I’m getting ready to buy a 2009 subaru and will need to drive it 3,000 miles right off the bat. Thay are trying to sell me bumper to bumper protection for $975 is it worth it if that warranty will end March 2015?
additional info - it has 20,600 miles on it, l.l. bean, one owner and no accidents. They lowered it to 19k, seemd high still but within reason.
Most people will say no. I buy car insurance, house insurance, boat insurance,jife insurance, an umbrella policy. If it is true bumper to bumper, it sounds like a reasonable deal to me, but you need to figure in mileage if applicable, and really look at the coverage, most used car extended warranties have more holes than Swiss cheese. Is this a Subaru or second party warranty? I opt for new car warranty in that price range to cover any surprises, while I am making payments,…
The only after-market warranty that anyone should ever consider is one from the vehicle manufacturer itself. So, even though I don’t think that you need this coverage, as long as it is backed by Subaru of America, at least you won’t lose your money in a scam.
That car, IIRC, has the H-6 3.0 six-cylinder engine, which is essentially bullet-proof. Trust me, I know from experience. Just be sure to use premium gas, as that is what the mfr specifies for this engine.
Whether you get the warranty or not, I strongly advise having the transmission fluid changed a.s.a.p. No, not because it is a Subaru, but because all makes of cars need to have the trans fluid changed every 3 yrs/30k miles, whichever comes first.
The tires also need to be “matched” in terms of brand, size, and tread wear. Make sure that you rotate the tires every 7,500 miles.
At the 3 yr/30k service, make sure that you also have the coolant and the brake fluid changed.
If you do all of these things every 3 yrs/30k miles, you should not need that extended warranty.
Thank-you both for the feedback. Very helpful. I will make sure they change the transmission fluid - luckily it is at a subaru dealer so I’m pretty sure they have a shop right there.
I take a different view on the need to change the automatic transmission fluid right away. Given the vehicle only has 20K miles on it, I’d only change it that soon if the maintenance schedule for that vehicle called for it, or wait till you get to 30k-40k miles.
Read the fine print carefully. Even manufacturer-backed bumper-to-bumper warranties often exclude expensive stuff like nav systems and other electronics.
Assuming it is a manufacturer warranty, and it’s really bumper to bumper with no exclusions (except, obviously, damage you cause yourself) then $975 might be a pretty good price. Of course, you didn’t tell us what the mileage of this warranty is 
Oops… mileage is 100,000 A lot of good advice. I should have posted this question sooner. 
The price is great but with a few caveats. If it’s not a Subaru backed policy (meaning the policy is provided by corporate Subaru (SOA) then you should pass on it because 3rd party extended warranties can be a roll of the dice; even if they’re not downright fraudulent.
Do a net search about Warranty Direct, U.S. Fidelis, etc. Those are only the tip of the iceberg.
Read the fine print even if it is an SOA policy and make sure that you understand exactly what it will and will not cover along with what is required of you maintenance wise.
Most of the time if the dealership is selling the warranty the company is good. No dealer I know of sells warrantees from fly by night companies because they do not want to be left holding the bag if the company goes BK… Many “factory” warranties are actually underwritten by secondary companies such as JM&A and Zurich either of which are very strong companies.
Even so the advice given above is good, make sure to read the fine print. WIth that said I think $975 is a good price, and worth it… WITH THAT said do not be afrade to negotiate, tell him you will take it but only pay $750 see what the F&I guy says.
Most aftermarket warranties have exclusions and high deductibles…Read the fine print before you hand them your money…
Never bought an extended warranty…and never will. They are a waste of money. Sure some people may benefit from it…it’s a numbers game. But the vast majority will never get what they paid for it. The warranties are only good to 100k miles. $950 is an awful lot of repairs for just another 80k miles.
“The warranties are only good to 100k miles. $950 is an awful lot of repairs for just another 80k miles.”
Mike–Read the update on odometer mileage that the OP posted.
Instead of 20k miles, it actually has 100k miles. If the car has been in service for just 3 years, that really makes me wonder about how it was used, in order for it to rack up over 30k miles per year. And, of course, then there is the question of maintenance during that period of time.
But, the biggest concern that I would have is the source of that warranty. I can’t imagine that
Subaru is actually involved with warranty coverage on a car that already has 100k on the clock. More than likely, this is one of those worthless after-market warranties. However, I could be wrong about the source of the warranty.
Instead of 20k miles, it actually has 100k miles.
I read that as a 20k mile car and a 100k mile warranty.
I see it like shadow did, although my first thought was as VDC thought…
Well, I did say that I could be wrong!
OP–how about some clarification?
There’s no doubt that there are a few good 3rd party warranty companies out there but there are also enough weasels in the mix that buying a policy is a roll of the dice.
If you buy a policy provided by Subaru of America (also a 3rd party) you can rest assured that any problem that is genuinely a warrantable problem will be taken care of without having to resort to lawyers and courtrooms.
Do you plow with it ? Otherwise, save your money for green fees.