Extended Warranties

scatter · 03-15-2008, 02:58 PM

Well, I have to ask the question. What have you guys been doing re extended warranties? I've had my SMB most of a year now with no problems - other then those I've caused myself,

but have been reading about those of you that have.
Personally, I never buy an extended warranty for anything I buy. Most gurus will tell you that they're a big money maker for everyone except the guy that buys 'em. I've always done all my own work on vehicles except for the few times when something has gone wrong during the standard warranty period. I've worked in shops and run shops for years and don't trust what I don't do myself.
But - nasty little word isn't it - new rigs are much more complicated then they used to be and I'm getting to the point in life when I don't want to work on repairs. I love doing mods, but not digging into major stuff. So, I'm thinking of taking the plunge and getting one.
Now I guess what I'm really asking is for those of you that bought a warranty, where did you get it? There's always the Ford ESP, but there are a lot of aftermarket policies out there. Some good, some bad in what they cover and in their Best rating. So, where can I get a plan that covers breakdowns, wear and tear and is really cheap?

OK, OK I'll settle for two out of three.... Recommendations??

Greg In Austin · 03-15-2008, 05:12 PM

Scatter,

We are not as far down the path as you are, but we are also thinking about this....

We never buy the extended warranty, BUT we did for our 2006 Toyota Prius. We waited until we were approaching 36k miles before we bough it, and we haad had absolutely no hint of any problems when we did buy it.

One of the things that pursuaded us to buy the extended warranty was that we found where we could get the Toyota Platinum Warranty 7yr/100k mile/$0 deductable..... for less than half of what it normally went for, for less than $1000.

We would NEVER get a thrid party warranty. Too many places go under or have too many clauses and outs.

If/When we get one for the Ford, it will be a Ford extended warranty.

So to add to your question, if that is OK, what prices are folks paying for Ford extended warranties?

Has anyone found that special place to get it cheaper than most dealerships are selling it for?

oldbonesclimber · 03-15-2008, 09:41 PM

I've had several aftermarket extended warranties. I would NEVER have a Service Agreement with a company other than the Manufacturer. I've even had difficulties with them. Pay the extra and get a Ford Sponsered Warranty.

Oldbonesclimber

scatter · 03-16-2008, 10:23 AM

I hear you on the aftermarket warranties. About twenty years ago, a friend had one cause it was so much cheaper the the Ford one. He had some mechanical problems, had the work done at Ford, and they paid up fine. But, that was twenty years ago and I agree, have heard lots of horror stories. They make me nervous. If I get one, will probably go with the Ford ESP.
Along with what Greg mentioned, where's the best price? I've noticed that on the Internet most of the Ford sites are interconnected as far as data goes, but the price does vary a little. But from what I've seen so far, not more then about 5%. Not worth much searching - unless one of you has already done it....

Roubo · 03-16-2008, 10:35 AM

I, too, almost never buy extended warranties. Until we bought our SMB, I had only bought one auto extended warranty (aftermarket). Despite the usual hassles (when does an insurance company ever want to pay out money?) it paid for itself with one repair and will most likely be used again a couple more times before expiration. We tend to keep our vehicles a long time and have never yet sold one before any possible extended warranty would have expired.

When we spent nearly six figures on the SMB, and thought about the complexity of the engine systems, the increasing cost of tools and diagnostic equipment, and realized that we already find it hard to play with the SMB, miuch less spend time fixing it, the cost of the manufacturer's (GMC) extended warranty became a minor item in the total cost. To keep things in persepective, I happily paid more than the cost of the extended warranty on any number of SMB upgrades and options.

We'll see how it goes, but we're still comfortable with our decision.

**BroncoHauler** · 03-16-2008, 10:36 AM

One issue to consider if getting a Ford extended warranty is if they might try to get out of certain warranty issues becuase of the SMB mods. I know they won't cover SMB mods, but a number of people here have posted about Ford standard warranty problems, where the dealer they went to wanted to pass-the-buck to SMB because of the conversion.

FWIW, I do not have an extended warranty. I've looked at a few, and I've also looked at Good Sam Club's Extended Service Plan, which if I recall correctly, is more like a vehicle/part insurance policy than an warranty.

Herb

**daveb** · 03-16-2008, 05:42 PM

I see many emergency vehicles at the Ford dealership I work with. Yes I have had their eyebrows raise on some issues, but so far no major problems. The only time I was upset wth Ford was when they said they checked my batteries. This was done by 2 different dealerships and both of them lied to me. One time the dealership almost pulled the turbo but found the real problem before they did. The managment assured me there would be no charge for repair but I was still glad they didn't replace it for the wrong reason. The guy that deals with SMB who does the Ford extended plan is contacting me this week. There are some issues and I will post them when he gets back to me along with the price. If it wasn't a 6.0 PSD, I would pass on the warranty but the turbo alone is worth it IMO. Besides it works both ways, if I pay for it nothing will happen but if I don't buy it something bad will probably happen. Just my luck.
DaveB

Ford_6L_E350 · 03-17-2008, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bronco_hauler

One issue to consider if getting a Ford extended warranty is if they might try to get out of certain warranty issues becuase of the SMB mods. I know they won't cover SMB mods, but a number of people here have posted about Ford standard warranty problems, where the dealer they went to wanted to pass-the-buck to SMB because of the conversion.

Herb

I've never had that problem. My service advisor told me up front that the front axle would not be covered, but everything else would be. I couldn't complain about that. There wasn't even a question about the transmission with the added transfercase. If the dealer has problems, maybe it is time to try another dealer.

Mike

kzemach · 03-17-2008, 11:15 AM

I read in my Ford warranty manual that the standard warranty for the 6.0 is 5 year/100k miles and I THINK that includes the turbo. Note: that's for the diesel parts/components only, and not the rest of the vehicle which is the standard period. I have a 2006 van.

If that's so, and the worst problem is the diesel engine and turbo, what do we really gain by upping the rest of the stuff to 100k miles? The AC system? All the other components that SMB has already replaced? Am I missing something?

**daveb** · 03-17-2008, 01:47 PM

Wow. I was told 3 yrs 36,000. I will have to check on the rest of that. So do you think it covers stuff like tranny, radiator or things like the on board engine computer? Reading "lovin my 6.0" tends to make me want the extension. I don't want to get nailed but true, the warranty is pricy and won't cover (in my case):
Front and rear axles.
Suspension.
Transfere case.
Brakes and rotors.
Starting Batteries.
Alternator.
Add on A/C.
Electric seats.
Fuel tank.
All SMB stuff of course.
Hum...what else?

Thank you. I will look at this. daveb