Prius Prime extra warranty...buy?

"Shop around. The dealership I bought my Prime quoted me $2880 for a Platinum 10year/100k VSA. After calling around, I was able to get the same VSA for $1395."

These are a great product to sell. Zero inventory cost. No cost for the product until the day the consumer buys it. Almost perfect profit for the dealer. Dicker very hard on the price.

 

Or just skip it completely, depending on your level of risk aversion.

 

This much is essential, at least for me. After reading the stories of third-party business failures, getting extended vehicle coverage from a third-party source I've never heard of, would not give me any 'peace of mind'. The original car manufacturers are far more likely to still be in business to service any claims.

 

If you feel comfortable self-insuring, pass. If not, at least do your homework and shop around. Prices for Extra Care warranties are not fixed. Last year, I heard that dealers were not selling extended warranties out of state, but as far as I can tell, they are now.

They are not for everyone, and most people who can take the self-insurance risk will come out ahead by passing on it. (Otherwise, why would they offer it if they didn't make money in the average case?) But there are places that will sell a *genuine* Toyota Extra Care warranty for (say) $1400-1500 for 10 years and 100K miles. The biggest worry -- the battery and EV power system -- is covered for at least 8 years already. But there are a LOT of expensive electronics that can cost thousands to fix. I've heard a replacement for the 11 inch display on the Advanced model costs around $6-8K. And then (on the Advanced, at least) there are a LOT of sensors that can go bad.

As long as people understand that on average you WILL lose money buying one, OK, think of it as insurance -- but don't think you have to buy it at your dealer. Heck, apparently you don't even need to buy one in-state any more. I've seen quotes that would save more than half of what a lot of dealerships would quote at the time of sale. And it's the same warranty backed by Toyota; I would not ever remotely consider a third party warranty that Toyota dealerships were not required to honor. As it is, I'll wait a year for more reliability data to come out. I'm leaning against it, but the more aggressively priced plans from a few dealers are tempting.

 

I have bought them from Jerry at Midwest Toyota in Kansas. His number is 620-664-8844 - it is the platinum Toyota Warranty. I paid $1200 for 7yr/100K mile warranty.

 

new question:
Apology, if iam asking this quesiton, that may be covered somewhere else.

@noonm: Can you share the contact informatiokn for getting the VSA at $1395 ?

 

Buyer beware; these "service contract / extended warranties" are almost pure profit margin; 100% profit, if these companies file for bankruptcy every year and come back with a new name. I get at least one phone call a day; trying to sell me extended warranty insurance on the 2013 Prius C; I traded in. I block each number as they come in and are still getting calls. Bottom line; whose providing the coverage and what do they cover. I'm seeing Carshield commercials here in the middle of Ca, small print clearly states (using magnifying glasses , don't joke about that at my age), Not available in California. I guess Carshield likes to advertise in places they can't sell insurance in?!
2020 and newer traction batteries are covered for 10 years 150K miles, and EV drive-train components are 8 years and 100K. If your risk adverse and have money burning a hole in your pocket - go for it; but don't be surprised if you need that warranty a few years later that the company no longer exists. I've sold several gas-only Toyota to friends with over 250k miles on them - they're still my friends and I still have to remind them to change the timing belts and perform basic maintenance.
IMHO; if an expensive part breaks - I can usually track one down in a junk yard or ebay. Find someone here with Techstream to get the unit reprogrammed and reintegrated back into my car.

If you get a particularly pushy finance guy that won't take no for an answer - say this. "Your really pushing hard on this extended warranty; is there something wrong with these cars - I may have to rethink this purchase". That usually stops them dead in their tracks - they will stop trying to "up-sell" you everything under the sun.

Hope this helps

 

At least on snail-mail sales attempts, some places even try to sell such contracts to my spouse for the car she's been driving for more than 30 years. If it needed such coverage, we wouldn't still have it.

As for the junk calls, it is useless to block specific numbers. They change their number spoofing at least daily, sometimes even per-call.

I do wish I could block an entire exchange code -- our own code. Many junk callers make use of the "neighborhood" trick, spoofing a number on your own exchange to appear to be someone nearby. But we transferred our number to this house decades ago from the apartment where we first shacked up, quite a ways away. We don't know anyone else on this particular exchange number, so it is a reliable "tell".

 

Sounds like you're talking about a land line. You're stuck there, I think. But we haven't had a land line since 2007.

On the iPhone you can block a whole exchange. It'll block everyone in your exchange unless they are in your contacts list. But I still get a bazillion calls & texts. The screening app from AT&T catches a lot of them, but not all.

 

We cut the landline four months ago (when the accompanying internet service had no remaining upgrade path), and transferred that number to a prepaid mobile (Android) that generally stays home, but can go with us when we travel. Including to Canada. So no more landline, but we still have the same phone number that was our landline for 33 years.

Now we just need the pandemic to go away so that we can resume travel ...

 

Warranty with maintenance from the dealer is usually worth it from a time perspective. Sure, you can go elsewhere, but at least at the dealer you know they have a process for getting you in and getting you out on a consistent time basis. My last warranty included tires, keys, etc. along with maintenance up to 125k. The tire replacements alone paid for half the warranty cost. The various maintenance expenses covered most everything else.