Buying an extended warranty?

[Bradnd]

I'm looking into buying the extended warranty for my '99 silverado. I've never bought one before now, so I'm looking for any advice or info. Are there any reliable aftermarket co.'s or should I stick with a GM contract?
Has anyone bought from Warranty Direct? I got a quote online for a 4year/40,000 mile extended warranty with a zero deductible. Cost would be $1025.00 minus $50.00 before Feb. 15th. Seems like a reputable company. My '99 only has 17,000 miles on it, so the coverage should cost me a little less than the average.
I will be checking into GM's coverage also to compare, but I expect them to be higher priced.
If anyone has any input on this, I'd sure appreciate any help!

Take care,

Brad

[Juls_WI]

That's 4 years or 40,000 miles whichever comes first right? How many miles do you put on your truck in one year? Will this deal be a value to you if you use up the miles quickly?

I put 30,000 miles on my truck just last year...in a case like mine it would not be a good deal.

Seems to me you can find better deals with more years/miles for that kind of money. See what GM has to offer first.

Just something to think about....

Juls

[Skeeter]

For GM it is with a 200 deductable for 60K 1,065. For 200.00 for 75K it is 1360. And you can pay 10% down and the bal set up in no interest payments. For the bumper to bumper 100,000 mile warrenty 6 yr it was out of sight I think 2500.00 but not sure. I haven't done it yet but am also thinking about it. Going to wait and see what some of the WC people advise. I have 24,000 on my 2000 GMC now. So any help or advice from other people. I have also heard that some of the aftermarket people that sell warrenty for your car or truck aren't the way to go.

[SnellTier]

I bought one for my 1996 Silverado. I went something like 5 years, 72,000 miles ... I cannot remember for sure. I paid $950 for it. I bought it through GM.

The dealers will deal on the price of that, just like the price of the truck. One dealer wanted $1025 but I got it from another for $950. Just FYI. Same GM contract.

When I bought my 2001 Silverado, I did NOT get the contract. There were too many things the extended warranty did not cover ... like the two times I had a fuel injector get dirty. When the alternator went out at 60,000 miles, it was covered under the extended warranty ... I paid $100 instead of $250.

The one thing that was nice was peace of mind ... even though I was disappointed when I found out that dirty injectors (which plagued my '96 model and my buddy's 98 model) were not covered.

I hope this helps.

[car salesman]

The way to go is a gmpp(general motors protection plan). the price is going to be a little higher but, with after markets you most times have to pay the bill at an authorized repair center, then get reimbursed, they also tend to disappear alot. And are always tuff getting your money back.
With gmpp you can go to any gm dealer nation wide and canada to get repairs, and you pay only the deductable that you choose when you purchase. If you are a gm employee or family member you get it for dealer cost, if not price is negotiable, but usually only marked up about 20%. In most cases if you are not unreasonable and treat the f&i guy with respect he will show you the actual cost and sell for 100 over.
And to answer the next question the mark up is 11.5% to 12.5% to dealer invoice and you will never get the other 3.5% hold back. And there is no dealer kick backs at end of year.

[PWSR91]

I sold new Chevys for ten years till fishing got in the way. The car salesman has hit it right. At least that's how it was when I sold

Phil #91

[RickT]

So here's the story from one that knows. Let me start by saying I have been a service manager for various GM brands for the last fifteen years. As far as extended warranties go the manufacturers warranty is always the best. Will cost more but vehicle will be repaired right with GM parts. It should also be repaired in a timely fashion. With some aftermarket warranties first you'll have to wait for 24 to 36 hours while they send out an adjuster. Then another day while they get his findings and decide if they are going to cover it. If they do cover it you may have to wait while they find a used part from a junkyard and send it to the repair facility. I could tell you horror stories on what some companies do. Thre are some ok aftermarket companies like western diversified or ryan warranties.
If anyone has any questions you can E-Mail me at DTaylor566@aol.com and I will be happy to answer youre questions. I will also ask my owner if I can sell GM warranties to WC people at a discount.

[Bradnd]

Hi Juls... you are right, whichever comes first,4years or 40,000 miles. I only average maybe 8000 miles/year. So the short-term contract would be to my benefit. There are choices from 4 all the way to 7 year & 100,000 miles. One thing I did find out, some contracts include the present mileage towards the contract. Meaning my 17,000 miles would count towards the 40,000 limit. I believe Warranty Gold does this, which was a little higher than Warranty Direct. Direct does not include the mileage, just like starting from zero. I plan to trade up newer within 4 years, so that's why I want the shorter contract. Although, this paticular contract will carry-over to another owner for a $50.00 fee.
I have a lot more to learn about this stuff, so am open to any suggestions!

Take care & good fish'n!

Brad

[Bradnd]

Oops! should have read 4 year or 60,000 miles, not 40,000.
Juls, you were right again!!

Brad

[Bradnd]

RickT,

Thanks for your reply. Do GM dealers all carry the same contracts? I understand they can negotiate the cost, but was wondering if they all have the same "covered" and "not covered" provisions? I am looking for a bumper to bumper, 0 deductible. That way I won't have any surprises! Also, if my truck is in the shop for 3 or 4 days, does GM cover the cost of a rental vehicle?
I just don't want my extended warranty to be anything less than the warranty I have now. I know certain parts aren't covered, like brakes, hoses, exhaust, & etc.
A WC group discount sounds good also.

Take care,

Brad

[skeeter]

I am not so sure the brakes aren't covered?? Seems when I was reading the protection plan booklet I understood it did. But I am sure one of these guys will be able to tell us. I am also interested in the discount warrenty, and would appreciate it.

[skeeter]

Rick, check this out. http://www.gmprotectionplan.com/majorguard.cgi

[RickT]

The GMPP warranties at all gm dealers are the same. The price can be negotiated. They can be bought with several different deductable and with or without car rental provisions. The price does change depending on what you want

[Chevy outboard motors?]

Four years of warranty on the Chevy for $1025 doesn't seem too bad compared to the $2700/3yr after-market extended warranty for my 200hp outboard. If Chevy ever makes an outboard, I'd definitely get their extended warranty. haha

[x]

n/m back to top

[Reels]

Extended warranties are a gamble that the odds are in the insurance companies favor.

Chances that your truck will fail with a repair that is over $1000 is what your betting on. The experts in the field say walk away from extended warranties. Put the money in the bank, collect interest, use it for a repair if needed.

But if it helps you sleep better at night, that has to worth something too.

Tight lines.

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[gremlin266]

Be careful with aftermarket warranties! Check with your local dealer/mechanic to see if they will honor that particular warranty company. Or if the warranty company determines where you go to have it fixed should problems arise. I have had several extended warranties and have found manufactuer warranties to be the best. Also you may want to check Consumer Reports to find what was/is the most common problems for your particular year and vehicle. Many times you can tailor an extended warranty to cover these areas and save yourself some bucks in the end. Good Luck

[Skeeter]

Rick, I am wondering how often the computer or computers go bad, as I understand there are more than one on the newer trucks. I am understanding the real difference between the Value Guard and Major Guard is coverage on the computers????

[deehawk]

Before you buy a GM warranty go to autobuyingtips.com, click on the the "Extended Warranty Tips" link at the top and read the entire article. There is also a link that gives info on the author of the article. Its a great read comparing aftermarket to manufacturers warranties and what to watch out for on both types.

[RickT]

Well heres the good news. The owner says I can sell GMPP extended warranties to you people at minimal profit.I am already working with a couple people from WC. For questions or quotes e-mail me at dtaylor566@aol.com.
See you on the water
Rick

[walleyechieftain]

consider the warranty an added cost plain and simple. i broke even on my 97 sable. 1k isnt bad. 1 bad bill and you'll break even. 2 and you're ahead.

just sit down and figure what any significant bill would be. blower, fan, anything needing a lot of labor time. the part's cheap, the time isnt...

[Bradnd]

Reels... I used to agree with your reasoning awhile back, but with everything being so computerized, I just don't think it's worth the gamble anymore. I've already had my truck in for warranty work to re-program the transmission so it would shift smoother. Many of the shops around here charge 50 per hour labor, so it wouldn't take much to end up with a $500 bill. These newer trucks are too big of an investment to not have some kind of insurance for repairs. When I found out a new transmission is around $2500, I knew I was going to have the extended warranty!

Take care,

Brad

[WAeyes]

Hey Rick,

Is it true that the extended warranty is alot cheaper if you buy it when you first purchase a vehicle? How much?

[RickT]

The cost of the warranty to the dealer is the same no matter if its sold at time of car purchase or later on. Dealers tend to offer you a lower price when selling you the car to help close the deal. Later on its a stand alone sale so they ask the higher price. I am able to sell at the lower price anytime to WC people.

[Reels]

I agree Brad,

Whatever makes you sleep better at night, is what you should do. We pay insurance in case we die, and we pay into a 401K in case we live!

I struggled with the same question with my YukonXL. I now have 50K and been lucky no after warranty service required. Up till 36K though, it was in the shop alot and I was biting my fingernails for things to come.

Tight Lines,

Ron

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[RD]

Here is my opinion. Look into an extended warranty from your insurance company. I do not know if all of them offer extended warranties but I have Allstate and can get an extension of the original GM warranty (7 years/70,000 miles) for under $900 dollars. Basically a bumper to bumper or an extension of factory warranty. They cost more if your vehicle is out of warranty. You can get your vehicle serviced anywhere but there is a small deductible (either $25 or $50 I think). Insurance companies sell their policies to other resellers.