Extended Warranty - Is it worth it?

First you should be aware of and the symptoms of the lower intake manifold gasket problem on that engine. Research it on the net and discuss the costs of replacing it with your dealer as left undetected you will be replacing the engine in short order. $2500 is a lot for only one year but only you can decide that. I would probably take the money and put in a maintenance fund for the van.....

JSimth wrote in alt.autos.gm

First of all, these extended warranties are not true warranties, they are insurance policies. And purchased through the dealer they are almost always way over priced. Dealers love them, and will push very hard to sell them, harder even than they work to sell the car. That is because they take very little overhead, and typical profit, from what I have seen, is about half of what you pay for it. Another thing about them is that they are very difficult to get claims paid, and often times are worded so that it is almost impossible to fulfill the requirements needed for the parts to be covered. However, I am sure that there are some good policies out there. Do a web search for them. You will be shocked at the price difference. Here is one site that discusses them, with a referral to a policy,

Just say no. Take the money you would spend on the warranty, either at once, or over time if you desire, on a monthly basis as if it were actually in your car payment, and put it in a fund for car repairs.

You should know: Some extended warranties cover powertrain only. Some do not cover electronic/electrical components. Even the best typically do not cover exhaust, clutch, brake rotors, or anything else they expect will need repair from time to time as a normal course of operating the vehicle.

Thats hyundai's factory warranty that is crappy like that, I've seen GMPP warranties that cover more then the Hyundai factory warranty. Someone should sue them for false advertisement of their "10 year 100,000 mile warranty" You'd figure something like shocks on my GF's 99 elanta with 51K on it would be covered, but I guess its normal for them to wear out in 50K...

If you get an Extended warranty, get a GMPP policy, its almost as good as the factory warranty. Stay away from Wynn's, CNA is ok, I have to deal with extended warranty companies on a daily basis, and the problems with getting them paid is the problem of the dealership, ussually not the customer, unless you go to some hole in the wall mechanics shop.

Have you had the intake manifold gaskets replaced yet?

The 3.1L and 3.4L engines are known to need those replaced well before

Well the gasket issue is there alright, but that job costs WAY LESS than $2,500. Myself, I think extended warranties are (usually) just a "profit center" for the dealer.

Regards, Al.

It seems like the major big ticket trouble spot with these is intake manifold gasket failures, which cost around US$1500 to have repaired if not under warranty. The important thing is to catch the leaking intake quickly if it happens before coolant contamination in the oil does a job on the whole engine.

$20 oil analysis of your used motor oil is a good way to check for coolant contamination at low levels.

John

Only true if caught before major engine damage from coolant contamination of the oil.

John

Most folks I know that have grenaded their engines due to coolant in the oil, just kept adding more when the 'low coolant' light came on repeatedly.

Seems some people don't think to ask themselves the question: "So, where's all that shit going ?" To be fair, sometimes they start leaking externally at the same time, but still......

Me, I also keep an eye on the dipstick at every fuel fill, just to be on the safe side. ('99 Malibu, 3.1, 140,000 km, no gasket failures YET).

Regards, Al.

BTW, these engines were made in two places, Tonawanda NY & San Arizpe, Mexico. Would be interesting to see if one place turned-out most of the gasket-spitters. (Mine's a Mexican)

Man, that is good mileage. My 2001 only made it to 46,000 kms before they had to replace it due to piston slap.

That would be interesting to know, but I'm betting there is no difference....most likely the same supplier for both assembly plants.

Most places will require you to pay the bill and submit to the warranty company unless it is a company with which they do business. As long as you take your car to the facility where you purchased it or the dealer for a manufacturer's extended warranty, there should be no problem.

As far as Hyundai's warranty, the 5/60 bumper to bumper warranty covers more than any GMPP policy. The 10/100 warranty is for powertrain only for the first owner only. I fail to see how anyone can claim that this is poor warranty coverage.

If you get your vehicle maintained regularly by a facility which checks it properly, this is likely to be caught.