FCA Lifetime Warranty Question

[Smarrtazz]

No, I will be able to use it at any Jeep dealer. It is an FCA backed warranty, so if I'm away from home, I'll be able to get it serviced. They also provide trip protection insurance to cover the cost of rental cars, hotels, and such.

I think this is the warranty I’ll buy, just later on. Seems like a no brainer.

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[dudemind]

I'm lucky enough to not have a deductible with my policy but if you take your car in for any issue (warranty or not) there will be a diagnostic charge. If you elect to have the vehicle fixed at the dealership then this charge is essentially waived and you pay for the cost of the repair. If you take your vehicle somewhere else you will be charged the diagnostic fee. Normally this fee is an hour labor charge with labor rates ranging anywhere from $140-$180 in my area.

As far as what's covered it can be tough to discern and I'm sure my policy in 2009 is not the same as the ones being written now. I can tell you if it not written into the contract in exact words then it will likely not be covered.

For instance, my power mirror wouldn't get hot and stopped deicing. I had gotten a quote from an independent to fix it but depending on what was actually broken there was a 'chance' that it would be covered under warranty so I took it into the dealership. It came down to if the whole mirror had to be replaced, then it was a warranty. If only the glass with the heating element was broken, then it was not a warranty issue. They couldn't tell me what was broken until after they looked at it and therefore I had to bring it in. After paying the dealership for the diagnostic it didn't make any sense to take it somewhere else when I found out it was non warranty fix. My sway bar incident from above was the same kind of situation. I find it frustrating being put into any kind of situation where I can't make a choice.

The software the dealership service department uses has every single part for your vehicle and whether or not it is covered by warranty. Although a huge list, this might be helpful. Also, there will be a number that you can call on your warranty if you want to dispute the dealerships claims. So far the dealership has been right on most accounts but at least the people at the warranty claims number are sympathetic.

It is my understanding that the diagnostic-fee-if-it's-not-covered is standard practice from every make and every dealership. That said, I've only actually been told of this charge twice, both on a Subaru (which I still own). Both of those times, I told the dealership to F off and went to a different one and had the issue checked out without that stress/threat hanging over me. I've owned (or still own) quite a few vehicles from across the brand and cost spectrum: Jeep GC, MB 190E, Dodge Viper, Lotus Elise, Lexus GS300/RX350, Porsche Cayman, Ford Mustang/Explorer, Honda Accord/S2000/Element, two Subaru Outbacks, Land Rover RRS, VW Jetta/Touareg. Every single other time, and with every single other dealership, they didn't even begin to mention the charge, nor did they try to charge me when they found things directly related to non-warranty issues. In a couple cases, issues were demonstrably caused by modifications I had done to the vehicles, and I was still not charged a dime for their diagnostic time. I would suggest maybe checking out different dealerships and maybe trying to find "your guy" in the service department. Maybe I'm just lucky to have a ton of options, being based in the Greater Los Angeles area...

 

[MikeinMD]

Dan, can you post the Maxcare contract (minus the personal info) so that we can see the fine print of what is covered, what is not, what maintenances need to be performed to stay compliant, etc?

2) Read very carefully what is covered. For instance, struts are covered on my truck but not the front sway bar, which had become loose and wallowed out the mounting holes, is not. Seals like rear sliding windows, door seals etc. are not covered. I had a infotainment problem that they weren't going to cover yet after talking to the chrysler warranty folks it turned out it was covered. As soon as that happened it turned into, ' I needed a brand new infotainment system' to the 'plug came loose'. It seems like everything is a fight, and in my opinion, the less you have to deal with the dealership the better.

WHAT’S NOT COVERED UNDER OUR MAXIMUM CARE PLANS The only parts and labor not covered: • Maintenance Services and items used in such services • Catalytic Converter and Particulate Filter • Glass, Plastic Lenses and Light Bulbs • Body and Paint items (including Soft Trim) • Snowplows, Winches and Trailer Hitches • Wear items (such as Tires, Manual Clutch Assembly, Brake Pads, Shoes, Rotors, Drums, Belts and Wipers)

This seems like a pretty comprehensive list to me. I checked, and the sway bars are indeed covered now. This link has the full list by component area, and there is quite a bit. http://www.chryslerwarrantys.com/maximum_care.cfm. I'm thinking a first year vehicle that I plan to hold on to for a long time, this is a pretty reasonable price and I am really swinging towards getting it.

 

[snelldogg]

I have seen a lot about the extended warranty and think on this vehicle it makes sense with so much unproven new tech. My dealer also quoted me $650 or so the Appearance Package, dents, dings, interior trim and such. I park daily in a crowded lot so think this could be worthwhile. They went so far as to package both the extended warranty and appearance package together for around $2700. Thoughts? Seems like a good deal to me. Picked the jeep up on Saturday but can still purchase all of it.

 

[dudemind]

Still on the fence about buying the lifetime warranty, but the more careful research I do, the more I lean towards pulling the trigger.

My main hesitation was due to stories of bad experiences. But there's a lot of misinformation out there. Most of these anecdotal horror stories appear to be either related to modified vehicles or referring to different warranty plans offered by a dealer or a third party. As far as I can tell, an unmodified Jeep with the Mopar Maximum Care Lifetime Warranty should have no issues. I've never been big on modifying vehicles, so my Rubicon will very likely be the same at the end of its life as it is now. And given how niche it is, I don't see why I wouldn't hang onto it for at least a decade as a third or fourth vehicle.

In addition, while the financial argument is sound in theory, how many people are really going to "set aside" the money they would have spent on a warranty and let it grow? Not purchasing the warranty will absolutely not change my spending habits in all reality, and I don't want to roll the dice and end up looking at a string of several-hundred-to-couple-thousand-dollar repairs when the rig is several years old.

For me, $4600 and absolute peace of mind is more comforting than spending $0 now and always having some unknown amount to pay up in the future, even if that unknown amount might be less than $4600 by the time I sell the car.

EDIT: $4600 refers to the lifetime plan with $0 deductible through Tom Winkels at Hayes.

 

[Flyguy81]

I have seen a lot about the extended warranty and think on this vehicle it makes sense with so much unproven new tech. My dealer also quoted me $650 or so the Appearance Package, dents, dings, interior trim and such. I park daily in a crowded lot so think this could be worthwhile. They went so far as to package both the extended warranty and appearance package together for around $2700. Thoughts? Seems like a good deal to me. Picked the jeep up on Saturday but can still purchase all of it.

If that’s a lifetime extended then that’s a good price. You can get that for $2350. Appearance can be bought online for $465 for a 3 yr plan or $545 for a 5 yr plan.

 

[MojitoJLUR]

Still on the fence about buying the lifetime warranty, but the more careful research I do, the more I lean towards pulling the trigger.

My main hesitation was due to stories of bad experiences. But there's a lot of misinformation out there. Most of these anecdotal horror stories appear to be either related to modified vehicles or referring to different warranty plans offered by a dealer or a third party. As far as I can tell, an unmodified Jeep with the Mopar Maximum Care Lifetime Warranty should have no issues. I've never been big on modifying vehicles, so my Rubicon will very likely be the same at the end of its life as it is now. And given how niche it is, I don't see why I wouldn't hang onto it for at least a decade as a third or fourth vehicle.

In addition, while the financial argument is sound in theory, how many people are really going to "set aside" the money they would have spent on a warranty and let it grow? Not purchasing the warranty will absolutely not change my spending habits in all reality, and I don't want to roll the dice and end up looking at a string of several-hundred-to-couple-thousand-dollar repairs when the rig is several years old.

For me, $4600 and absolute peace of mind is more comforting than spending $0 now and always having some unknown amount to pay up in the future, even if that unknown amount might be less than $4600 by the time I sell the car.

EDIT: $4600 refers to the lifetime plan with $0 deductible through Tom Winkels at Hayes.

Just out of curiosity, why did you go with the $0 deductible? You need to make 19 claims at the $100 deductible before the no deductible pays off, right?

 

[dudemind]

Just out of curiosity, why did you go with the $0 deductible? You need to make 19 claims at the $100 deductible before the no deductible pays off, right?

I actually haven't officially purchased yet. E-mailed Tom this morning asking for the full T&C before doing so.

But to answer your question: If I went w/ the $100 deductible, I would most likely not get small things fixed. If I suspect the cost is even close to being less than $200 or so, I would end up doing the repair myself. And that's what I fear will happen: a bunch of tiny repairs that don't justify the pain of going to the dealership and paying $100 each time. It's also unclear if I'd end up paying the $100 again if a dealer's "fix" didn't actually fix anything. Paranoid as I am, I worry about a situation where I go back three times for the same thing and they end up saying their hands are tied and force me to pay $100 each time. Yes, I can raise it to Mopar/FCA at that point, and yes I can always have my day in court, but I want 100% peace of mind if I'm paying up for a lifetime warranty... That's just me though.

 

[snelldogg]

If that’s a lifetime extended then that’s a good price. You can get that for $2350. Appearance can be bought online for $465 for a 3 yr plan or $545 for a 5 yr plan.

Can you possibly send a link to where I can get these for the price you quoted above?

Thanks!

 

[Flyguy81]

The lifetime warranty can be found in multiple places on this site. Tom Winkles from Hayes Jeep in Kalamazoo: [email protected]

I googled the Appearance plan and found ChryslerFactoryPlans.com. Could prob ask Tom what his price is on that plan too.

 

[uudog]

I spoke to Tom Winkels today from Hayes Jeep. The price for the Max Care warranty will be going up on April 3rd, 2018. Last year it went up by $235. So if you have your jeep and you were looking to get this warranty, now would be the time.

 

[Sierra Nevada]

Spoke to a dealer in FL. They wanted a vin number before they would quote a price. Did anyone else run into this ... just to get a pricing quote?

Spoke to Tom Winkels, if your only address is in FL, then the price is 3965/100 for life time max care warranty.

 

[snelldogg]

I spoke to Tom Winkels today from Hayes Jeep. The price for the Max Care warranty will be going up on April 3rd, 2018. Last year it went up by $235. So if you have your jeep and you were looking to get this warranty, now would be the time.

Is max care really lifetime? I was given a good quote for 7 yr 75k.

 

[AZCrawl]

Is max care really lifetime? I was given a good quote for 7 yr 75k.

Not if you live 99 years beyond the purchase date or put more than a million miles on it.

 

[K9Jeeper]

I was damn near convinced I was gonna get the lifetime warranty, but talked myself out of it and elected to go 8 yr 125K with $100 deductible for $2.1K through Tom. Just couldn’t get past the whole non refundable part of it that’s attached to the lifetime warranty. At least the 8 year is refundable and or transferable. I can always drop a crate Hemi in there at that time, if I’m still interested in keeping the Jeep, and that’ll give me another 3 years of coverage, at least on the engine, as well as a whole new driving experience.

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