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How To Buy An Extended Warranty . . . .

Everything you need to know about extended warranties. We'll cover warranties on the internet where the real bargains are, and review sites like these extended warranty companies and suggest what to look for in a warranty company. This information is readily available to anyone online.

We will not discriminate against the dealers who sell extended warranties, however, warranty packages are entirely motivated by their profit margin, without regard to the consumers need. Many dealership's warranties are force-fed to you as part of your purchase even when you did not want them, or they may tell you that you must get the warranty to qualify for the loan, which is an outright lie. Contact us for further info.

So who's scamming who? It doesn't matter what a dealer tells you about web sites such as WheelsDirect2U.com, they can't argue with the information you'll find here.

Extended Warranties

Extended warranties are the most confusing, profitable products dealers sell (just ask them - they won't tell you).

The language is tricky, and if you don't understand very subtle wording you're in trouble. An "Extended Warranty" is a service contract between the warranty company and you, where they pay for repairs covered by the contract. They are not insurance policies. Extended warranties have nothing to do with the warranty on your car, they are two separate entities. Be sure you're dealing with a rated warranty company. You'll want your warranty administrator to be able to pay any claims you may have. You deal with 2 companies when you buy a warranty. One company sells you the contract, and the other administers your claims, so we suggest that you check out the company that sells you the warranty, and the administrator. The best case scenario is a well-funded company that markets and administers your warranty like these extended warranty companies.

Protecting Yourself . . . .

The following extended warranty companies deposit part your contract purchase price in an insured "Claims Reserve Account" to ensure funds are available to cover claims. This is why the financial strength of the administrator is so crucial. They should also insure the claims reserve account to protect you in case they go belly up. This happens all the time with no name warranties you buy from dealers. When the administrator goes bankrupt the consumer is left holding the bag - an empty bag. They should reinsure the claims account, with an American insurance company (no offshore deals) rated "A", or better with A.M. Best.

Breakdown or a Wear & Tear?

If you're in the market for an extended warranty, consider a wear and tear and mechanical breakdown contract. An example is piston rings wear down, they rarely break, so they are not covered by a dealer's mechanical breakdown policy. However, quite often people complain that the car dealers lie by telling them that they are "fully covered". Sites like these extended warranty companies provide contracts that are both wear & tear and mechanical breakdown, an all in one extended warranty contract. If you don't get this type of package, you' may wish that you had.

If you buy a car that has a reputation for being unreliable, perhaps you should consider buying an extended warranty or you'll be spending for repairs that probably would have been covered by a service contract.

Always Check The Contract Before You Buy, NOT AFTER!

Don't leave the dealership with the thought that you have a warranty protecting you from all that can go wrong. Car dealer contracts have so many screw-you clauses you'll be lucky if any of the potential claims are paid. Take a look at your current extended warranty policy and see if it's as good as you thought or as good as the dealer "implied". Exclusions are printed in the policy book which (in most cases) arrives after you purchase the warranty, because car dealers don't want you to know ahead of your purchase. They know that the more you look, the more you'll find and if they can't show you a copy of the policy book or contract, don't even consider buying the warranty! Before you buy you want to see in writing "What is not Covered". Warranty companies became instantly successful on the internet because of smart buyers like you that have passed on the 200% - 300% markups most dealerships sell. Today's consumer visits the web in order to purchase from the sources at significant savings. Online warranty sites should have a sample contract online for you to view (such as 1SourceAutoWarranty has) usually in Adobe .PDF format and/or Word. Tell the dealer sites like these extended warranty companies, have actual contracts online for you to view, why doesn't the dealer?

With most warranties you must follow the manufacturer's maintenance guidelines or you'll be denied your claim. If your engine blows up because you haven't changed the oil in more than a year, you're going to get the "sorry, wish we could help you" from the warranty administrator. You must take care of your car (see our car care section). Also, beware of warranties that don't cover overheating. Any damage caused by continued operation after a failure is not covered. They can tell whether or not you continued driving with an overheated engine too. Other items that can keep your claim from approval are improper fluid levels. If you buy a warranty on a used car and they find out the failure was already there, you won't be covered for that failure either. Another piece of information that will void a claim is: a car with a "salvaged title". When and if there is a failure, you must notify the warranty administrator in your contract before the repair is done and they'll determine whether or not it is covered.

1st Tier Warranty

The 1st Tier warranties are usually sold for less expensive cars and covers basic parts. These are considered "entry level" most of which don't cover radiators, ABS brakes, Turbos, headlight motors, etc. If you have ABS brakes, power windows, headlight motors, etc., 1st Tier is not right for you.

2nd Tier Warranty

If you have ABS, Turbo, etc., you need at least a 2nd Tier Warranty. It normally covers these and a few more items in all categories of parts, including cooling systems. 2nd Tier coverage is usually very thorough, but still leaves out some parts.

3rd Tier Warranty

This is considered to be a bumper to bumper warranty and almost always the top package a warranty company sells. Nearly every part on the car except the "exclusion list" are covered. If you can afford it, buy the top package and you'll have little else to worry about. They call these "exclusionary warranties" because they cover so much that the contract just lists items that are excluded.

NEVER Buy Your Extended Warranty From A Dealer!

Dealers will "tough-sell" an Extended Warranty because they are so profitable, and you have no way to check their cost, verify who the administrator is, or their ability to pay a potential claim. Many times dealers lie and say that the bank or lending institution requires you to buy the warranty or you won't qualify for the loan (complete crap). PLEASE!

That's when you pull out your car loan check from your lender (if you are not allowing the dealer to find financing for you, Smart move!) and tell them where to put their warranty and their car loan. A standard manufacturer's warranty on a new car is 3 years (36 months). If you buy a new car every three years, you don't need an extended warranty, because the standard warranty will cover you, except for most probably car rentals. Here's just a few of the tricks dealers may use to make you to buy the extended warranty:

Exclusions Found in all Warranties

We have never seen an extended warranty that covers glass, lenses, sealed beams, light bulbs, trim, moldings, chrome, upholstery, exhaust systems, tires, air bags, batteries, brake rotors etc. That's becasue these are standard exclusions found in all extended warranties. You can see why tires and bulbs are not covered, exhaust systems etc. aren't covered and glass usually breaks from vandalism or accidents.

Third Party Extended Warranty Companies

There are a few fantastic extended warranty companies. A user of this website emailed us about her third party warranty and that all of her parts that failed were excluded from coverage thanks to a "screw the buyer" clause (our wording, sorry) that said "any failure caused by a non-covered part is not covered." When her transmission support dropped out due to the non-covered bolts that hold it in place, her repair was not covered!

By strategically choosing parts that cause common failures (smart huh?), and classifying them as non-covered parts, Mechanical Breakdown warranties insult you by claiming it's wear and tear, and not covered.

Before you purchase a warranty, ask to see a sample contract, itemizing what is covered and what is not. Any company that refuses to fax or otherwise allow you to view a copy, walk away! We wouldn't even consider purchasing from any company that would refuse this request!

If a part in question is not listed or implied by the "What Is Covered" list, than it is not covered, and check the "What Is Not Covered" list, but always verify the information with the warranty company. Remember the paragraph about the Brochures! If a brochure is all they have to show you - don't buy.

Also, most dealers may not replace your parts with originals. And if they state that they have loaner cars at your disposal, don't just take say OK and believe them! Ask the dealer if they charge any fees related to "loaner cars" before signing on the dotted line!