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Warranty extensions

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by firedog73, Sep 1, 2011.

  1. firedog73

    firedog73 Junior Member

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    The warranty on my 2008 Prius has expired & I am looking to find an extended warranty at a reasonable price. I realize that some items are still covered up to 100,000 miles/ 8 years but many items are not covered. Given some of the problems we are having with my wife's 200 Prius, (" Bad JU JU" post last year) 3 x's in the shop for a total of at least 6 weeks & still not able to diagnose the problem (lemon law time??), I feel that we should get some extended coverage for my 2008.
    I have a letter from a company called U S Auto Protection but they give little info via snail mail, have to go on line but info there is very general. Before I sign up for anything general. I need to see something in writing.
    So if you have any suggestions as to the better warranty brokers & their reliability let me know.









    sB
     
    #1 firedog73, Sep 1, 2011
  2. firepa63

    firepa63 Former Prius Owner

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    Given the complexity of a Prius, the only extended warranty that will cover the expensive hybrid components is from Toyota. However, I believe that must be purchased while the car is still under the 3yr/36mo warranty period.
     
    #2 firepa63, Sep 1, 2011
  3. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Firedog, you no longer qualify for the Toyota warranty & if you can't easily find what the 3rd party plans cover then you'll be SOL if you need to use them.

    I searched for "Bad JU JU" finding this thread & one that points the finger at poor dealer service for inverter problems (my summation) which aren't going to be covered under any warranty. So what's the problem with your wife's "200 Prius"?
     
    #3 JimN, Sep 1, 2011
  4. firedog73

    firedog73 Junior Member

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    The trouble started @ about 5,000 miles when the car was rear ended & repaired by Toyota, then the car was traded in by the first owner, Toyota examined it and rated it as a "Toyota Certified Used Car" which we bought because of the Toyota certification.
    After we had the car several months the ABS, red triangle & the red car in the MFD came on. The inverter was replaced once, next time the ABS computer was replaced ($1500--covered by Toyota's Certified used car warranty) and the ABS wiring loom was tested for loose connections. Same thing happened again a week and a half after we got it out of the shop. Its been back in the shop for week now & no clue as to whats wrong. The problem is intermittent. A chief Toyota tech is in Memphis to check it out. IMHO, send the "Black Box" to the factory, analyze its read out, maybe that will tell them something useful as the techs seem to be reading the same the repair tree over & over again-it didn't work before, what makes them think that it will this time-"GROUND HOG DAY" all over again.
    Given the electrical problems that the one car has I understand why nobody wants to cover electrical problems--almost impossible to find & expensive to chase something that is intermittent.
     
    #4 firedog73, Sep 2, 2011
  5. firedog73

    firedog73 Junior Member

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    2007 Prius update on christmas tree warning lights: /service mgr: ABS computer are not communicating with main computer, checking wiring for breaks &/or loose connections. To me it looks like the same roadway they took the last time. If they can't get it fixed by next Wednesday, they may declare it a "lemon" & get us another car.
     
    #5 firedog73, Sep 2, 2011
  6. Gurple42

    Gurple42 New Member

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    Another car would be good news, so much for "Toyota Certified Used". Sounds like that phrase is not worth the paper it's printed on:(
     
    #6 Gurple42, Sep 2, 2011
  7. firedog73

    firedog73 Junior Member

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    On the contrary, its a great car when the dash is not lit up like a christmas tree. As for the Certified Warranty, the dealor is picking up the bills; I think it is worth buying Toyota Certified used car from a reputable dealer.
     
    #7 firedog73, Sep 3, 2011
  8. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    This doesn't sound like a Lemon Law case to me as the problem seems to be the result of incomplete repairs from the collision. However, since it passed the CPO program Toyota is stuck for the repair. New car buying guide, avoiding dealer scams, new cars, used car buying & other members have posted that the certified used car programs are just marketing to add $$ to the price of a used car. I agree that it sounds like a wiring and/or connector problem. Hopefully Toyota will just cut their losses & find another car for you.

    I wouldn't worry about an extended warranty for your undamaged Prius but this story is worth keeping in the back of the mind should someone here get rear ended.

    Good luck & keep us posted.
     
    #8 JimN, Sep 3, 2011
  9. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    1. 3rd party extended warranties are a scam
    2. Why in the world would you assume the problems related to a car involved in an accident would happen in a car not so damaged ?
    2a. Your extended warranty provider is going to laugh at any claims they can relate to an accident.

    3. Buying a used Prius that has been 'repaired' is a definite gamble.
     
    #9 SageBrush, Sep 3, 2011
  10. Stormz

    Stormz Member

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    We recently (2 weeks ago) bought a used 2008 Prius here in Perth, Australia.

    I also was looking into extended warranty, mainly for the complexity of the electrical/computer system.

    Our Prius' factory warranty just expired. We are currently on the 3 month statutory warranty (law in Australia).

    Toyota in Australia WILL offer extended manufacturers warranty after the original has expired (through Allianz, an Australian insurer), but it costs a bomb, and is only for 3 years extra.

    Other warranty places will cover you, for slightly less gear than the factory warranty, and are cheaper, and last for longer.

    I still don't know if a warranty is worth anything though. We had one on our Delica and they really do try and get out of everything if you try and make a claim.
     
    #10 Stormz, Sep 3, 2011
  11. firedog73

    firedog73 Junior Member

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    I have always felt that warranties use the first 3 pages telling you what they cover & the next 10 pages telling you, in deep, convoluted legal mumbo jumbo, the exceptions for avoiding payment. However, given the cost of parts & repairs ($1500 for an ABS computer or $2300 for an MFD screen) on a Prius , this post is worth a try to find a reliable broker.
     
    #11 firedog73, Sep 3, 2011
  12. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Save your money. The undamaged Prius doesn't need an extended warranty; for that matter neither does the damaged one (it was Toyota certified so it's Toyota's problem). And in either case a 3rd party that will sell you a warranty now would more than likely be out of business in the case you did ever have a claim.
     
    #12 richard schumacher, Sep 4, 2011
  13. Stormz

    Stormz Member

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    This is what the local Toyota dealership told me about their warranty (which is for 3 years). Allianz is a major insurer in Australia, and one of their sister companies, so they are happy for me to go to either:

    ***************
    As per our discussion I have attatched some information on the Toyota “Dealer Warranty Protection Plus”

    I do still recommend the Allianz warranty in my own personal opinion purely because of the added time and kilometres you receive for the same price, as well as the flexibility you get immediately in terms of your vehicle servicing.



    However if you are more comfortable with the Toyota branded warranty I can offer you a revised price of $1830 for this option. Please note this warranty does cover consumable items as part of the claim (oil, coolant, spark plugs ect.)

    In terms of total components covered the two options available are both relatively even, in fact the Allianz cover is actually slightly better in the fact It will cover your radiator and transmission hoses whereas the Toyota option will not.
    **************
    I suppose it all comes down to:
    - how reliable a 3 year old Prius will be, over the next 3 years.
     
    #13 Stormz, Sep 6, 2011
  14. firedog73

    firedog73 Junior Member

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    Well we got the 2007 Prius back today. The dealer brought in expert techs from out of town; no surprises here---they couldn't fine anything wrong as the car would not alarm for them. Their best guess is that the ABS computer will intermittently stop communicating:mad: with the other computer--IMO, there has to be a reason why its not working, they just only know what another computer tells them to do. When pressed as to what our next step should be, arbitration with TOYOTA was the only thing left for us to do. We will try it but I think we will be tilting at windmills.
    I'm getting pretty antsy about my 2008. Will mine do the same thing @ about 60,000 miles?????? Is now the time to trade it off while its still problem free??
     
    #14 firedog73, Sep 8, 2011
  15. EffinRed

    EffinRed Junior Member

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    I feel for you man, that really sucks but it's posts like this that make the 100,000 mile B-to-B extended warranty totally worth it
     
    #15 EffinRed, Sep 8, 2011
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