extended warranty at that time, even if it costs more. The chances of that in my case are small but if I knew for sure that I would keep the car for at least 6 or 7 years I might consider it.

Sent from my HTC myTouch 4G using Tapatalk
 
#46 ·
Sorry, I had some sarcasm in the original post, it was not meant to offend/attack anyone, only give some debate/personal experiences back to support the purchase of the warranty. I also did reference that for ME it did not seem like a service that would work or have a good ROI, that didn't mean it was a poor choice for everyone.

Personally, I have had terrible experiences with any type of warranty (original or extended), so yes I do want to read the contract and not trust good faith. Claims are either denied or refurbished components used that cause a high loss of use of the product and significant amounts of my time to facilitate the repair.

The fact that all the warranties don't offer any option for rental car coverage, towing or loss of use over 7 years/70K miles also indicates to me that the "loss" factor of the use of the vehicle becomes significant after this age/mileage. That also is a problem for me, as I live alone and have no other form of transportation, so having to rent a car that is not included in the contract will become increasingly expensive as the years progress, making the ROI (again for me) not as practical as for other people. Everyone should be figuring in the costs of having the vehicle towed in for repair as this is a cost.

"Repairs required as a result of other than a manufacturing defect (such as a design defect or normal wear)" This is under the Not Covered section and yes this is separate contract from the manufacturer. But if the service contract I am purchasing references manufacturer specifications (as it does for maintenance responsibilities for the owner) then what the manufacturer has stated is important in court. If the vehicle is designed for 150K miles, under normal wear, any failure after that mileage would be caused by normal wear, not a manufacturing defect (any failure prior to that mileage would be a manufacturing defect of the part). If I was on a jury I would support that all failures after 150K miles can be denied coverage. No different than the owner supplying maintenance records that match my owners manual to prove the car was adequately maintained. Additionally, design defects are not covered, so problems like the shudder if it gets worst could be denied (even if it makes the vehicle difficult/annoying to drive). Now, this is where the company is going to have their actuaries look at the cost to cover such a claim or the cost to deny it and take the hit to reputation.

In my opinion, the contract has a lot of exclusions and language that protects the service provider more than protects the purchaser.

All other items aside, the simple ROI for each individual is going to be different as everyone's situation is different. For example, I would pay cash for the plan today versus investing the money in the stock market (long term ROI is around 8-11% over 30 years), would have to include the cost of renting a car and include the loss of my time. Loss of my time is calculated very high in the ROI calculation since focusing on my career has exponential value when you factor in the time value of money (getting a 7% raise this year versus 5% is really important as every raise after that is compounded growth). Since dealing with car repairs is worse than having to go to work, I would rather spend that time at work. Other people may find the lost hours to dealing with the warranty provide a better payback as the cost of the savings is larger than the revenue they can garner.
 
#47 ·
LogicNow, Thanks for the comments and always welcomed participation, that's what makes the forums fun & informative.

We all share viewpoints & opinions to enjoy & learn from our fellow Jeep Owners.
IMO, you're off track in assessing the service contacts... we all make our own decisions. Enjoy the WK2 and the forum!
 
#48 ·
So, in the example above about the "shudder problem" in regards to it being a design problem, would a problem with the quadra lift be considered a design flaw or a specific problem with an individual's vehicle? major items like that, specifically on a new vehicle design, is what concerns me about not buying the warranty.
 
#49 ·
While under warranty, other than additional benefits for the MaxCare the shudder problem would be resolved by Warranty Repair. If Mopar declares this a defect or Recall beyond Warranty period, the repair would be performed as a sponsored Recall Repair. Both types of repair covered without Extended Service contract.

Outside of Warranty Periods and subject to no recall action; Any mechanical "covered" repair would be addressed & repaired per the most recent repair procedure & parts... which includes basically all powertrain except for specified "excluded" wear items.

The Air Suspension Example; would be covered by Service Contract in this scenario.
 
#51 ·
I think changing ECU programming would definitely void a warranty. Filter, probably not.
 
#52 ·
The ECM programming would probably get undesired attention; I'd flash stored OEM programming back prior to shop visit.

Hollywood I think is correct, since Mopar sells CAI I don't think it would cause a problem as long as it's functioning without leaks.

My past experience for mods: Exhaust, brakes, lights, etc. As long as they are brand manufactured, designed & sold for the vehicle... they shouldn't cause a problem with other areas of service. Although, such as exhaust: it's stated in Service Contract that if it's not OEM part, then it won't be repaired with OEM Parts. SO if you break a muffler hanger or crack a pipe... it's your expense. If you mod lights and suffer a short or overload burn, it's your expense if they determine it was caused by bulbs. But if Dimer Switch goes out, they're not going to refuse coverage because you swapped some bulbs.
 
#53 · (Edited)
Retouching the Service Contract and Lifetime Length of service.
Delivery of WK2 and purchased MaxCare Lifetime /$100 Deductible.
When reviewing my account info on the Jeep Owners web site, I examined the Service Contract.

Concerns within this thread on possible expire date or max mileage.
Note the Service Contract entry: Expires On: 2094-06-20 or 999999 miles

Hope that helps with one of the concerns! ;)


Contract Summary for {Name of Contract Holder - DcJ}
Contract Number {Contract Number - DcJ#}
VIN Number 1J4RR6GT9BC6.....
Description NEW MAXIMUM CARE (FOR VEHICLES WITH 5/100 WARRANTY)
Expires on 2094-06-20 or 999999 miles
Start Date 2011-03-21
Deductible Per Repair $100.00
Towing Coverage $100
Roadside Assist 800-521-2779
Rental Car Allowance $35.00 per day for a maximum of $175.00
Max Rental Days 5
 
#54 ·
Sorry to re-open this thread, but, i do want some clairification on the purchase of the lifetime warranty.

i have around 2k on my jeep (bought it with 13 miles on April 11th) so i spend quite a bit of time behind the wheel.

is there an advantage or disadvantage for me to buy the warranty now vs later? i heard it is ok to wait until 12,000 miles then buy it for the same price, but, that doesnt make sense to me. i thought the more miles you have on the car the higher the price goes for the warranty?
 
#55 ·
Personally I think the smartest thing is to buy it new with the vehicle & build it into your payments. You won't even feel it!
 
#56 ·
Didn't think about that... i'm a "cash guy" so i like to buy stuff in chunks. i would buy now if i thought the price would go up, but, if i can wait and keep the same price i would prefer to wait. i like to keep my cash to make it do a little bit of work for me...
 
#58 ·
Ditto, with the $100.00 deductible. :thumbsup:
 
#59 ·
You can add an extended anytime before factory 3/36 runs out. However after 1 yr/12k the price goes up slightly, how much I forget but I remember reading its very slim.. How can you tell? Get a quote from chryslerwarrantys and say your car is over 1 yr.. That will give you the price it would be. Play with the mileage/yrs.
 
#60 ·
10-4. Thanks guys. i'll buy it in a month or two. I think the $100 deductable is worth the piece of mine... especially with the first year of the WK2. There are a bunch of new moving parts vs. older models. ACC, Quadra-lift, etc, etc...
 
#64 ·
If you plan on keeping the vehicle for a significant amount of time, yes, it's a no-brainer! :thumbsup:
 
#66 ·
I finally bit the bullet and purchased this last week. Thanks everyone for the input to this forum. If I find out anything that hasn't already been posted I will update it here. My Price was $2050 after using the coupon code sent to me from chrystlerwarrantys.com.
 
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