ARTICLE: Extended Warranties. Yes or No?

[sandeep108]

Originally Posted by alankarm@sancha

Is it worthwihile to go in for an extended warranty on the Civic. I have an OHC also in which the only part replaced in 5 years has been a front shocker assembly, except for tyres and brake pads etc.

I believe the civic extended warranty costs 9k for 2 years. IMHO I feel it is worth it for 2 main reasons:
1. It is a completely new model of a car - engine, transmission, electronics, etc. So there are several chances of various design / failure issues that may arise even in the third year.
2. The parts will be quite costly, even after 3 years (see parts cost of OHC - AC compressor 24k, radiator 7k).

However, if you want to rely on Honda reliability, that is also not a bad decision, since most mfg./design issues they would sort out in the first 2 years of normal warranty.

It really depends on your risk taking appetite, financial situation and whether you intend to keep the car for say 4-6 years.

[cerk]

I advice that one should go for the extended warranty if it is available. After 2 years of ownership, my Optra's motor used for wippers went kaput. As it was covered under ext'd warranty - GM replaced it immidiately. I did not have a pay a single rupee. Likewise, there could be many items in the car that can giveway thanks to the abuse we make it to go thru in our Indian roads.

[jessie007]

I believe extended warranty is worth a look if spare parts are expensive. In case of Tata and Maruti the spare parts are amongst the lowest priced in the industry. I didn't opt for extended warranty (around Rs.4600) for my Indigo, as the most expensive spare part I believe is the A/C evaporator coil for around Rs.7000. Also, the warranty didn't cover any electricals or labour costs. It's not that something is going to conk-off immediately after the regular warranty period expires (18 months in my case). If you take good care of your vehicle and get it regularly serviced, any impending problem can be diagnosed early and prevent damage and expensive repairs. Rest is best left to luck/fate. So no point in taking extended warranty if spares are relatively inexpensive and if one encounters any problems in the future, it can be dealt on case to case basis. Extended warranty is just a marketing gimmick, easy money for car companies as these companies won't offer extended warranty in the first place if their vehicles are not reliable enough. There are some exceptions always.

[newcoolgadgets]

How about this:

I have a 2006 Zen Vxi. Now that the car has been phased out, and the new Zen is expected to be completely different from the old one, will it be advisable to go in for a 3rd and 4th year extended warranty?

I am assuming that Maruti is going to discontinue manufacturing the Zen engine as it is not used in any other model; which may to a short supply of engine parts and other spare parts, 3-4 years down the line.

In such a case, will it be prudent to pay Rs. 3000-4000, for peace of mind over the next 4 years?

[madbullram]

My recent experience:
The power steering in my Santro was bad so had given for service. The serv engineer called up and told me that the column is bent and they have adjusted it to max but it wont perform like how it was before.

I was checking with him if I had extended warranty will they replace it. He told NO as this was caused by driving style and not wear and tear...

[sandeep108]

Originally Posted by madbullram

I was checking with him if I had extended warranty will they replace it. He told NO as this was caused by driving style and not wear and tear...

Steering damaged by driving style? Out of curiosity, how exactly was your style of driving? I usually take turns fairly aggresively in my OHC and have not had any problems with the steering.

[madbullram]

Sandeep: He says it would have happened when the car hit a bad pot hole or something...

[sandeep108]

Originally Posted by madbullram

Sandeep: He says it would have happened when the car hit a bad pot hole or something...

My apologies. My apologies

[mithun]

Originally Posted by newcoolgadgets

How about this:

I have a 2006 Zen Vxi. Now that the car has been phased out, and the new Zen is expected to be completely different from the old one, will it be advisable to go in for a 3rd and 4th year extended warranty?

I am assuming that Maruti is going to discontinue manufacturing the Zen engine as it is not used in any other model; which may to a short supply of engine parts and other spare parts, 3-4 years down the line.

In such a case, will it be prudent to pay Rs. 3000-4000, for peace of mind over the next 4 years?

I don't think that there will be any shortage for the Zen spare parts since there are millions of Zens on the Indian roads & Maruti will never commit such a stupidity like stop making it's spare parts since it's a major source of revenue for the maruti dealers.

Anyway, take the extended warranty for 4 years....

[rr_zen]

I have my Esteem covered under extended warranty and am quite happy that I made a wise decision. I spent an additional 7k on this warranty but the returns that I have got are manifold. I got quite a few expensive parts replaced without spending a single pie which otherwise would have burnt a hole in my pocket. This includes the steering column, AC coil, Speedometer assembly, front brake calipers, clutch plate cover assembly. Am planning to buy the NHC Vtec once I get back to India and extended warranty is the first on my list !!

[sandeep108]

All those parts should not have been failing in the first place, but yes in case they do, an extended warranty is just peace of mind.

The problems nowadays is just fighting for your rights with every service provider, be it the dealer, cell phone fellows, insurance co., et. al. is just becoming too stressful. The guys at the other end are simply not willing to listen and going by the 'system'. We are slowly becoming a country of morons.

[s0uljah]

What about all those making tyre upsizes + performance mods (airfilter, exhaust, headers/FFE etc??)

Guess warranty doesnt come into the pictures thanks to illiterate dealerships/service policies !!

[pabheda]

can anybody check and tell em if this all things r covered by honda for city exi

[pabheda]

Originally Posted by viper

Hi,

Has anyone bothered to check which of the manufacturers cover vital parts that are likely to need replacement after approx 2-3 years owing to road conditions & driving styles. To the best of my knowledge parts like the following are not covered by most manufacturers I am not aware of one who does cover them.

1> Brake Pads, Liners & Discs/Rotors
2> Clutch & Pressure Plate
3> Suspension Bushes
4> Lower Arms, Tie Rod Ends
5> Shock Absorbers
6> Consumables as mentioned by Sandeep
7> Electronics Parts, Sensors etc.

Now IMO these are the most vital parts in a car that are likely to fail or deteriorate over a period of time and usage and if the above is not covered then it makes no sense going in for extended warranty. You have to be really unlucky for something to go wrong with your engine as if you have maintained the same well should last you a long time.

Viper

can anybody check and tell em if this all things r covered by honda for city exi

[sabret00the]

I got 3 year extended warranty which cost me about 5000 bucks extra