Palmbeacher

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.

silotwo

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.

Hurdigurdiman

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.

philooo

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.