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Automotive Tips and Info

Buying a used car?????   The important facts about Aftermarket Extended Warranties!!

Buying a used car can be a stressful project. Now have you noticed that after you get done with the bartering and you your on your way to the finance office, you sit down, now it starts all over again.  Now like any good consumer you have researched the vehicle you are buying but the next series of products and services that are offered to you will be shocking. There will be services like getting the car undercoated, getting the interior guarded against spills, and getting the exterior paint sealed! They will also offer you an extended aftermarket warranty. This is where you will also have many options to choose from. You do not need to make a decision about this right away. Ask to take the information with you and tell them that you will get back to them in a couple of days. This may vary on the amount you are financing if you are financing the vehicle through the selling dealer and then you will want to check into this first!

I see this a lot in my position as repairing vehicles and going through a warranty company to make a claim.  I have read through a lot of the warranty policies and am shocked at the amount of money that these can cost and the amount the customer has covered is very limited.

There are many different companies selling policies and they seem to vary in what they will cover.

Spending a little more money may get you a lot more coverage on your policy if choose to buy one.

Here are some things to note when looking into a policy:

• Deductibles -- This will vary on the amount of policy. Generally the more you pay the less the deductible will be. Find out if the deductible is per visit or per item. Example -- If you take your vehicle in to have an oil leak repaired and the technician finds a suspension part that needs to be addressed also does the deductible go towards both repairs or will you have to pay the deductible per item.
   

• Coverage -- Will the policy cover oil leaks, computer sensors, interior and exterior door handles? Does the policy cover diagnosis time in finding a complaint? You will have to decide if you need a policy that does cover items like this or just the basic premature engine or transmission failure.
   

• Schedule maintenance -- No these warranties are not designed to cover scheduled maintenance but they still need to be done. The warranty company may require these items to be serviced as the owner's manual states to not void the extended warranty. Keep the receipts as proof that you had the maintenance items serviced.
   

• Towing -- Does the policy cover towing or a rental car?
   

• Certified repair center -- Does this policy let you take the car to your favorite repair place? You may have to take the vehicle back to where you bought it from. Now this can be a big issue. Lets say you bought a used Nissan from a Cadillac dealership. You take the Nissan back to the Cadillac dealership because the Check Engine Light is on. It is very possible that the Cadillac dealership will not have the proper tools or equipment to properly diagnose the problem. This could cause long delays and this is where the rental car bill could be an issue!
   

• AWD/4WD -- Does the policy cover the vehicles all wheel drive or 4 wheel drive parts. Most cars today will have these options.

The best advice I can give you is to get a copy of the warranty before you purchase it and let your mechanic read it and explain what is covered and what is not.   You can also purchase your own warranty! The best place to do some research on this is go to the internet and spend some time investigating these. The cost savings will be worth the time it takes you!

Below is a extended warranty buying guide online.

http://www.extended-warranty.info/carwarranty/
 

- Jeff Powers