Mazda Extended Warranties

[unwrittenLaw]

My '08 CX-9 GT bumper to bumper warranty just ended...and of course now issues are starting to happen. We plan on keeping the car for a while, so I was looking for advice on extended warranties. I was looking at the Stated Care plan from Mazda:

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=shopWarrantyMEPP#2

Anyone have experience using Mazda's extended warranties? Is it a safe assumption to stay away from any 3rd party extended warranties, and only use the manufacturer (Mazda) offered one? Do dealerships have their own extended warranties different or better than Mazda's?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[unwrittenLaw]

I forgot about searching, duh....found some relevant threads. Still curious if anyone has experience with extended warranties and CX-9s, if anyone would like to share.

Thanks.

 

[ceric]

Well, it is a bit late.
You should have bought the ext warranty BEFORE the OE warranty expires,
if you really want to have it. After it expires, the cost goes up significantly.

 

[kornholio]

What is it that is starting to go wrong with your vehicle? I would like to know. I am at 43k miles on my 2007 and need to look out for potential problems myself.

 

[sts7049]

my opinion is they're not worth the money. we have cx9, not a jaguar, mazdas overall are pretty reliable cars. just take the money you would spend on an extended warranty and put that into savings as a repair fund.

 

[sjg]

The price does go up after the standard warranty ends. But it also goes up at 20K miles. If you think there will be problems and you want the piece of mind, the MEPP might be worth it. It's worth noting that even the MEPP is operated by a 3rd party. They have a relationship with Mazda but you won't be dealing with Mazda.

 

[jk240sx]

I never buy extended warranties. I'm an insurance agent and used to sell them. Sjg is right, your dealing with a third party, in this case MEPP uses Automobile Protection Corporation, APCO. Same company Ford uses calling it Easy Care. That being said, they are one of the better warranty companies out there. They are backed up and insured by Zurich, a company I know well and have the utmost respect for.

Since you are now out of the factory warranty period, the price will go up substantially. Also bear in mind, that since there has been a gap in coverage you will need to get the car inspected and they will not cover any pre-existing conditions they find. And each covered repair is subject to the deductible you choose.

from their website:
Used — with fewer than 80,000 miles and not more than 10 model years old. If you have 30 days and 1000 miles of manufacturer warranty coverage remaining, you may be eligible to purchase coverage without an inspection. If not, your vehicle must pass inspection at a licensed repair facility. EasyCare Customer Care can provide you with an inspection form to be completed by the repair facility.
Also from their website:
Contracts do not cover pre-existing conditions

I suggest you go to the website, http://www.easycare.com/ , get a quote and see if it's worth it to you. Don't go to the dealer because he will charge you more for the exact same product.

My opinion is that it's like insuring your grocery bill. Cars wear out and they break, just another expense. Take the money you would spent on the warranty and deductibles and put it in an account in case something happens. You will come out ahead in the long run.

After all, these are pretty simple vehicles electronically when compared to VW, MB or BMW. I would buy an extended warranty for any of these since the electronics are overly complicated and expensive to repair.

 

[ceric]

This has been discussed in many forums.
Statistically, of course, you lose money buying ext warranty. That is how they make money.
Buying ext warranty is basically financial planning. If you don't like and can't withstand an unexpected
hit of large bill (says $2000), then, ext warranty is right for you.
To others who have some savings in the bank, the chance of you winning this bet is very high.

I once paid $2450 for my BMW 540iA's ext warranty (7yr 100K). I love that vehicle but it was
very unreliable. I lost count of problems at 20. Even that, I only broke even at the end of ext warranty.
That is because ext warranty does not cover everything. If I had to estimate, it is about 50% paid by them.

And, for my wife's Prius... because it was new tech and there are many big price items on that car, I
bought ext warranty for ... are you ready? ... $680 for 7yr/80K. ($980 for 7yr/100K).
Now, the ext warranty has expired. Toyota has paid $0 for my wife's Prius. It is bullet-proof (well,
after three recalls, that is).

 

[55V8]

Yep, statistics don't lie -- at least in my case. I bought one for my 2006 Rav4 for $2K, which also included oil changes, tire rotations and basic services throughout the 5 yr extended warranty. Even if I factor in the cost of maintenance that was covered on top of my claims (just had one leak and a faulty O2 sensor), it would only amount to around $1.5K. Warranty is now expired, so I lost around $500 plus some potential interest if I have just saved the money in a bank instead.

Since then, I have acquired two more vehicles, both used -- a 2008 CX-9 GT AWD and a 2005 MB C55 AMG (wanted a fast and fun weekend car without breaking the bank). I didn't purchase an extended warranty for both -- yes even for the MB. What I did was a lot of research on the vehicle's reliability and common issues. You'll be surprised how reliable the C55 AMG is compared to other MBs. Plus, I also did a pre-purchase inspection at their respective dealerships before deciding to pulling the trigger on them (now this is $100 well worth it), just to make sure they have no costly repairs needing to be performed. So far I'm winning on my gamble.

I had no experience with Mazda prior to my CX-9, but since I researched on it a lot, I was already prepared for the infamous AC blower relay and some potential minor leaks. Around $300 later, all of those issues have been fixed and I would say my CX-9 is now in CPO condition. Hopefully, it will just be oil changes and brake pads for the next few years.