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Warranty worth it?

13K views 88 replies 39 participants last post by  diver110 
#1 ·
hey guys, yesterday we bought a 2011 GC Overland. It still has 10,000 miles of bumper to bumper left and we were offered 7 years 100,000 miles of bumper to bumper for $1900. My question is how reliable are these trucks? I have heard the air ride suspension can get very expensive to fix, is this true? Do you guys think the warranty is worth it?

Thanks for any input!:cheers2:
 
#4 ·
Ours has 30,000 miles and was certified. Not sure if that played into the warranty pricing or not. They said it is a factory warranty which I like since I have had nothing but bad luck with aftermarket warranty companies...
 
#5 ·
I think its worth it.
Try and work out a free oil change plan if you can.
It will help off set the cost.
I begged and they gave me 5 years of free oil changes.Not much but it adds up.

Also if you are going to keep the truck for a while its worth it.

Been driving jeeps for 16 years ,trust me! you will need warrantee work done soon enough.

The new JGC is suppose to be better than the older Jeeps.


I took a diagnostic test drive with a Chrysler tech the other day .
He said that the new chasis more sophisticated than ever.He also said that he hopes all the parts didnt break at once for my sake(still not sure what he meant by that ...lol......)
By the way he didnt diagnose what was causing the 'Shudder' in my driveline.


This truck is Awesome!
 
#6 ·
Try to haggle the price a bit. I got same extended warranty length for $1700. Mine had 30K miles on it at the time. I felt it was necessary as I plan to keep it for quite awhile. And with all the electronics the Overland has, I thought it was a no-brainer.
 
#7 ·
Its an insurance policy. Like any insurance, its only worthwhile if you need to use it. I have one, just so many sophisticated items on the Jeep that are difficult for the DIY to repair.

You don't have to buy the warranty from your dealer and can shop around. Go online to a place like chryslerwarrantys.com and see what they want for the equivalent warranty. Many dealers will match that price as there is plenty of dealer markup in the suggested list price.
 
#8 ·
On our 13th Jeep, they have a distinct personality and I now put maintenance contracts on all of them. The prior advice about shopping around is a good idea as you can probably find them cheaper than your dealer's quote and they will be Jeep contracts. Love the Jeeps, warts and all.
 
#11 ·
I too am thinking about the extended warranty for my 2011 Limited. It has 47,000 miles on it so I have about 1,000 miles left to decide before I'm no longer eligible. I have gotten quotes online for around $2300-$2400 for the lifetime MAXCARE with $100 deductible. I may have a local dealer match if the want to business. I was waiting to see the 2014 before I made my decision (if I was going to trade in for the new design in a year or so no point to get the lifetime warranty) but the new design doesn't give me reason enough to trade what I have. So, still deciding if it's worth it or not. Wish I had it on my 2002 Limited because I'd still be driving it - got rid of that because repair bills were getting too high. So I still don't know if I want to part with $2400 or take my chances.
 
#14 ·
I've gone both ways and am glad that I decided to purchase the extended warranty this time. at my cost of $1200 for a 7yr Warranty, i'm paying about $14 a month for the added insurance in knowing that if just about anything on the Jeep breaks, it will be fixed at no cost to me. I can imagine a major issue with the air suspension alone would put me over the $1200 mark.
 
#13 ·
I just purchased a lifetime Maxcare extened service contract for my MY12 Summit last night for $2185 with $100 deductible. Given the extensive use of electronics, the air suspension, etc., I felt that it was worth getting the service contract. I tend to keep a vehicle for 5-7 years now and changes in my job have kicked up my mileage accumulation, too. (I'm going to hit 12K miles in the next week and only took delivery on 30 July)
 
#15 ·
peckmv said:
All the auto consumer publications advise against buying extended warranties. I went with their suggestion and have not been disappointed yet.
Keyword is yet :) i'm normally not a warranty type either...but for a 40k car with a bazillion components, i'd like to stay covered for a while. If i had a base model barebone laredo, i probably wouldn't have bought it.
 
#20 ·
Understand where your coming from. When I said "yet" I meant for my past three vehicles. The JGC comes with a 5/100k drivetrain warranty so that covers the engine, trans, and driveline. What I would be covering, with a extended warranty, is the body and its components. The quadra lift system has been reliable and is not new technology. My experience with Chrysler vehicles has been trans issues and not gagets. I can do a lot of repairs myself, but I leave the big jobs for the experts. I figure that these warranty companies are not in business to lose money so the odds are in my favor.:cheers2:
 
#16 ·
extended warranties are a tough call. In the long run it is almost certain that if you put that money into a bank account and forget about it you'll make out better.

On the other hand, if you have all your receipts, saying "look i don't effin care, you deal with it" is handy..

I had a Chrysler extended warranty on my '95 intrepid; never needed it.
I had a "warranty gold" warranty on my '99 Durango. I don't think I ever needed it. Warranty Gold went under, and I did get a small check from the settlement.
I had a Chrysler extended warranty on my '03 durango. Inner tie-rod end failed. Dealer made a stink about replacing it. Chrysler dealt with it.
My 07 WK has the limited lifetime powertrain warranty, but I bought the aftermarket 5/100 add on that the dealer was selling. Never used it, beyond 5 years now.

My advice is that an extended warranty is on the edge of "maybe, maybe not" .. but after all my experiences I'd get a Chrysler warranty, just because there's less jerking around at the dealer getting something fixed, and adding a third party into the mix just makes things more difficult. There are many Chrysler dealers online that sell these warranties for a good price if your selling dealer won't play ball.
Why do I say "dealer"? .. hm, well, based on (painful) experience, when you go to the local highly recommended independent to get your leaking front differential pinion seal replaced, you will find that this is not something they learned how to do while fixing toyota corollas and honda civics :(

just my $0.02
...tom
 
#17 ·
.. but after all my experiences I'd get a Chrysler warranty, just because there's less jerking around at the dealer getting something fixed, and adding a third party into the mix just makes things more difficult.
This is most excellent advise. Aside from my distrust that third party warranty/service-contract providers may not "be there" when you need them, for all the complexity of these vehicles today, it's better to have the manufacturer on the hook and as backup to the dealer service department. That's why I put down my money last night after careful consideration. And yes, it was from an online dealer who wanted "far less" than my local dealer.
 
#18 ·
resale

I have been buying extended warranties for years, always bought at time of new purchase (pay cash with invoice minus rebate) and was a Japanese buyer until my JGC which I bought used and still under factory b to b (it was actually an enterprise RAC). I plan to plan from chryslerwarrantys as by b to b will be up in August.

[my JGC blows away any of my prior mazda, honda, sub, or toyotas, with my 05 forester being yet a damn good vehicle)

I've never needed my extended warranties on jap cars but on the other hand I usually sold them after about 3 years when we had more kids or I got bored.

The main advantage in my opinion, is resale value. I have always sold on CL for KBB good to excellent PP asking price (or more) when I present the buyer with a stack of dealer service slips, and a tranferable extended warranty.

The car sells itself quickly for good reason. When you consider the financial hit of trade in, the warranty more than pays for itself.

my 0.02
 
#21 ·
Matterhorn, they cost a bit less when bought early and offer a few features during the basic 36K warranty, like a car rental subsidy. The 70K warranty is not an add on (70+36)... you get 36K initial warranty then 34K more for a total of 70K. When the odometer hits 70K you are no longer covered. Lifetime warranties are available, which cover you until the time the vehicle replacement value becomes less than the repair cost. At that time the pay you the replacement value and call it a day.
 
#23 ·
ColdCase said:
Matterhorn, they cost a bit less when bought early and offer a few features during the basic 36K warranty, like a car rental subsidy. The 70K warranty is not an add on (70+36)... you get 36K initial warranty then 34K more for a total of 70K. When the odometer hits 70K you are no longer covered. Lifetime warranties are available, which cover you until the time the vehicle replacement value becomes less than the repair cost. At that time the pay you the replacement value and call it a day.
Thanks
 
#30 ·
I bought the Maxcare lifetime ($2050) with $100 deductible at about 37K miles. I got it for a couple reasons...
- The amount of technology on the 11' JG Overland I got was mind blowing. Computers and modules everywhere. I just dont want to take a chance on something breaking down and costing me an arm and a leg.
- I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time. My last vehicle was a 00' Montero Sport with 300K miles on it when I traded it in.

Ive used the warranty once already and it was smooth. I had both the fuel cap and check engine light come on. Turns out it was a valve or something on the EVAP system.
I showed the dealer my warranty card, they found it in the system and handled it.
As a bonus a few weeks later I got a refund check for the deductible as it turned out the repair was covered under the OE warranty.

So... through the warranty wasn't really used the process was smooth so I know it will be no hassle when I really need it.
 
#32 ·
I'm considering it too. You do have to wonder though if it's worth it in the end. I don't know how the business works but obviously (?) they're not going to offer the warranty if they lose money on it, in which case you'd think it wouldn't be worth it. But that assumes they're not subsidizing the cost...
 
#33 ·
The business works like any insurance business. They take your money and invest it. Overtime they are betting that your initial money and the return on their investments will be more than what they pay out in claims, on the average. A lot of folks make their living estimating the average payout, even more investing.

Like any insurance, if you invest the money smartly, on the average you will be way ahead in cash 10 years from now. But if you are not one of the average and have an expensive repair or two, then you are financially worse off without the insurance.

Rule of thumb is if you can afford the cost of any repair, then put the warranty money in an investment and don't touch it.

I like the 0 deductible, as there is no quibbling or diagnostic charges. Everything is covered regardless short of wear items.
 
#38 ·
I have owned over 20 cars in the past 40 years. Most of these were purchased new and had 70K to 120K miles at trade-in.

I have never purchased extra-cost extended warranties. There are volumes written on why you should not, but you have all heard that before.

I manage a fleet with over 400 vehicles in it, rotated on a 5-year cycle on average. We purchase almost exclusively from US domestic manufacturers, with some "import".

As a business, I would never pay extra for a warranty extended beyond what the manufacturer provides with the vehicle. Most significant failures occur in the 1st 1 to 3 years. I have never had a significant mechanical failure (engine, transmission, electronic) on any vehicle, that was not covered by the factory warranty or caused by abuse/accident (in which case, you deserve what you get).

People can argue that modern electronics adds to the vehicle complexity and failures. My fleet experience tells me the opposite - vehicles have become more reliable over the past 25 years and improved electronics and manufacturing quality control is the primary reason why. Again, the great majority of electronic failures occur in the 1st 3 years - overwhelmingly in year 1. My fleet records show maintenance cost/mile has dropped almost 50% over the past 10 years.

Do most of you also have zero/low deductible home and auto insurance policies? You have more financial risk exposure there than you do with a major failure on your car. Zero/low insurance deductibles are also a waste of money, but you know that too.

Personally, I will keep the $2000+/- for that lifetime extended warranty in my investment account and take the risk. With all that I have saved by not buying extended warranties on cars, TV's, appliances, etc., I may actually be able to afford to retire some day.

I guess common sense and clean living do pay off sometimes. I am amazed that people will spend $1000 - 2500 on extended warranties, and then nickle & dime using non-OEM maintenance parts. But, if it makes you feel more comfortable - go for it.
 
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