I would like the board’s opinion on my new 2007 Dodge Dakota that came with a lifetime powertrain and 3year/ 36,000 mile warranty. I do not drive it much and intend to keep it until it, or I, drop.
An “Added Care Plus” policy from Chrysler would cost $560 for 7 years/ 60,000 miles ($100 deductible).
This seems like a fair deal. Agree?
Thanks very much!
Covered are:
About Added Care Plus
Added Care Plus provides economical protection for repairs on major powertrain components, plus basic component coverage. This plan extends your vehicle’s powertrain and basic component coverage beyond the 3-year/36,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty and covers more than 800 components, including:
* Engine
* Transmission
* Driveline
* Steering
* Air Conditioning
* Engine Cooling and Fuel
* Front Suspension
* Rear Suspension
* Electrical
* Expanded Electrical
* Instrumentation
* Brakes
* Anti-Lock Brakes
* Power Group
* Luxury Group
Details at:
http://www…d_care.cfm
Like all such plans, it is up to you. If it gives you $560 of warm fuzzy feelings, then go for it. If you are a cold hearted economist like me, don’t bother lining the pockets of the salesman, dealer and insurance company. There is a very low chance you will ever be able to make any claim on that insurance policy.
I’m very skeptical of ANY extended warranty…and this one I’m MORE skeptical of…even though this is one of the cheaper ones I’ve heard of.
What do they cover for Brakes?? PADS???..Calipers??? I can’t believe they are going to cover pads for 100k miles.
Engine Cooling and Fuel??? What does that mean???
Personally I NEVER buy a extended warranty. Not worth it.
I think that the importance or the value of an extended warranty depends to a great extent on a particular make and model’s record in terms of reliability and frequency of repair. Since the '06 2WD Dakota scored “worse than average” in Consumer Reports’ frequency of repairs ratings and the '05 and '06 4WD Dakota scored “much worse than average” on that same scale, an extended warranty might make sense for this vehicle.
Normally, with a model like that, I would go with the manufacturer’s own extended warranty, rather than a warranty from another company. However, in view of Chrysler’s very shaky financial situation and the probability that they may not be around for a long time in their present form, you might be well advised to get an extended warranty from someone other than Chrysler.
A few years ago Chrysler gave me a “7yr/70K mi” warranty for free to help compensate me for issues I was having with my new van.
Even though I do all my own work, at about 69,000 miles, I brought the van in to have the dealer fix the handful of issues that needed fixing (leaking CV boot, leaking water pump, oil around the valve cover gaskets).
After they looked at the problems, I was stunned when they told me the extended warranty wouldn’t cover the repairs. The showed me the fine print in the extended warranty that gave them reason to not cover the repairs.
I never bought an extended warranty prior to that experience, and definitely not since then.
I bought a extended warranty on a chevy.evey time i went in to get a oil changed the dealership found a pricey part to change. I added it up one day their were over $4.900 in parts/labor. would not buy another extended warranty.keep the money in your pocket.
I look at extended warranties like this:
If the car is so unreliable it needs an extended warranty, I am looking at the wrong car. I would rather have a reliable car and pass on the extended warranty than have an unreliable car that needs an extended warranty.
Even though reliable cars usually cost more, they are usually cheaper to own and operate over the life of the car than their cheaper less reliable counterparts.
Having said that, I believe all of today’s new cars are reliable enough to not need an extended warranty.
I’d steer clear of the extended warranty. We had one for our Plymouth Van. It came with a brochure showing all of the hundreds of parts it covered. It looked like a complete schematic of the vehicle. But when the time came to replace a fairly obscure, yet very expensive electronic part, guess what? It wasn’t covered by the warranty. I think they’re a complete ripoff and I actually find it gives me more heartburn anticipating the fight with the dealership to get what I paid for than to risk the lack of “insurance.”
Of course pads aren’t covered. Here’s what is:
Covered Brake Components
* Brake Hydraulic Assembly
* Pump Motor Assembly
* Controller
* Sensors and Relays
* Master Cylinder
* Assist Booster
* Wheel Cylinders
* Disc Brake Calipers and Pistons
* Brake Lines, Hoses and Fittings
* Proportioning Valve
* Seals and Gaskets for Listed Components
* Brake Pads, Shoes, Rotors and Drums are not covered at anytime
Covered Engine Cooling And Fuel Components
* Cooling Fan, Clutch and Motor
* Radiator
* Coolant Temperature Switch
* Fuel Pump
* Water Pump and Housing
* Fuel Tank Sending Unit
* Fuel Tank and Lines
* Serpentine Belt Tensioner
* Seals and Gaskets for Listed ComponentsI just had this crazy good experience with an extended warranty, so good that I thought I’d find a place to post it to make sure that others could know about it! It might be something you could get from your dealer instead of the Chrysler warranty, I don’t know, EasyCare was the only one my dealer offered I think. Anyway, I have this EasyCare warranty on my Silverado, and it’s just about to run out and of course my A.C. blows - like not blows cold air, blows up. I take it to my favorite mechanic who is sorry to tell me that it’s going to cost in the THOUSANDS to fix it. I remembered that my dealer had sold me an EasyCare warranty, so I asked the mechanic to call. They said not to hold my breath because apparently there are a lot of bad ones out there, but not only did they get approval to fully cover the repair, but the warranty company also offered to cover the cost of a loaner car - a really nice one - while I had the repair done. Even my mechanic was amazed. EasyCare paid for itself a couple of times over with that one repair alone! Now I’m a HUGE fan and want everyone to know about it! - Laura