Ask the Car People.SM


Subaru Added Security

82 messages,  Last post on Sep 06, 2010 at 11:48 AM

You are in the Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, Car Warranties, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 9 of 9

#79 of 82 this & that about service contracts & predicting failures... by fendertweed

Aug 18, 2010 (11:59 am)

Hi all,
 
checking back in on this thread again, 12.5 mos. after buying my new '09 OB Ltd. (getting its 15k service today)... lots of good thoughts pro & con on ESCs (Extended Svc. Contracts) here but as I was thinking about my decision to wait a while to get one for my OB (since I have 3/36 to decide), and thinking about how I would weigh the initial reliability of the car (any car) in deciding on an ESC, I remembered what I discovered when I looked back at my ex-'01 Audi A6 after replacing an engine at 87k and numerous other pricey fixes between 87-103k that led me to sell a car I loved and wanted to keep for many more miles than that ...
 
... That car had NO significant repairs during its first 49k miles... had a lot of things done under warranty at 50k (tie rod ends, gaskets/leaks etc.), but based on its first 45-50k I would have hesitated on an ESC but since it had things like a $12k Tiptronic tranny I bought one.... my best investment of the past 10 yrs., I recovered more than 3 times what that contract cost me -- I "invested" ~$2,400 and within 4 years recovered about $8,000 in reimbursed repairs.
 
The Subie should certainly be more reliable and doesn't have a $12k tranny or a $10-15k engine, but like many modern cars it has complex stuff, so for ex., a bad A/C-Radio unit or any number of things could easily get you well on your way to recover your contract cost.
 
Just a random thought on a rainy day, I will still wait probably 8-18 mos. before I but the Gold Plus on my OB.... if it had a 5 spd. AT and more comfortable seats it would be almost perfect.
 
cheers,
Jon

#80 of 82 Re: this & that about service contracts & predicting failures... [fendertweed] by xwesx

Aug 18, 2010 (1:12 pm)

Replying to: fendertweed (Aug 18, 2010 11:59 am)
Thanks for sharing, Jon!
 
I think the '05-'09 Outback was a fantastic wagon and am glad to hear you are enjoying yours. One of these years, I would really like to find an '06 Limited with manual transmission.
 
I am still undecided about an extended warranty for my '10 Forester; I have about 12 more months to decide. While I am not "worried" about a pending failure, I look at is as a cost/benefit "investment" as well. Part of that benefit is the fact that this is my wife's car and she may very well prefer to have the added peace of mind. For me, though, the most likely items that I will want to address (such as a recurrence of interior rattles previous "fixed" under warranty) are excluded from the extended warranty contract... I wonder why?!
 
The odometer clicked over 16,000 miles last night.

#81 of 82 Re: this & that about service contracts & predicting failures... [xwesx] by dave128

Sep 06, 2010 (4:58 am)

Replying to: xwesx (Aug 18, 2010 1:12 pm)
The best cost/benefit is being able to recoup a good chunk of its cost when you go to sell your vehicle privately. If you can leave at least a years worth of coverage on the contract you should be able to get about half the cost back. That's a nice security blanket for the new owner.

#82 of 82 Re: this & that about service contracts & predicting failures... [dave128] by xwesx

Sep 06, 2010 (11:48 am)

Replying to: dave128 (Sep 06, 2010 4:58 am)
That is an excellent point for many new-car owners out there. Unfortunately, I typically don't consider replacing a car until it is north of 200,000 miles. For some reason, I can't find an extended warranty that will go that long.
 
Personally, I would be happy to pay a reasonable asking price for a used car that had an extended warranty in effect at the time of purchase, as long as the seller had complete service records/logs on the vehicle. If the records were not available, the warranty would be useless.

Messages Page 9 of 9

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement