Don't ever get an extended warrenty!!!!!

[mrsmithGrider]

First, before I post my real reason for posting this thread I want to urge people to set aside money for potential problems with their cars rather than buying an extended warranty. This is my second time being denied a claim from Fidelity warranty services which I bought from the dealer when I bought my car used. Anyway, just a few days ago my service engine light came on and because I love my car so much I scheduled an appointment the very next day, I go in and tell them I have an extended warranty (Gold plus package), get a loaner and im on my way. I recieve a phone call three hours later and the rep tells me that the problem has been discovered, its the control valve and my warranty doesn't cover it and it 410 bucks to get it fixed. At first glance, i immediately got of the phone with the service rep. and called fidelity, which they confirmed that the part is outside of my coverage. Now for the reason for my post, What does the control valve control or do? Does this part require my immediate attention or can I wait a few days to get the part replaced? Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.

[telcoman]

First, before I post my real reason for posting this thread I want to urge people to set aside money for potential problems with their cars rather than buying an extended warranty. This is my second time being denied a claim from Fidelity warranty services which I bought from the dealer when I bought my car used. Anyway, just a few days ago my service engine light came on and because I love my car so much I scheduled an appointment the very next day, I go in and tell them I have an extended warranty (Gold plus package), get a loaner and im on my way. I recieve a phone call three hours later and the rep tells me that the problem has been discovered, its the control valve and my warranty doesn't cover it and it 410 bucks to get it fixed. At first glance, i immediately got of the phone with the service rep. and called fidelity, which they confirmed that the part is outside of my coverage. Now for the reason for my post, What does the control valve control or do? Does this part require my immediate attention or can I wait a few days to get the part replaced? Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.

mrsmithGrider

Welcome to NICO

I am no fan of warranties but I did purchase an extended warranty for my G35 because of the mileage that I put on it. You didn't mention what you paid for yours but I purchased mine from the dealer at just under 50k miles. It is for another 4 years and 60k miles and covers additional items the original warranty did not cover. It cost me just under $2000.00 and is called The Infiniti Elite Extended Protection Plan. It includs the following.Engine: Block,heads, all internal and external parts.Lubrication and cooling: Radiator and all internal and external lubrication and cooling parts.Fuel System: All fuel delivery componentsTransmission: Transmission case and all internal and external partsAudio/Video: Most audio and video system componentsBrakes: All internal and external parts including ABSElectrical: All engine and body electrical componentsSuspension: All internal and external parts including Full Active Suspension SystemSteering: All internal and external parts including HICAS power cylinder assemblyBelts and hoses: Extensive coverage for high wear components including belts and hosesComplete travel protection including roadside assistance, towing up to 250 miles, reimbursement for hotel and meals if over 100 miles from home.The list of covered items is 7 pages with three columns of small print on each page of items covered.

What I would do if I were you is get your vehicle fixed by the dealer and pay by credit card. Then first speak with the service manager and the General Manager as well as the person that sold you the warranty. Be nice, stay calm and firm, take names, and keep good notes of what was said and by whom.If they are unable to resolve this to your satisfaction, call your credit card company to dispute the charge. You will have to write a long letter of what took place. The credit card company will investigate on your behalf. If that fails, there is always small claim court to present your claim of being defrauded by the purchase of an extended warranty.

Good luck and let us know how you make out. A hidden video or voice recorder might be a smart purchase at this time?

Telcoman

[badutahboy]

I like Telcoman's advice, but be very careful if it comes to disputing the charge. By signing the credit card slip, you're accepting the charges, and you had better have very good (documented) evidence if you plan to deny those charges down the road. This is a technique which can cost you your credit rating, because you WILL get sued for denying the charge. You need to be able to convince the judge that you were justified in doing so.

As for extended warranties, I learned a long time ago that extended warranties are useless unless they're backed by the cars manufacturer. 3rd party warranty companies cover very little, and they usually deny coverage even if the specific item is covered.. They'll find some loophole to get out of paying.

[C-Kwik]

You should ask the dealer what the part does. A control valve could be anything.

As for the warranty, read over your copy of the warranty. It should outline what is covered and what is not. If its not clear to you, ask the warranty company to show you where it is not covered. Also, ask for a denial in writing for your records. You might have someone who is pretty good at looking over contracts look over the warranty agreement with you as well.

[Dodgeyaussie]

First, before I post my real reason for posting this thread I want to urge people to set aside money for potential problems with their cars rather than buying an extended warranty. This is my second time being denied a claim from Fidelity warranty services which I bought from the dealer when I bought my car used. Anyway, just a few days ago my service engine light came on and because I love my car so much I scheduled an appointment the very next day, I go in and tell them I have an extended warranty (Gold plus package), get a loaner and im on my way. I recieve a phone call three hours later and the rep tells me that the problem has been discovered, its the control valve and my warranty doesn't cover it and it 410 bucks to get it fixed. At first glance, i immediately got of the phone with the service rep. and called fidelity, which they confirmed that the part is outside of my coverage. Now for the reason for my post, What does the control valve control or do? Does this part require my immediate attention or can I wait a few days to get the part replaced? Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.

This is why you buy an Infiniti warranty for an Infiniti, and not some third party warranty.

FWIW, you can cancel your current warranty and get a refund for the unused portion of it, and go get an Infiniti Warranty.

[C-Kwik]

As for extended warranties, I learned a long time ago that extended warranties are useless unless they're backed by the cars manufacturer. 3rd party warranty companies cover very little, and they usually deny coverage even if the specific item is covered.. They'll find some loophole to get out of paying.

Which is why everyone should look ofer their warranty contract before paying for it. Its what the warranty company will use to determine coverage and is really all you can fall back on if it comes down to it. The same applies to purchasing insurance. Read the policy before you pay anything. Not all policies or warranty contracts are the same. Assuming it is is the buyer's fault.

[Q45tech]

Insurance companies must pay out less than premiums and operating expenses or they go broke.Only Nissan can lose money on extended warranties and survive. The major advantage Nissan has is it pays fewer hours for warranty repairs than book. The second is they can replace parts at cost in dealer stock whereas outside companies must pay retail for parts.

Big ticket items engine, transmission, electronics can cause aftermarket insurance to go broke fast.

Look at history of aftermarket that went out of business leaving buyers holding the bag!

So a $2,000 Nissan warranty claim might be compared to a $3,000 after market insurance bill as to the effect it has on warranty company.

Do a Google search "vehicle warranty companies bankruptcy" and see the 82,000 links limited to past 12 months!

[telcoman]

Insurance companies must pay out less than premiums and operating expenses or they go broke.Only Nissan can lose money on extended warranties and survive. The major advantage Nissan has is it pays fewer hours for warranty repairs than book. The second is they can replace parts at cost in dealer stock whereas outside companies must pay retail for parts.

Big ticket items engine, transmission, electronics can cause aftermarket insurance to go broke fast.

Look at history of aftermarket that went out of business leaving buyers holding the bag!

So a $2,000 Nissan warranty claim might be compared to a $3,000 after market insurance bill as to the effect it has on warranty company.

Do a Google search "vehicle warranty companies bankruptcy" and see the 82,000 links limited to past 12 months!

Q45techThanks for the info

I don't know if I made a mistake spending almost two grand for mine but its kind of an insurance policy against the possible high cost of repairs? Also my G was using 1 qt of oil per 1000 miles when new. It failed the oil consumption test and at 60k miles uses about 1 qt per 3000 miles.Infiniti is billing me monthly for one year at no finance charge so I decided to just suck it up. I actually hope I never need to use it and as such my G cost me 2 grand more but with a 96k 8 year warranty that includes almost everything including bulbs.

Telcoman

[SVTCOBRA]

My neighbor bought a used Furd several years ago at a Furd dealer. They offered him a warranty thru a third party and he took it.He had transmission issues and took it to the same Furd dealer and they denied it because the third party warranty company had gone belly up....He was not happy.

[mrsmithGrider]

Thanks for all your replies. I went ahead spent the money for the repair job, I couldn't stand the sight of the "service engine soon" light. When they ran the scan on the ECU it was code "PO445" evap gross leak. The part was 107.82 and the labor was 252 dollars and 20 dollars in "extra expenses." I will be calling Fidelity on monday to get a full list along with parts numbers of cover parts.

[JettaRed]

Thanks for all your replies. I went ahead spent the money for the repair job, I couldn't stand the sight of the "service engine soon" light. When they ran the scan on the ECU it was code "PO445" evap gross leak. The part was 107.82 and the labor was 252 dollars and 20 dollars in "extra expenses." I will be calling Fidelity on monday to get a full list along with parts numbers of cover parts.

Ummm, you did make sure your gas cap was on securely, didn't you?

[etschell]

i would suggest you have a lawyer read the terms of contracts before you agree to them and sign them in the future. that said, just pay the $410 and be done with it. if it says its not covered in the contract youre sol, and just wasting time/effort to fight it.

[C-Kwik]

Insurance companies must pay out less than premiums and operating expenses or they go broke.Only Nissan can lose money on extended warranties and survive.

Actually few in any insurance companies are able to keep claim payments and operating expenses lower than the premiums they take in. The money they make is through investing the unused premiums. Most insurance companies try to get more of the policy period's premium balances sooner by charging a little more for making payments, requiring a down payment, or even using a payment schedule that pays off the period's premium a couple of months before the end of the term (4 monthly payments for a 6 month policy or 10 payments for a 12 month policy, etc).

You do make a great point about aftermarket warranties, but the coverage of a warranty, short of a warrantor going insolvent, is dictated by the contract that is the warranty. So as long as the warrantor is in business, they still need to uphold their end of the contract.

As for extended warranties in general, I generally don't buy into it. Especially at the point of sale as dealers typically mark them up quite a bit, and you may end up financing it for the some number of years while its not really being used yet. Many warrantors will still warranty the vehicle before the manufacturer's warranty ends so if I ever decided to get one, I'd probably wait until I get closer to the end of the factory warranty and buy it from someone other than the dealer. Most insurance brokers sell warranties and do so for much less than a dealer.

[Jacko3]

I have siad this before on this forum, If you want a an extended warranty, set aside at least $1,000 for any type of repair, even if you have manufacturers warranty. Secondly, if you want engine warranty beyond 60,000 miles of manufacturers warranty, wait until you hit the 60,000 mile warranty, and then buy a Stillen Supercharger and install in your car. You get an additional 3 year engine warranty on your car, and the excitement of more power to go with that. Thirdly, if your check engine light does not cause any immediate driveability problems, why worry about it? Keep driving but not aggressively, until you are able to afford to fix the car in just a few weeks---some will say it will harm the engine. I disagreee with this to the extent that is not always the case, and what wil harm the engine would have already done so n a catastrophic way prior to the check engine light coming on. These cars are built with some level of redundancies. And when next your check engine light comes on, drive it to autozone to get a free computer code check on the car.

[Dodgeyaussie]

$2k is ok for a warranty, but like everything, contest the price, dealerships do make good money selling these.