I'll be hitting 36,000 miles soon, extend warranty or not?

[JLUW75]

This is exactly where I will be purchasing my warranty. It's the same warranty that the dealerships sell you but without the vig!

My dealer didn't want to sell me FCA extended warranty. they had some other crap but when I asked if it was an FCA warranty, he avoided the question and said it is accepted by all dealers! So I declined the offer and I plan to buy this one. For me, the 8 years/85K miles with a $200 deductible for $1,190 is the sweet spot. I don't drive that much so I will hit 8 years before I hit the mileage limit for sure. I also don't care about the nickel and dime issues and I'm only worried about the big-ticket items so I selected a higher deductible to keep the overall price down.

Sponsored

 

[wranglerbro]

Are extended warranties useful if you plan on installing an aftermarket lift kit/tires? Seems like these warranties are better for those who keep their Jeeps stock (Dealer installed Mopar lift excluded).

 

[#1 for me]

I got royally hosed on an extended warranty at 19 and swore I'd never purchase another. I'm now 50 and have been true to my word They sell them because they are profitable for the seller and issuer. However, with the cost of parts and labor, coupled with the number of components compared to 30 years ago, I'm considering rethinking my position....I'm still on the fence. I personally would shop around dealers for a Chrysler factory warranty and get the best deal if you decide you want to buy one. As mentioned above, Chrysler warranty direct is usually hard to beat.

Call Tom Winkels at Hayes Jeep in Kalamazoo Mich 269 385 1116 best price hands down

 

[Strommen95]

Personally, I wouldn't buy a warranty for several reasons.

1. The complexity of the JL is incredibly overrated. The odds of an overwhelming failure causing a very expensive fix is exceedingly low. Almost all electrical gremlins are about the Aux battery, which isn't costly nor that hard to replace. (More annoying than replacing a battery should be of course, but not "hard".) Not to mention that people who leave their vehicles stock, which many do for a warranty, increase their odds for reliability.

2. You put on a lot of mileage. Even if you get the best warranty, when is it going to run out, when the vehicle is 3-4 years old? That doesn't have much value to me but that's subjective.

3. This forum loves to crucify Jeep dealerships.. While I don't have much experience with Jeep service departments directly, I know that dealership service departments are hell. So, given how bad Jeep dealerships are, how is a warranty "insurance" in any way? The customer service is terrible, the workmanship often shoddy and many times Jeep does whatever it can to avoid covering under warranty.

4. While dealerships are legally obligated to fix any warranty claim regardless of where it was purchased, the reality is your experience with be significantly better if you bought through the dealership itself. Essentially, even a bad dealership will bend over backwards if you purchased the warranty there... Otherwise, not so much.

 

[Air Uncle P]

FYI
https://chryslerwarrantydirect.com

Via chat on their site:

"Aftermarket lift kits can void the suspension warranty and the powertrain warranty. However, with a Mopar lift, they also have the Mopar Lift Kit add-on coverage to keep your warranties intact.

$495.00 is added to the price of any major plan for the lift kit add on coverage."

 

[Blanco802]

If you have a mechanic that you trust outside of the dealer, I think you will save money going that route should anything pop up. I also believe your power train warranty is still in effect with Jeep and my experience with extended warranties has been that some bumper to bumper items may not be covered anyway.

If you're willing to pay a premium to have a piece of mind and reviewed the contract (covered items) in detail, then go for it.

To me the cost benefit analysis is statistically on the side of not extending the warranty.

 

[WXman]

Only time wife and I bought an extended warranty was on a Nissan Maxima she got lightly used. Paid $1,500 for the warranty. A year or two later the A/C failed. $1,600 repair. We paid $100 deductible. Extended warranty paid for itself on the first use.

 

[Luxy60]

Manufacturers and dealers sell products and services, including extended warranties to make money. Extended warranties have a high profit margin but you can negotiate the price just like you did for your vehicle. Getting a warranty for 50% off list is not that unusual, depending on the coverage type and length of the contract. Like any insurance product you're playing the odds and while most will likely not need it, for the few that will suffer a catastrophic failure or multiple component failures, it can save them thousands in repair charges. In my opinion, if you do buy one, you should buy the FCA full coverage warranty with 0 - $100 deductible. Buy only the term and mileage you need. Since you're currently racking up a lot of miles per year, and if that will continue, don't pay for coverage (125K is max) you won't use. Given the past reliability performance of FCA/ Jeep vehicles, buying an extended warranty is probably justified, especially if buying a Jeep that has a newer engine/ drive train like the diesel or 4xe or is loaded with costly electronics/safety options.

 

[four low]

If you have a mechanic that you trust outside of the dealer, I think you will save money going that route should anything pop up. I also believe your power train warranty is still in effect with Jeep and my experience with extended warranties has been that some bumper to bumper items may not be covered anyway.

If you're willing to pay a premium to have a piece of mind and reviewed the contract (covered items) in detail, then go for it.

To me the cost benefit analysis is statistically on the side of not extending the warranty.

Having an independent mechanic, who probably doesn't have the subscription to Factory data/ TSBs ( these links cost thousands per year, per brand) means maybe brakes, oil, Spark plugs, shocks are pretty much "it"
Any code requiring factory info will be off limits; diagnostics are essential, so Dealers need to up their standards for now and future Service work

 

[kenp1985]

My brief take on ALL extended warranties - why put more money towards something that is a depreciating asset?

Car, refrigerator, AppleCare, anything. I always pass and pay a repair IF it comes up. I take the $ and invest it or save it for a future repair/down payment on a new rig.

 

[donmontalvo]

FYI
https://chryslerwarrantydirect.com

Via chat on their site:

"Aftermarket lift kits can void the suspension warranty and the powertrain warranty. However, with a Mopar lift, they also have the Mopar Lift Kit add-on coverage to keep your warranties intact.

$495.00 is added to the price of any major plan for the lift kit add on coverage."

I had my Mopar lift kit installed by the dealer a couple months after I bought the JLUR. I have it in writing that while the lift itself is warrantied, adding the lift does not impact my extended warranty. Neither do the 35s and the ICON Rebound Pros.

All in writing. Been down this road before.

 

[donmontalvo]

My brief take on ALL extended warranties - why put more money towards something that is a depreciating asset?

Car, refrigerator, AppleCare, anything. I always pass and pay a repair IF it comes up. I take the $ and invest it or save it for a future repair/down payment on a new rig.

Big difference between appliances and computers, versus a car. Regarding Apple devices, I always buy AppleCare for my personal devices. I might be a little biased.

 

[donmontalvo]

If you have a mechanic that you trust outside of the dealer, I think you will save money going that route should anything pop up.

That’s fine if you don’t travel. I do two or three cross countries per year. Happy to go into any Jeep dealer for their full support on my Jeep. Even after the lift and 35s and third party wheels were installed.

 

[Blanco802]

That’s fine if you don’t travel. I do two or three cross countries per year. Happy to go into any Jeep dealer for their full support on my Jeep. Even after the lift and 35s and third party wheels were installed.

Certainly worth the premium then to have that convenience, assuming the dealer honors the warranty and can do the job in a timely fashion. Depending on the issue, it can take several days to weeks to fix certain issues and I suspect if you're traveling across the country, a car rental will likely not be satisfactory. Going back to what the OP said, in his position, I wouldn't get an extended warranty. Based on your activities and the milage you likely put on every year, probably a good candidate for extended warranty

 

[Blanco802]

Having an independent mechanic, who probably doesn't have the subscription to Factory data/ TSBs ( these links cost thousands per year, per brand) means maybe brakes, oil, Spark plugs, shocks are pretty much "it"
Any code requiring factory info will be off limits; diagnostics are essential, so Dealers need to up their standards for now and future Service work

I see a lot of mechanics who specialize on certain vehicles. Even see some that are getting certified to deal with electronic vehicles as well. If you have access to those type of mechanics, it will still be cheaper versus going the extended warranty route. With that said, good help is hard to find so if a local independent dealer is not available, the appeal of an extended warranty will be higher

Sponsored