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Extended Warranty Question

2K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  superstein61 
#1 ·
I have 48,500 miles on my car. I know to get the Volvo extended warranty I have to buy it in 500 miles..as you need to do it before 49,000 miles. My car is an 04. I bought it used, and I don't honestly know when it went into service...but I'm guessing it was either mid-late 03 or early 04. I bought it in May 04 wtih 14k on it.

I have priced extended warranties and saw the redbank volvo pricing online. (my local volvo dealer quoted me higher prices - but I wonder if they may match the prices redbank advertised???)

The question is this:

1) on a modded car like mine - ECU/dp/exhaust/springs/sways/E slot rotors...blue coolant hoses... am I just asking to get screwed by volvo if/when I have a major failure like my motor or tranny or turbo? will they just laugh and say you have mods, so you are denied?

given the other little parts that will break off/on over the next 50k miles...the stuff that nickel and dimes you to death - that has no relation to my mods - maybe even considering that stuff alone, I'd be wise to get the warranty.

Or just save the money and figure I'll save it now, and jus tpay later as I go and figure I'll take the risk.

2) Assuming I do buy an extended warranty - here are theprices.

All of thse are for 7 yr, 100k miles. 7 yrs from teh date it went into service, and 100k total miles.

$0 deductible - $3239
$50 deductible - $2646
$100 deductible - $2350
$200 deductible - $1699

I figure half the stuff I go in for is gonna be $50-100, so if I go with a high deductible, I get nickel and dimed along the way anyway as I can't use the coverage on small dollar items - gas filler door hinges, and other random crap that breaks. that stuff may pop up a lot or not that much. the MORE of those little $50-100 items that pop up from 50k - 100k - the better off I may be to spend more for 0 deductible.

those of you who have owned S60s before and driven them to 100k..what were your experiences in terms of warranty related items that are liekly to break/fail over the life of the warranty. and does it make sense to pay fo9r the 0 deductible to get those "nickel and dime" items coverd or not.

For example, a $100 deductible is about $1000 cheaper than the $0 deductible. It would take about 10 visits for $100 items to make that up...or 5 small items and 5 big items....since the 5 "small" $100 fixes would be "free" with 0 deductible and the 5 "big" items would have NO deductible...those 10 visit would be 1000 bucks less out of pocket over the warranty..

what do you think....

buy it, don't buy it
and if so, what deductible.
 
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#3 ·
Re: Extended Warranty Question (23109VC)

$0 deductible - $3239
$50 deductible - $2646
$100 deductible - $2350
$200 deductible - $1699

sean, where you get those prices from? I'm considering extended warranty as well. but one place quoted me $2,200.00 for 5 year 100k... don't remember the deductible though..

I got 22k miles on my car.
 
#4 ·
Re: Extended Warranty Question (23109VC)

Quote, originally posted by 23109VC »
BUMP - c'mon...doesn't anyone have any inptu regarding whether a modded car is a good/bad candidate for an extended warranty?

No experience with this, but I wonder it you would be better off going with a non-Volvo extended warranty given the mods. Not that another company couldn't figure it out, but I think it would easier to go unnoticed. I've wondered the same thing myself, I don't have any mods now but am considering an ECU mod once I'm done with the primary warranty. I've only got 25k mi, it will be a another 18 months until I'm over 50k
 
#6 ·
Re: Extended Warranty Question (23109VC)

I have no experience in this realm at all so take my thoughts for what their worth...nothing.
Nevertheless, here are my quick thoughts...

1) In ~2 years, your car has accumulated almost 50K miles (about 36K miles of which are yours). So, if you continue packing on the miles at the same rate (about 18K/yr), you'll hit the 100K mark in 2-3 more years. If you're going to go with an extended warranty, why pay extra for a 7yr plan when there might be a 4 or 5/100K option available?

2) The things you're worried about are the high ticket items....tranny, engine, 4C, Haldex, etc. All of those systems, components, parts or whatever are linked to the mods. Should they be covered? Probably. Will they be? I guess it all depends on the dealer. Will your dealer acknowledge the mods and agree, in writing, that they shouldn't impact your warranty? Of course not...sooooo, any assurances you receive today will probably be worthless tomorrow, especially if the guy/gal who gives them to you no longer works at that particular dealer if/when a problem arises.

Also, I believe the deductible applies to each incident...it doesn't accumulate like a medical deductible does. So, if you've got $1K in repairs and a $100 deductible, you're going out of pocket $100. That doesn't mean that all of your remaining repairs are $0 because you've met the deductible. Your next set of $1K in repairs will also run you $100. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

The nickel and dime items (i.e., hinges, etc. you mentioned are all wear and tear items. I'm not sure, but I don't think they're even covered, and given the fact that they don't accumulate, I'd discard them entirely.

The question you have to ask yourself is, given the way the car has treated you so far, and the way you have treated the car so far, how likely are you to run into ~$3K in damage in the next couple of years. I know the past has little to do with the future in how parts fail, but it's your only real guide. Let's fact it, without a warranty, if any major item goes, you're hosed for that amount...and probably a bit more...but how much more? I don't know. At what point does it make sense for you, financially, to buy the warranty?

To me, it almost makes more sense to take the $3K today, invest it in something safe and forget about it until you need it (if you ever need it). If your car costs you $4K to repair over the next 2-3 yrs, you're out $1K but you've had the value of that $3K available to you in the meantime. If it costs you $10K, then you'll kick yourself in the ass and think differently about the warranty next time around. Then again, at that point, the cost of the repairs might actually exceed the value of the car...who knows?

The question no one can answer is, what is likely to go wrong with your car in the next few years?

-Eric
 
#7 ·
Re: Extended Warranty Question (23109VC)

I agree with Eric. With the mods you have, most of the big ticket items would not be covered without a huge legal fight, so just "self insure".
 
#8 ·
Re: Extended Warranty Question (Wayne T5)

You might want to search another forum (non-Volvo) on this. The R's have not been out long enough to get a good idea. You will most likely end up being our guinea pig if you do get an extened warranty. Granted, there are some heavily modified S/V70s out there, but as far as performance cars go, Volvos are probably the least modified out there. I doubt the extended warranty companies, whether it be for a Mitsu, Benz, Sub, BMW, etc. vary that differently on this subject.
 
#9 ·
Re: Extended Warranty Question (I Roll)

thanks for all the input guys. I appreciate it!!

Eric - I had kind of been thinking along the lines of what you had said. My REAL fear are the big ticket items. I know some of the big scheduled repairs are NOT covered - stuff like clutches, timing belts...I pay that no matter what. But what if my motor blew up - that's the biggest "big ticket" item.

given my mods - I'd bet when push came to shove, the dealer would screw me. The cost would be too high - and they'd see an easy way out.So I'm really not buying any peace of mind.

If I pocket the 2000-3000 bucks NOW and just hang onto it - as long as I spend about that much over the next 50k miles - then I've broken even, but had the use of the money now. If my motor blows - I'm probably no worse off because they might not cover it anyway.

I'll have to sleep on this one.... I've got about 500 miles to go before I have to make up my mind.
 
#10 ·
Re: Extended Warranty Question (23109VC)

this extended warranty is a good idea if you plan on keeping the car for the "long haul", however based on the fact that your car is modded I would be VERY cautious (do you have a good relationship w/ the service dept?). Non - volvo extended warranties are most times not honored by volvo dealerships. Some places that may honor the (non volvo) warranty may not be a facility that can repair your car. Pizza if you do...calzones if you don't.
 
#11 ·
Re: Extended Warranty Question (Sue Esponte)

Quote, originally posted by Sue Esponte »
If you're going to go with an extended warranty, why pay extra for a 7yr plan when there might be a 4 or 5/100K option available?

Remember that a "7 yr" warranty is 7 years from the in service date not from today. They have 6 yr 72 and 6 yr 100K which may be better suited but you want ot make sure that you'll sell the car in 2 years, (from now) if not, go with the 7 yr
 
#12 ·
Re: Extended Warranty Question (23109VC)

Check with your Volvo dealer to see if there are any perks that go along with their warranties. My extended warranty, purchased at the dealership when I ordered the car, covers me through 7 years or 100,000 miles and I can receive a full refund of the purchase price if I never make a claim. I like this because I can assess each repair situation to see if it is worth tapping into my warranty coverage. I should add that I have a fairly tight window of opportunity to request my refund, but it made me feel much better about the upsell. For what it's worth, I paid approximately $1,700 for my extended warranty in January of 2004, and I believe it has a $50 deductible. I can try to unearth the paperwork if you have any questions or want to know what company administers it.

I am almost always against extended warranties, but due to the relative obscurity of the R cars and the complexities of the 4C system, I felt I had to go for it. My car has proved to be reliable, but I'd likely buy the plan again if I had it to do all over again.

Good luck!!!

- Tryg
 
#13 ·
Re: Extended Warranty Question (JRL)

Quote, originally posted by JRL »
Remember that a "7 yr" warranty is 7 years from the in service date not from today.

Yes, of course, but he has an '04. And, let's say it's an early '04 put in service back in the fall of '03. That means that car is 2.5 years into its life. And, in that time, he's used up almost 50Kmi. Averaging 18K mi/yr like he is personally, that would put him around 100K miles some where in the 4-5yr service range. A 5yr/100K is probably sufficient assuming it's offered and assuming he doesn't plan on getting another car to offset the mileage in that time.

Sean, I'd skip the warranty, save some wear and tear on the R and put a down payment on an Elise.


-Eric
 
#14 ·
Eric is right. When I sell warranties I match them to the miles theve driven in a certain time period. If in 2.5 years he went almost 50k, I would go with a 5 year/100k The price difference between each year you add on is huge.

Also remeber the quotes you see vary from state to state. Volvo Vip takes into consideration alot of things to price them for each state. And you can only buy from the State you live in. Our stores warranty labor rate is alot higher then some of the back east Volvo dealers. So our ext. warranty pricing set by Volvo is higher here. Just talk to a few local dealers and price match them,not out of state.
 
#15 ·
Re: (Mike"R")

Quote, originally posted by Mike"R" »

. . .
Also remeber the quotes you see vary from state to state. Volvo Vip takes into consideration alot of things to price them for each state. And you can only buy from the State you live in. Our stores warranty labor rate is alot higher then some of the back east Volvo dealers. So our ext. warranty pricing set by Volvo is higher here. Just talk to a few local dealers and price match them,not out of state.

Do you mean as a resident of state X you cannot buy a warranty in state Y?! How does Stillman offer the VIP's then?! Is it only recognized in the state where sold?
 
#16 ·
Re: (Mike"R")

Quote, originally posted by Mike"R" »
And you can only buy from the State you live in. Our stores warranty labor rate is alot higher then some of the back east Volvo dealers. So our ext. warranty pricing set by Volvo is higher here. .
Wrong! Nice try, but wrong.
What if a person bought one in, say Missisippi where the labor is cheaper and moves to LA?
His warranty is still in effect, this is a NATIONAL warranty
 
#17 ·
Re: (JRL)

Quote, originally posted by JRL »

Wrong! Nice try, but wrong.
What if a person bought one in, say Missisippi where the labor is cheaper and moves to LA?
His warranty is still in effect, this is a NATIONAL warranty

I NEVER said it cant be used elsewhere. Just where its purchased.
What do you mean wrong. The chances of someone moving out of state ar rare. Yes it happens. But we get paid $ 130 an hour from Volvo for warranty and I know other dealers getting more and some getting alot less. Its all where you live. And you by law are only able to purchase a contract from someone with a sales license in your state. Once purchased it can be used anywhere. Plus as time and time again, its been told, you have to have an inspection on vehicle.
 
#18 ·
Re: (Mike"R")

Quote, originally posted by Mike"R" »
The chances of someone moving out of state ar rare. Yes it happens. But we get paid $ 130 an hour from Volvo for warranty and I know other dealers getting more and some getting alot less. Its all where you live.

See, you're thinking like a west coastee...where the states are big. If you're in the Northeast, I live within a few hours of PA, NJ, NY, MA, RI, NH, VT and ME. Add an hour or two to the drive and I could easily reach another 5-6 states. Now, although I have no idea how the warranty works in terms of pricing, I do know that if I trade in my car and its put up at auction, the chance of it winding up in another nearby state isn't so low. And, since the warranty transfers with the car, unless I use it up or don't receive a pro-rated refund on trade-in, there's a good possibility it will wind up out of state.

-Eric
 
#19 ·
Re: (Mike"R")

Quote, originally posted by Mike"R" »


. And you by law are only able to purchase a contract from someone with a sales license in your state..
You're wrong
 
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