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Did I make a mistake...not buying extended warrenty

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Dannyboy, Nov 30, 2013.

  1. Dannyboy

    Dannyboy New Member

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    Hi everyone,
    I just bought a certified 2010 Prius and I did not by the extended warranty and am wondering if I should have....it was $1,700 for it...I like the car but hope nothing goes wrong.....the car has 47,000 miles on it....any thoughts?
     
  2. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    If it would make you feel better, put 1700 in the bank for out of warrenty repairs, then find out when the warranty would have expired. I'll bet on that date you will still have at least some of your money left, the warranty company is making the same bet.
     
  3. Dannyboy

    Dannyboy New Member

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    Thanks Munpot....it is a practice by the finance guy says he has to tell you this etc...warranty they sell covers bumper to bumper computers etc.. up to 120,000. He was very disappointed when I said no.I have never had such a complicated car but it sounds like everyone here has had a lot of success with their car ie not many major problems. I got 47 mpg highway driving it home! I take very good car of cars and drive very carefully... we shall see...it is a certified car
     
  4. Feri

    Feri Active Member

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    It's only a mistake if you have to have repairs worth more than the $1700, that are not exclusions from warranty and before the end of life of the warranty. I made a "mistake" buying the warranty because I had no issues before the warranty expired.(y)

    PS That price seems steep. I could get better here in Australia and we generally are ripped off for more than US prices even at dollar parity.
     
  5. cairo94507

    cairo94507 Active Member

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    I have found that the warranties are fairly negotiable in pricing. I also think that the Fidelity Platinum warranty is a good deal with lots of room for negotiation in the price. I recently added one of those on my '10 Porsche C4S. The dealer asked for $7,400 to take the car out to 2019 or 100K miles with bumper to bumper coverage and I got it for about 50% of their asking price by negotiating. It is an exclusionary warranty and transferable with a $25 deductible. I would expect the warranty of the Prius to be significantly less expensive.
     
  6. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Since I have never even heard of anyone collecting on an extended warranty, I regard one as a donation to the dealer.
     
  7. MikeDee

    MikeDee Senior Member

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    I think you should get the warranty, but buy it from Troy, who sells a discounted genuine Toyota warranty from a dealership back east. Look on the forum for the thread. I save $$ over what the local dealership wanted.
     
  8. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    I can't add anything to what everyone else has already said. Just to agree with them.

    Take the money you didn't spend on the extended warranty and squirrel it away in a savings account. Add to it every month or quarter. Either you will use the money to fix something or by the time you decide you want a new car you will have a sizable down-payment. I'm guessing by the time you decide you're ready to trade in the 2010 Prius, it'll be 2020. I have 9 years with my 2004 and still love it every day.

    Welcome to the club!
     
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Even then it's not a mistake, just a calculated gamble.

    Insurance makes sense when the worst case scenario is a cost that would be catastrophic to your finances. But if it would just mean having to dig a bit to cover a repair, better to gamble. Oh and try to find the insurer when you need them, they'll likely be trotting out the exclusions list. The guys offering the insurance are in it to make money...
     
    Feri likes this.
  10. Fore

    Fore Don't look back!

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    Ahhh, from my understanding you can't buy an official Toyota extended warranty when it's already past 35,000 miles. If it's a universal warranty from some other place or dealer Toyota may not honor it. This is what I've heard, not saying it's the gospel!
     
  11. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    If it was "Toyota" Warranty I would say buy it, but at Troy's price. But as pointed out it is over mileage, so third party is what you would be passing on. Walk away and worry about something else that needs your $1700.
     
  12. JGI

    JGI Member

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    I have a 2003 Corolla S that I bought extended warranty for until IIRC 125K miles. The normal warranty runs through 60K miles. At about 65K miles, the transmission went out. Had the car towed to Toyota and the repair quote was almost 4K! I did not pay a single penny and they took care of the repairs. Based on that experience, I didn't hesitate to buy an ext warranty on the Prius. I know basic car repairs, but the Prius is basically a computer with wheels and I aint touching that! JMO/JME.