Just Picked Up 08! Extended Warrenty?

Doesn't matter. The length of the warranty will be the same either way. In general it doesn't make financial sense to buy an extended warranty for a reliable car, as you're basically gambling that your car will need an expensive repair when the model history suggests that such occurances are rare.

 

Hi & welcome Veer,

You have until whichever comes first of the 36,000 miles or 3 years from your In-Service Date [in the dealer's or Toyota's records (not necessarily the date you picked up your car)] to pick up that warranty (& make sure it's the Toyota Financial Platinum warranty & NOT a 3rd party aftermarket warranty).

You can wait until then & watch what is happening to the '06, '07, & other 2008's like yours. If their owners are having any issues outside of the standard factory warranty, then you might want to consider it [especially if the HID headlights are still an issue (outside of the std 3 yrs)---there is some coverage there with the extended warranty for the controlers, but not the expensive bulbs]. If you have to start a case # with Toyota for this issue, they may reimburse you some $'s for the bulbs. Others have received reimbursement assistance.

I got my 7 yr/100,000 mile/$0 deductible Toyota Financial platinum warranty from Troy for only $990. With the extra mileage (now at 53,000+) I put on my 2005 Prius (July 14,2005 In-Service date) rather than on our minivan, I probably should have taken the 6 yr/100,000 mile/$0 Toyota warranty for only $685 (somebody please correct me if I remembered this price wrong).

I probably should have waited to judge how the mileage was accumulat'g (because I will probably reach 100,000 miles by the 5-year mark) & bought the shorter time limit(but with still the same 100,000 miles) & saved some more money, but I was in Troy's neighborhood anyway & he had to verify that I hadn't gone over the factory warranty's 36,000 miles (he easily looked up the In-Service date on Toyota's computer records). Troy also does the warranties by phone & mail (& probably even e-mail), but I don't know how the mileage verification works in those instances.

The only benefit(s) I know about to getting the extended warranty right away is you get Toyota's free 24-hr roadside assistance (like AAA or other auto clubs) which was free in '04/'05 with the standard 3-yr factory warranty but not available without the extended warraty since the 2006 model year. The other benefit I'm think'g of is the free loaner car if your car must be kept for overnight or longer for repairs. I think that benefit also used to be part of the 3-yr factory warranty before 2006, but I'm not sure if it is since then without the extended warranty. And the last reason for maybe buying it sooner is there might be a price increase based on the number of prior claims. I paid $990 in 2006 for mine, but in 2005 it was $980 or $985 (yeah, only $5 or $10 difference then, but I don't know how much it actually is now or will be in 3 years or less, when you may buy yours).

Enjoy your car in the meantime & read the owner's manual, never ask for a "xx,000 mile service" (only what is required in your "Passport" Maintenance Guide, so you won't get ripped off paying for generic service proceedures that don't need to or can't even be done on a Prius), & check in frequently here & also over at PriusOnLine.com too.

Ken (in Bolton,Ct)