Extended Warranty and Service Plan?

I got a 6yr/100000 Platinum for like $895 on my Prius Prime. Peace of mind. Bought from an East Coast Dealer and saved over 2k from local dealer. He would not even match price. Did this with our Honda and had similar good results. Will only buy online...

 

Guess the feeling I am getting is, the VSA isn't covering many items we need. Did you do any research on the coverage and feel like it is worth?

 

If it only covers the touch screen I'm happy.
I did the math and mine is costing me 50 cents/day.
Lets me sleep at night.
I'm retired and have some expendable income.
If I was a youngster living day to day I probably wouldn't be driving a new
car and would have no need for a VSA.

 

With all the electronic gizmos I know it can get expensive fast. It’s just a backup. The maint ackage is definitely not needed for a Prius.

 

Sounds good. Thanks for sharing your inputs

 

While the Prime is probably the most reliable vehicle on the road, $895 ain't bad, that's really worth considering. Japanese electronics are usually rock solid, but it might cover something unforeseen.

 

I've purchased MBI (mechanical breakdown insurance) or some form of an "extended warranty" for the last 3 cars I bought before the Prime, offered from my local credit union (WAY chaper than what the dealerships were charging).
#1) Never got a chance to use them. Some repairs were done during the initial warranty period, and I had a few outside of the extended period, but never during the period covered.
#2) After the fact, I remember doing some thorough research and finding out that the main company that credit unions and 3rd parties sell, is in reality, pretty much a sham, with fine print requirements something along the lines of "we won't repair your broken power window during the extended warranty period you purchased because you didn't change your transmission fluid at exactly XX,XXX miles, as prescribed in your owners manual." That kind of language. Seriously.
#3) As far as the official dealership ones, they are jaw-dropping huge profit windfalls for all those involved, no matter how"discounted" from the "original" quoted price they "lower" it to.

Think about it: the dealers wouldn't try to shove them down everyone's throat if they weren't absolute gold mines for the dealers.

I realize that if someone's brain is hard-wired to happily throw extreme amounts of money in order to try to obtain some "peace of mind", nothing anyone says will convince them. Hopefully most will do the math. I myself bought them for previous cars, because when I did so, they were not so expensive ($650-$900 range for each car, from my credit union) but I never once wound up using them -- and only later did I find the "gotchas" hidden deep in the fine print of the contract language that would have meant denail of coverage on technicalities for just about everyone. And the dealership ones are jaw-droppingly obscene. I learned.

When I bought my Prime, I stopped buying them. I firmly declined everything. I told the finance guy outright "I know you have to offer it, I know it's your job, just go through the routine like you're supposed to, I'll nod my head and take the brochure, but I'm not buying it, no matter what price you offer. Just go through the motions like I know you have to, then we'll move on." Worked very well. He kept his job, we moved on, I saved thousands.

 

Driving home from Nashville, a robot call came in soliciting an extended warranty. It didn't ask for "press 1" to get a representative but connected me directly. Saying nothing, the solicitor heard only road noise and ended the call.

In the past I've thought of crafting message prompts:

• "Put this number on the don't call list because we do not answer unknown phone numbers."
• A maximum length message,"We are busy now. Please send us a letter or package to <postal address>. Let me repeat that is <postal address>. . . ."

Bob Wilson

 

I'd just like to add, speak to your insurance company about window/glass coverage. I believe for 7 dollars a year my windows are completely covered with no deductible from what I can recall. I do know from working at Toyota that the windows can be quite expensive because they aren't your traditional windows. They are special windows because they have the lane departure section for the camera to operate. If you ever get a crack or a chip and they have to replace the entire window, it can be quite pricey. So check with your current insurance companies to see if they have any coverage on the windows. Just an FYI!

 

If you have “Comprehensive” insurance it covers windows and damage not caused by collision. Typically fairly inexpensive.

 

It depends on insurance company and coverage they provide. With my older carrier, I had separate glass coverage since comprehensive coverage required $500 deductible. I can't remember how much it was, but it was probably no more than $50/year, otherwise I would not have paid. I never used comprehensive where I had to pay deductible, but used glass coverage to replace windshield twice over ~10 years period. When I switched insurance company, they did not offer glass insurance, but their $0 deductible comprehensive was only $35 more than $500 deductible plan, so that's what I got. I used $0 deductible comprehensive to replace windshield twice during last 4 years. Either case, it's good to have the coverage.

 

This is the best pricing I was offered after contacting 4 dealers:
3YR/50K $ 410
3YR/80K $ 455
4YR/65K $ 480
4YR/100K $ 620
4YR/125K $ 750
5YR/60K $ 475
5YR/80K $ 530
5YR/100K $ 715
5YR/125K $ 890
6YR/75K $ 585
6YR/100K $ 885
6YR/125K $ 1,150
7YR/75K $ 680
7YR/100K $ 1,040
7YR/125K $ 1,275
8YR/75K $ 800
8YR/100K $ 1,155
8YR/125K $ 1,570
9YR/100K $ 1,435
9YR/125K $ 1,915
10YR/100K $ 1,545
10YR/125K $ 2,070

 

Can you tell me, please, where this quote was from?
Thanks.

 

Also, please, was this for a Platinum plan? A vehicle service Agreement? With Toyota or a third party?
Thanks again.

 

It's more than his job. It's his paycheck. The so-called Finance Manager is paid totally on commission. If he doesn't sell something extra, he doesn't get a check that week. Extended warranty (actually mechanical breakdown insurance). Prepaid maintenance package. Tire & wheel warranty (actually damage insurance). Overpriced wax job. Spritz of Scotchgard upholstry protectant. Window etching scam. Undercoating. Anything else. (Any of these you actually do want can always be bought elsewhere for less, and often it's a better product.)

I just nod my head, smile, and say, "nothing extra," over and over and over and....

 

It's from a dealership called wolverine toyota. email: jtaylor at gowolverinetoyota dot com

 

That’s how car salesmen and financial guys were trained to drag you into their game, after hours of game, you decide to add a few hundred dollars to make the deal because you already spent hours, then they win.

 

The undercoating option was about $950 from the dealer, when I’d asked about a Prime recently.
In NE, the salt on winter roads can do a job on cars, so I’d consider this one. Has anyone gotten this at another auto place and how much Should this cost versus what the Toyota dealer is asking?

 

I would be VERY careful about over-paying somebody to spray stuff all over the underneath side of a Prime.
Toyotas have paint problems in 2019, but not really corrosion problems.

IF this service needs to be done (and I have my doubts!!!) I’m thinking that it will not cost $1000 extra.

 

Undercoating creates tons of little pockets and crevices that trap salt that would otherwise rinse off
easily in a car wash.