Very extensive automobile warranties can be thought of as the blanket to the cold night-warming and comforing. Sounds perfect, right? It is better to look up a good link now before you have your name on anything to get an idea of the real customer experience and what is covered. Otherwise a blanket like that will cost a fortune.
There are two extremes in most reviews. Or thousands of people were rescued by someone, or it was the worst move of all. The reality is likely to be somewhere in between. We are to think of practical examples.
Immediately he drove off the lot, one of the friends bought a long warranty. The auto-shop sold it as a fire extinguisher: better have it, than want it. Two years since then: his transmission had been faulty. Repair cost? Painful. Warranty? Covered most of it. He still remembers that time when he had hit the lottery.
Now flip the coin. Some other driver was paying monthly in five years time and was not using at all- not even to open a squeaky hinge. That guarantee became a silent money drainer, like a gym membership that you will utilize in the coming week.
More importantly than the name of the company is the specifics of the coverage. Some plans are generous and their exclusions are on the face of it. Wear-and-tear parts? Not covered. Electrical quirks? Maybe. Labor limits? Sometimes capped. You think that it is bumper-to-bumper, and it is actually bumper-to-somewhere-in-the-middle. Not a bit of what it isn't. And to be dull, should that be dull, is well to be dull--dull is economical.
Claims processes are another important consideration. It is also commonly known as just simple claims or total nightmare. There exist companies that require inspection before repair. The others are financed once you have made a down payment. Even a minor inconvenience can result in a logistical nightmare due to such a delay.
The laws of repair shops can have their way. Some warranties bind you up to some networks. In the absence of your trustworthy mechanic on the list, then you have to calculate convenience and cover. And that is maddening to most drivers.
Prices are also worth mentioning. Plans that are inexpensive might appear to be a deal, but they can be linked with low coverage. An expensive cover is large but you will never use it all. It is buying a piano insurance whose piano you do not own.
So, are long warranties a good thing? It depends on your car and your appetite to take risk. A warranty may be used as a cushion where you buy a car with a wavy record of reliability. When your vehicle is known to be of a durable nature, you might be tempted to invest such money into a repair fund.
The reviews are helpful, but not taken as the Bible. When things are good nobody ever writes the reviews, when they are excited or angry they do. Question, compare and think over your driving behavior. And maybe, maybe, possibly, have a hunch. This has happened to us in the past, like when you lost pro forma warranty on your toaster. No regrets there.