Why buy extended warranty?
 

First, I admit I never buy extended warranties for anything. OK, one reason I went with Toyota is its great reputation for quality and long lasting cars. Whay are people buying these extended warranties? Is the THC somehow more susceptable to problems? Or, is it more like an insurance policy for you?

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

I put about 25k miles per year on my car which means my warranty will be out in about a year and a half. At only something like $1400 to take it to 100k miles I just like the security. With the complexity of the TCH and given the fact that any significant issues will have to go to the dealer I felt I would get a good return.

On another note - I traded in an '02 'Vette for my TCH. With that car, the $1000 Extended Warranty was one of the wisest investments I have every made! And General Motors wonders why their company is going down the toilet.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

I would agree that Toyota has a great reputation. However; the TCH like any other car is a machine with parts that can malfunction. Most conventional cars can be fixed by a competent mechanic and there may be systems in the TCH that a regular mechanic can fix. When it comes hybrid sytems the coventional mechanic has not yet had the experience to fix that. Although there may be some that do.

The reason I purchased the extended warranty is that I can take it back to Toyota and have their factory trained mechanics diagnose and fix any potential problem. I know you'll say that the neighborhood mechanic that you've been going to for the past 10, 20 or whatever years is way better than some fo the manufactueres mechanic. That also may be true. However; the Toyota mechanics have the resources of Toyota behind them

The other thing the extended warranty give me is that parts and labor will be paid for. The local mechanic will have to charge me for any work or parts. In the event that the diagnosis is wrong there may be a second or subsequent trip to the local mechanic and the meter keeps ticking. Toyota will continue to correct any potential problem and will cover it under the warranty.

It's an insurance policy. My extended warranty cost me about $900 for 7 years. $100+ per year is an acceptable amount for me. You have to decide.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

My question is why would you buy it with the exclusions that they have.

When I reveiwed the warranty, it excluded the battery, the battery ECU and a few other parts that I wanted the policy for. From what I could tell, it only extended the basic car warranty and not the high-tech components. Right now I am rolling the dice, but I might buy the warranty if some of those components are included (most of them already have the 80,000 mile warranty).

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

Does the price go up as you approach the end of the regular 36 month warranty, or can I wait until the 35th month and pay $900 then for a 7y/100k warranty?

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

Can't answer for sure, but I would expect the price to go up.

I can't see anyone keeping a price fixed for three years, if costs go up then the price is going to go up.

It's only common sense.;)

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

This question again?

SEARCH for "extended warranty" and you will find hundreds of posts on why you should/shouldn't buy the extended warranty for the TCH, and where you can get the best price if you decide to purchase.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

Regarding the exclusions for the "battery ecu" and such.

I believe that the standard hybrid components warranty covers most if not of those exclusions. So with the extended warranty you should be covered for most everything till 100,000 miles.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

For $900 - you could end upspending that on a power sunroof or mirror motor or some other gizmo after 36 months. Also, the entire system (hybrid and standard) is covered. With the technology in this car the last thing you'd want would be a "system" problem during the fourth year of ownership. Cars can break - no matter who makes them or how well they're made - they are still a bunch mechanical components that wear over time. Just my opinion....:D

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

Perhaps you were shown a 3rd party extended warranty rather than a Toyota Care warranty?

The battery is already covered for 10 years, 150K miles. The longest Toyota Care extended warranty only runs to 7 years, 100K miles. Including the battery in the extended warranty is thus irrelevant.

The battery ECU is covered. See the full list here. That page also states very clearly that everything on the car is covered by the extended warranty except what's explicitly called out on the excluded parts list (which is also available on that page).

Short list of the reasons I purchased one:
1) First model year of the car
2) Transferable warranty increases resale
3) Peace of mind/risk buydown
4) Cost rolled into the note
5) It won't take long for me to burn through the standard warranty
6) Refundable (though prorated once you begin using it)

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

Myself and my wife decided yesterday, for when we went in to buy the car today, that we did not want the extended warranty for the following reason:

We are not concerned about the first 64k miles, it's the second we are concerned about.

We would probably burn through the extended warranty in a little over 4 years anyway.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

1st 64K = miles 0 through 64,000
2nd 64K = miles 64,001 through 128,000

Given that the extended warranty covers through mile 100,000, you could've bought down your risk on 36K miles (56%) of that second 64K you're worried about, right? (In addition to 28K miles of the 1st 64K you're not)

:P

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

Actually Im not all that concerned about the extra 36k miles either :)

One of the hardest jobs must be trying to convince customers to buy a extended warranty for toyota vehicles.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

Nope, it was a Toyota plan. My point was that the parts that I am concerned over ARE covered for 100,000 miles with the standard factory warranty, and the additional warranty only covers the part that would be in a non-hybrid car. So I felt the extra warranty was not worth it to me, but I like to gamble a bit.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

As a person who drives nearly 3,000 miles a month, there was no choice. I bought the warranty.

If something happens and my car is stranded while I am in the middle of a regional business trip, the warranty will provide for a replacement vehicle and off I go after only a few hours of inconvenience.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

I too am in the 3,000 miles a month camp. I got the car 10/17/06 and I currently have over 10500 miles on it now. I have the loaner car thru the waste of a sealant/undercoating etc.. package that was on the car. That package cost $349 (vehicle shield package). I also have AAA RV coverage, so I have plenty of towing if I need it.

The warranty that I was shown was the "Toyota Extra Care". I was considering the 6 year / 100,000 miles Platinum coverage, but when I read in the list of excluded items: "Hybrid system main relays; Hybrid vehicle battery; Hybrid vehicle battery module/pack" I decided that I really don't need it. Especially since I also read the following in the exclusions: "Interior and Exterior Trim Moldings, including but not limited to Cup Holders, Ashtrays, and Vents." So they won't cover the interior trim of the car when it is squeeking past 36,000 miles. Also, most of the Hybrid parts are covered under the standard 100,000 mile warranty (except the Battery Control Module and the Hybrid Control Module are only covered for 8 years or 80,000 miles).

So what do you get in the extended warranty?

Extends the 3/36 warranty for the electrical (non-hybrid) components such as radio, a/c, windows to 6/100 (extra 3 years and 64,000 miles)

Extends the powertrain components from 5/60 to 6/100 (extra 40,000 miles)

Extends the restraint system warranty from 5/60 to 6/100 (extra year and 40,000 miles)

No change on corrosion protection.

Now to be fair the Platnum Warranty does list the following Hybrid components as being covered:

Battery Current Sensor
Battery Electronic Sensor
Battery Electronic Control Unit/Module (also covered under the vehicle's 8/80)
Battery Thermistor (also covered under the vehicle's 8/100)
Blower Assembly
Blower Control Fan
Blower Motor Control
Circuit Breaker Sensor
Combination Meter
Electric Power Steering ECU
Engine Control Module (ECM)
HV Battery Cooling System
Hybrid Vehicle Electronic Control Unit (ECU)/Control Module (also covered under the vehicle's 8/80)
Hybrid Vehicle Generator Assembly (also covered under the vehicle's 8/100)
Hybrid Vehicle Motor Assembly (also covered under the vehicle's 8/100)
Hybrid Vehicle Transaxle Assembly
Inverter Assembly with Converter (also covered under the vehicle's 8/100)
Meter ECU
Parking Switch
Power Source Control ECU
Shift Control Actuator
Shift Position Sensor
Skid Control ECU
Smart Entry and Start System
Steering Column
Steering Link Assembly
Stop Light Switch
Transmission Control ECU
Transmission Damper Assembly

So there are quite a few items in the hybrid system covered under the Platinum Warranty, but all of these items are also included in the Gold Warranty, so you could get good coverage with the gold package. Notice though, that most of the large hybrid items are already covered under the factory emmisions warranty for the same time period as the Gold/Platinum warranty (with the exception of the 80 vs. 100 in some places).

The following are the reasons I might get the warranty though:

Electric Power Steering ECU
Engine Control Module (ECM)
Hybrid Vehicle Transaxle Assembly
Power Source Control ECU
Smart Entry and Start System
Transmission Control ECU

But my biggest worry was the battery, but I am confident it will last at least 150,000 miles, since Toyota has to warranty the battery for that life in California.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

Wow, you have given this a much more extensive look than I have. I was solidly in the "can't be without a car" and "first model year" camps.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

This site very useful and thought I would pass on some hints. I just bought my Camry Hybrid 2 days ago, and the dealer quoted $1,500 for a 7 year , 75,000 mile, $0 deductible warranty. Basically extends warranty on powertrain and bumper to bumper for this time / mileage.

One thing to note is that price is negotiable and as long as you do it in the week you bought the car, other dealers were willing to bid on the warranty. My dealer after a couple of days came down to $1,300 and finally to $900, so I bought it from them...so I am not sure if the other dealers would actually sell the warranty if I did not buy the car there, but the threat certainly did not hurt my haggling to get a better price.

Another piece of business you can get is the prepaid maintenance. I found that the plan comes for 2, 3 or 4 year terms, and includes roadside assistance with some other things. I will share some facts if it helps (and this is eastern MA pricing, mind you) and maybe ask for guidance if anyone has a thought or two:

THe price for the 4 year prepaid maintenance plan was about $1,200 after some negotiation. I did not buy it. THe reason is that if you go to www.toyotaownersonline.com and click "scheduled maintenance," you can see what is required at every 5,000 miles. I am only going to drive 10,000 miles per year, so I will only require 8 service appointments (having driven approx. 40,000 miles). 6 of those appointments are simply tire rotation and oil change and an inspection and lube...which I priced in two toyota service departments at $29.95 for the oil and $20 for the tire rotation...so, about $50 (my estimate). The 15,000 mile checkup was quoted by the service dept. at $250, and the 30,000 mile checkup was quoted at $500. So by my calcs I could buy the services a-la-carte for $1,050, and save $150 from the cost of buying the plan upfront. Note I also buy AAA coverage so have towing etc. already, so did not really value that part of the coverage...hard to imagine you would EVER need it in the first 4 years of owning a new TOyota as well.

Now one can still buy the plan at any time...am I missing something by my analysis, like do they include any other costs in the prepaid maintenance plan that come up under the inspection? Does a synthetic oil change cost more (thus enabling oil changes at 5,000 mile intervals as opposed to 3,000)? I have owned a '97 camry for 7 years prior to this, and it was never in need of anything unusual.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

I have a black 2007 Camry Hubrid.
I just purchased 2 days ago, the Toyota Platinum Plan 84/75/0 at Midwest Superstore for $619.00 no tax.
Their telephone # is 1-800-530-5789 - ask for Jerry Johnson.
Purchase was quick and painless. All that you need is your vehicle ID#; date of purchase, and current mileage.

Re: Why buy extended warranty?
 

1)
Notice how the price kept dropping? You may want to go over to the PriusChat website ( http://priuschat.com/forums.html ). They have access to an excellent Extended Warranty for Prius (and Camry). Also, you can get an Extended Warranty almost anytime before you go out of warranty.


2)
I cut out most of your data on prepaid maintenance, because you are correct, it is overpriced. (IMHO)


3)
Two items about this area:

First is that Toyota Recommended Oil Changes are at 5,000 miles. It doesn't matter if it is synthetic or dino oil. Second, synthetic oil is normally more expensive that normal (dino-based) oil of the same rating.

If you find it on sale somewhere else, most Toyota Service Departments will let you supply your own oil and change it and the filter at a reduced price. (The 5,000 mile service is oil/filter change and rotate tires. -- something a lot of people are doing themselves. Just keep the sales receipts and write the date and mileage of the oil change on the receipt.

Third -- If you let the dealer supply and install the oil, be SURE that they use the recommended 0-20 or 5-20 (whatever the second number is, I'm not sure).:lightbulb I went to one (in Orlando) and when I checked, he said that he uses the Toyota recommended 10-30, the same as is used in Prius. (WRONG ANSWER: All '07 Toyota hybrids use the same oil.) I told him that he better read his bulletins and service requirements and left the shop.:angry:

OK, I lied, that was three (3) items for the area.:omg:

++++++++++++

Welcome to the magical (and strange) world of Camry Hybrids.:D