By: Vincent Mortensen
I recently purchased a used car at a dealership for a fairly good price. Once it was time to create a payment plan, the financial consultant asked if I would like a two-year, 24,000 mile extended warranty on the vehicle for $1,850. In order to not sound biased, I won’t reveal if I purchased this warranty plan.
Many of us feel sick if we are not protected from potential problems while many of us feel all warranties are a complete rip-off. On which side to you lie? Is it ever a good or bad idea to purchase an extended warranty for a vehicle? Below are a few points to help you make a more clear choice.
1. How long do you plan on keeping the car? – Are you the type that gets tired of cars within two to four years or do you like to use your car until it’s on its last leg? It is generally not a good idea to purchase an extended warranty for those who don’t keep cars longer than four years.
2. Who stands behind the warranty? – If you do choose to purchase an extended warranty, make sure it is backed by the car maker and not just the dealership you purchased from. Car maker warranties will allow your car to be serviced at any dealership that sells your brand of car, not just at the dealership you purchased.
3. Have you shopped for the best price? – More often than not, you can find an extended warranty through third-party programs for much cheaper. If you do go this route, make sure you know what you are getting, as the third-party warranty might not cover as many potential problems the dealership will cover.
4. Will you have peace of mind if you don’t buy it? – As mentioned above, there are some people that cannot sleep at night, knowing their car is not covered by a warranty. If you are going to make yourself sick, perhaps you should consider it.
5. Is the car still under the original warranty? – There is no need to purchase unnecessary coverage if your used car is still under the original warranty of the car maker. For example, if you are offered a two year, 24,000 mile warranty from the dealership for $1,850 but your car still has a year and a half or 20,000 more miles (whichever comes first), a warranty would be wasteful. What are the odds your car will have $1,850 worth of problems in only six months? Not likely.
After reading these points, the choice is yours. If you are in the market for a new or used car, make sure you do your research to get the best warranty deal or skip it completely.
This information was based on an article from http://www.edmunds.com
Financial Food for Thought 