This past August, I purchased a new 2010 Subaru Outback. I love the car and everyone tells me how reliable/durable Subarus are (this is my first one), which is gratifying, however I have been really racking up the miles - averaging about 3K miles per month - and at this rate will probably use up my origional 3 year/36,000 mile warranty in only about a year. I recently received a flyer/brochure from Subaru describing several options available to me if I wish to buy a Subaru-authorized extension of my warranty to 60K, 80K or even 100K - all “6 years or…”. My question: considering the number of miles I am putting on the car, would an extended warranty be a good idea and, if so, are there specific cautions I should be aware of with such warranties? For example, the coverage looks to be quite comprehensive, but there is a $100 deductible per repair visit and it must go to a participating Subaru dealer.
I think all extended warranties are over-priced and not necessary. We have owned two Subarus, and the costs of the repairs in 240K+ miles so far have never exceeded or even come close to matching the cost of the extended warranty. Pay as you go seems to be best. I use an independent mechanic to do most of the maintenance, saving a substantial amount compared to the dealer.
We rack up about 2K miles per month, so you are exceeding our benchmarks, but these type of highway miles you are probably racking up are very easy on Subarus.
" I love the car and everyone tells me how reliable/durable Subarus are (this is my first one), which is gratifying, however…"
Subaru’s comprise less than 3% of the cars on the road…Yet on this board, almost 20% of the posts have the word “Subaru” in them…Not a good sign.
The extended warranty is just added dealer profit. The cost of the warranty plus the deductibles will exceed any probable covered repair expense…
You are putting very easy miles (highway likely) on the car. The likely case is you won’t hit any major or minor repairs in 3 years. Skip it.