Nissan Canada extended warranty

I'm in the market for a new Nissan Xterra, and had some questions about the Nissan Canada Added Security Plan(ASP).

Anyone have any comments about the ASP in general, or about either of the two issues below?

1) From everything I can see, if you want the ASP you have to pay for it, sign a legal document, and then wait to get your 'personalized' ASP Agreement, which means that you can't actually see "the fine print" until after you have bought the ASP.

2) Wording I have seen on the ASP "New Vehicle Application" paperwork clearly states, in the Vehicle Eligibility section "The vehicle must not have been modified in any way...", and "Any vehicle used for racing/competition or off-road use is also not eligible." I don't see how they can sell me an Xterra Off-Road model and then claim that their own product doesn't cover it when used off-road, but that aside, it sounds to me that as soon as I replace the front bumper it would be considered "modified", and therefore they always have an 'out' to deny any claim that I might make.

In the case of a bumper, if you replace the bumper, only the bumper and where it mounts will be effected by any warranty issues.

As for off road, many people who buy these off-road SUV's think they can be Rambo with them, and think they are champion off-roaders. They come in on Monday morning with a lot of damaged parts in the steering and suspension.

If you take the vehicle off-road, and you are careful, there should not be any problem. Most of the time, the dealers are flexible with problems, as long as they don't look like they are from abuse.

When taking any vehicle off-road, make sure your insurance company covers you for off-roading. If you have an accident, and especially there are injuries, it would be wise to be covered. If you read most standard insurance automobile policies, racing of any kind, modified vehicles where safely and or engine power is effected, impaired driving , and off-roading are not covered. A quick phone call to your insurance company will resolve the insurance issues. On the other hand, some insurance companies will insure an off-road vehicle by default.

Don't be surprised that when you tell your insurance company that you want to be insured for off-road driving, the insurance cost may go up by a large percentage. Some insurance companies will refuse to insure a vehicle for off-road use. Before buying an off road SUV, these are things that should be looked in to. Most people don't know, and are not covered for off-road use.