Sex, Lust, Lasciviousness & Ext. Warranties

[antzrus]

OK, now that I got your attention...

I bought my M35x because it is an Infiniti; the best put together machine I've ever owned and as such is its reputation built upon. I scoured the internet lists for about a year looking for any major malfunctions (the tramlining being the biggest issue) that would preclude my purchase. I've bought extended warranties on two Chevy Suburbans for my wife over the years and never got back near what I paid for them.

Now I'm driving the cream of the crop, its got 42k on it, w/minimal work being done and I am approaching the end of my warranty. I'm gonna' keep this baby for @ least a coupla' hundred thousand miles; I love her. Do I really need to insure the next 50k miles?

And how many of you really benefited yourselves by extended warranties vs benefitting Nissan (which could use the $$$ too)?

[DRIPS]

I never believed in warranties. But it is definitely a risk. I am very handy and am not afraid to get dirty if something does (cross my fingers) go wrong. If you are someone that wants all the records, doesnt work on your car, and likes the comfort of a warranty with a bunch of fine print and restrictions- THEN go for it!

[jedgington]

And how many of you really benefited yourselves by extended warranties vs benefitting Nissan (which could use the $$$ too)?

Thanks for asking the question that should have been asked long ago! There has been much discussion about prices of warranties from various dealers, what a good deal, etc. But nothing of note (that I can recall) about whether or not it's worth the money.

So, all of you who have the Elite Extended Warranty - speak up!

[07sportm35]

Thanks for asking the question that should have been asked long ago! There has been much discussion about prices of warranties from various dealers, what a good deal, etc. But nothing of note (that I can recall) about whether or not it's worth the money.

So, all of you who have the Elite Extended Warranty - speak up!

I think if you can get a "Elite warranty" at a decent price (under $2500) it's well worth it for peace of mind. Lets face it these cars are expensive for almost any repair. Plus you get a free loaner car, hotel if you're on the road, food, ect...

These are great reliable cars but if the worst happens it will cost BIG bucks. But to answer your question it comes down to this...

If you are unlucky enough to suffer a even semi-major breakdown-then heck, yeah it's way worth it. But if you don't experience any problems during your warranty you'll be pissed you paid for it.

Taste great, less filling...

[palincal]

I will buy it if I can get 3-4 yrs of extra coverage for less than $1500. And it has to be Infiniti Elite. Being a Japanese built car and having high consumer rating for reliability, it doesn't make much sense to pay 10-12% of car's value for extended warranty. With the powertrain warranty of 72/70,000 which covers big ticket items, we are essentially paying for much less coverage that we think we are getting. As for road side assistance, for $50 a year you can get AAA membership.

[antzrus]

Apparently no one herein can really justify paying the $$$ for an extended warranty that only insures you for about 50k miles still early into this well made machine's life; especially if you will keep it for about a decade as I usually keep my autos.

I can get "peace of mind," as some offer, a lot cheaper out of a bottle of Prozac.

[mcdoken]

It's like when you buy a $700 computer at Best Buy and they want to sell you an extended warranty for $150. So no, don't buy the warranty.

[gibz4]

I was looking at buying a car today and while taking a test drive the salesman was saying that the car had 45K miles and wouldn't suggest getting the warranty since the cars were so reliable.

[DashingMax]

Yes, no doubt about the Reliability of these cars. According to the latest Consumer Reports, 3 out of the top 5 most reliable luxury cars are:#1 Infiniti M35 (RWD)#3 Infiniti M35 (AWD)#5 Infiniti M45

While I confident that the engine+trans+drivetrain are bulletproof, the electronics is what concerns me. For example, that circular knob on my dash controls almost everything. If that knob were to go stop working...so...I purchased the Infiniti Elite Extended Protection Plan. 3yrs/48k cost me approx $1300.

Whatever you do, do NOT go with any aftermarket companies.

[palincal]

I purchased the Infiniti Elite Extended Protection Plan. 3yrs/48k cost me approx $1300.

Can you please tell us from where did you get it? Sounds like a good deal compared to prices we have been seeing lately.

thanks

[mazz]

my general rule of thumb is never insure what you can afford to pay for.if 3000 repair will put you into bankrupcy insure it ,if you can live thru that dont insure itif 100000 health issue will reck your financial life get health insurance hope for the best but those insurance [warrenty] companys have the edgethey do this for a living . Dont think you are on a run of bad luck if you are driving an infiniti not sleeping under a bridgemazz

[NightWatch]

I've gotten the Infiniti Elite warranty on 2 of my 3 Infiniti's. I've only used it once and that was when the DVD NAV drive died on my 2003 G35 Coupe at 72,000 miles. I got it on my new M35 as more piece of mind insurance I guess. I figure by the time you've gone 4 years or 60K miles with these cars - or 7 years 100K miles for the drivetrain/emissions systems - pretty much anything that is going to fail has already failed. Remember the warranty does NOT cover normal wear and tear. So anything that "wears" you're still going to have to pay for out of pocket and THAT is pretty much what your repairs are going to be after 60/100K.

It might be more worth it if you've got the Tech or the Advanced Tech package and there technically isn't any "wear" on electronic gizmos. So if your ICC dies (and they sometimes do and are very expensive to repair) at 75K miles... it would be covered with the extended warranty.

[M35Driver]

I'd sure like to know where you get an Ellite extended warranty for $1300.00. Please fill us in.

Thanks.

Jim

[NightWatch]

Do a search for Scottsdale Infiniti. There is a contact phone number and person there who gives very good deals on Elite Extended warranties. Remember though that the cost of the warranty varies depending on the model year, date put in service, number of miles on the vehicle and deductable/no deductable.

[DashingMax]

I'd sure like to know where you get an Ellite extended warranty for $1300.00. Please fill us in.

Thanks.

Jim

Courtney from Infiniti of Scottsdale! Highly recommended!My car had less than 30k miles when I purchased it. Over 30k miles, the price goes up by a few hundred dollars.

[jbillion]

It doesn;t look like anyone actually answered your question yet aso I'll take a shot. I purchased a 2004 M45 in Feb 2008 with 58K Miles. I purchased the 2 year 24K mile Infiniti Elite warranty for $2k at the time. This is with a $100 deductible. Since then I have had the following warranty work done:

Fixed broken Weld on ExhaustFixed problem with Squeaky seatReplaced fuel sending unit and Instrument ClusterReplaced trunk strutsReplaced rear subwooferreplaces two front speakersInsulated rear shelf to eliminate rattleReplaced outer tie rodsreplaced wheel bearingalignment done after work on tie rodsreplaced various bulbs while in for other service

I had all this work done on 2 visits so I paid $200 deductible. I never had an itemized invoice with price for these, they always indicate "Factory" and there is no price, however, I think these repairs would have far exceeded the $2200 i spent on the warranty and deductible so far.

[M45Caliber]

Scottsdale Infiniti helps support this site, so it's nice to see many of you buying warranties through that dealership -- the ELITE warranties can be purchased through: Courtney Mutema - 480-941-4481. I don't think any one can beat her prices.

Also do the math on the deductible. I decided on the $0 version as it was only about $135 more over 3 years and 36K miles... just 2 visits using the warranty and I am $65 bucks ahead. Based on all I have read, I'll definately get my money back. I've already been in for a warranty repair once... (first 30 days, no less - trunk struts again) so my next one puts me ahead of the deductible game.

Also the ELITE warranty goes into effect the day you buy it -- no waiting or grace period. So if you have a few problems now, buy the warranty and then take your car in for service.

[mcdoken]

It doesn;t look like anyone actually answered your question yet aso I'll take a shot. I purchased a 2004 M45 in Feb 2008 with 58K Miles. I purchased the 2 year 24K mile Infiniti Elite warranty for $2k at the time. This is with a $100 deductible. Since then I have had the following warranty work done:

Fixed broken Weld on ExhaustFixed problem with Squeaky seatReplaced fuel sending unit and Instrument ClusterReplaced trunk strutsReplaced rear subwooferreplaces two front speakersInsulated rear shelf to eliminate rattleReplaced outer tie rodsreplaced wheel bearingalignment done after work on tie rodsreplaced various bulbs while in for other service

I had all this work done on 2 visits so I paid $200 deductible. I never had an itemized invoice with price for these, they always indicate "Factory" and there is no price, however, I think these repairs would have far exceeded the $2200 i spent on the warranty and deductible so far.

But for the other 99 out of 100 Elite customers all that they had fixed was a burned out dome light bulb.

[DashingMax]

But for the other 99 out of 100 Elite customers all that they had fixed was a burned out dome light bulb.

And I also hope that I am one of those 99 people. Warranty is just like insurance. 9 out of 10, you will not get into an accident or your car will not get stolen, however, that 1 time is all it takes.

If you plan to keep your car for 3-4 years, then 6-8% is the gauge.As long as the warranty is LESS than 6-8% of the vehicle's retail value, it is well worth it.

[khaug]

Whatever you do, do it with great caution! An extended warranty is no more than a piece of paper, utterly worthless if the issuer goes belly-up. This is by no means uncommon.

We bought a 2-year warranty extension on an '05 M-B, which was backed by Mercedes. It was expensive, and my assumption that it would cover almost everything was proven to be incorrect when coverage was denied on the first claim I made (dead diesel glowplug).

Consumers Union recommends against buying extended warranties in general. Based on my limited experience, this seems to be good advice. We won't be buying any extended warranty coverage on our new Infiniti M35x, which appears to be a fundamentally reliable car with a better-than-decent factory warranty.

Best regards.

-K.

[Sportin' 35]

I recently purchased my 06 M35 sport. It had just under 50,000 miles on it at time of purchase. The day after I purchased the car, I drove it to the nearest Infiniti dealership, and had a full diagnostics ran on the car as well as a complete lookover. The car checked out good, and the service adviser noted that the car had been very well maintained, physically and mechanically. The car has every option available except the rear entertainment setup. While waiting, another gentlemen in the lounge was awaiting delivery of his brand new 09 Infiniti. We began talking and he was the guy that kinda convinced me to look into the Extended warranty. As we talked, he mentioned items that could easy give out and probably be very expensive to repair, such as: the heated and cooled seats, back-up camera, Nav-system, lane departure, CD- changer, Seat installed speakers, and a few others that i'm sure i'm missing. Simply put, the car is packed with electronics and other gizmo's. I thought about it, and after speaking with a dealer rep, in reference to the warranty, I went ahead and purchased it. Yes, it's kind of pricey (a little over $2000 - due to mileage), and if I don't ever have to use it, thats cool; it was piece of mind. But in the event that something does go wrong, thats one big headache that I don't have to deal with or would want to deal with.

For me, it all came down to a piece of mind. Not mention, when I began to think about all the wiring needed for the electronics, to me it wasn't a hard decision.

As for having to use it, I haven't had any problems, but then again, I only get to drive the car every 5th or 6th month, and then it's only for 2 or 3 weeks at a time. Soo; so far/so good.

I hope this helps..

[cruise8]

While I confident that the engine+trans+drivetrain are bulletproof, the electronics is what concerns me. For example, that circular knob on my dash controls almost everything. If that knob were to go stop working...so...I purchased the Infiniti Elite Extended Protection Plan. 3yrs/48k cost me approx $1300.

dude, that entire console can be replaced for 60 bucks. electronics is surprisingly cheap for infinitis if you know where to look

[EniGmA1987]

Nav system is not covered under warranty, and I dont think the backup camera is either... Both of which are expensive to get fixed.

I bought my car used, and got an extended warranty for it. 36,000 mile/3 year. Didnt expect to put so many miles on my car though. I will have used up the warranty in just over 20 months... The warranty wasnt that expensive though and it has already helped once.

[fiveliterbeater]

Do I really need to insure the next 50k miles?

YES YES and YES! our cars are defenitly built very well, but on the downside our cars are filled to the max with sensors and features that getting an extended warranty is a wise decision. my M has 55K on the body and its been to the dealer about 5 times already for small things but it would've added up to alot without the warranty. things like chrome linings falling off, driver seat brackets not working, faulty buttons on the console, etc. all of that cost me nothing, but it would've have been pricey if i had no warranty.

[fiveliterbeater]

Nav system is not covered under warranty, and I dont think the backup camera is either... Both of which are expensive to get fixed.

I bought my car used, and got an extended warranty for it. 36,000 mile/3 year. Didnt expect to put so many miles on my car though. I will have used up the warranty in just over 20 months... The warranty wasnt that expensive though and it has already helped once.

depending on what warranty you have, some are very specific as to what they will fix. I bought my car used from CARMAX and their extended warranty is as good as the Infiniti Elite warranty; menaing that Infiniti recognizes their warranty and everything on my car that came from the factory is covered INCLUDING NAVGATION and REAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM as a matter of fact , my M was at the dealer last month because the rear drop down DVD screen would'nt respond and they fixed it under warranty. just out of curiosity, where did you buy your used car from?

[EniGmA1987]

Riverside Infiniti in southern California. The warranty is also through them. When I bought it the manager said the only warranty they offer on my car (for how many miles it had on it?) did not cover the special additional things like navigation. But the heat/cool seats are covered under it.

It was something like "cause the navigation is a third party unit" that Infiniti wouldnt include it under warraty.

[fiveliterbeater]

that's crazy dude. and i've always heard good things about riverside Infiniti. i go to Infiniti of Montclair and deal with Tom Tucker in the service department (i know, he has the same name as the News anchor on Family Guy). they have been really good to me so far.

you know what you need to do, is go to the service department and tell them you have a problem with your Navi and see what they say.and the navigation is a third party?? i'll do some research on that. to the best of my knowledge, our navigation is strictly built for Nissan/Infiniti vehicles only. if our Navigation was a third party, then that means that 3rd party company would be able to sell their navigation to other car manufacturers as well (which i don't see).

[SnowSurfLax]

I bought mine through Riverside Infiniti, but I got my Elite warranty through Santa Monica Infiniti since Riverside didn't sell a factory warranty, only some third party.

GL with the 3rd party warranty. I can tell you my luck with them has been nasty. They generally try to make sure they don't have to fulfill their obligations as the markup on them is around 40 - 50% so one repair will likely put them underwater on what they spend.

[FC_NoVA]

Can someone with the actual Elite Warranty paperwork confirm if Navigation system is covered or not? It is rather unusual for a factory warranty not covering electronics that are factory options.

Francis

[BigP]

I bought my Elite Wrap Warranty in late March. The booklet I received does not specifically name parts/items that are covered. It refers to extending the ORIGINAL Infiniti warranty to 84 months/100,000 miles. For me that means everything is included for 40 more months and about 50,000 more miles. (I have an 06 M45 sport with 51,000 miles)

The Elite booklet does indicate what is NOT covered but what is listed is misuse, lack of maintenance, accident, flood, normal wear and tear parts etc.

I was told and I'm assuming my warranty covers EVERYTHING from mechanical breakdown due to a defect.

I paid $1,800 for the CPO warranty and the Elite Wrap. I hope I don't have to use it but my guess is I will have something go south in the next 3 years.

The car is FULLY LOADED with every option available so for me it was as much about covering the electronics as it was the engine and drivetrain.

My drive out price all inclusive (car, taxes, tag, title, warranty) was about $28,000.