1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
 | [Main 95 Bulletin Board | BBFAQ |
Prev by Date | Next by Date | Post Followup ]
Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
Re: Should I buy an extended warranty for my new 2001 9-5? Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Tue, 4 Jan 2005 12:32:00
In Reply to: Should I buy an extended warranty for my new 2001 9-5?, Mike B, Tue, 4 Jan 2005 10:55:04 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
A few things-
Talk to the place you intend on getting most of your work done. Ask if they have dealt with the Warranty company, or heck, even if they accept it. They'll be the ones who know how hard they are to deal with.
Is the warranty for an additional 4 years and an additional 75K miles? Namely, you'd be good out to 120K miles? Or does it expire at 75K on the clock. If it's the latter, you've got 30K miles, and the number of years doesn't matter, unless you drive 7500 miles a year (most folks do 15K).
This is not meant to scare you, but you state that the car has been in every 10K miles for service. Does that mean that the oil changes were done at 10K intervals? An unfortunately common problem showing up nowdays is oil sludging. This is true of all cars, not only Saabs but Hondas and Toyotas. Infrequent oil changes allow the oil to sludge up, and the result is a clogged oil pick-up, sudden loss of oil pressure, and catastrophic engine damage.
If the car has had oil changes at 10K intervals, and the warrantee covers oil-related problems, I would strongly consider the warrantee. Again, not meant to scare, but to inform.
As to extended warrantees, like any insurance, it's cost control. Assume that the warrantee is good and covers what it should, and that the company covers what it says it will - if it doesn't, you don't want it. You're trading unknown costs (big, expensive repairs) for a fixed cost - $1,300. You're betting the car will break - they're betting it won't. You buy fire insurance for your house not because you expext it to burn down; but if it does, it's a pretty nasty downside. So you control your downside cost by buying insurance.
In the long run of many, many cars, the warrantee company comes out ahead. You want them to - if they underpriced their coverage, they'll go out of business, and leave you with no coverage. However, you don't own many, many cars - you've got this one.
So unless you know a certain car is trouble, an extended warrantee won't pay. SOmetimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. If you are in a position where the (somewhat remote) chance of a major repair - blown engine, bad tranny, shot A/C compressor could mean a bill you can't swing, then get the coverage. However, if you've got a decent cash-flow, set the $1,300 aside, and maintain the whee out of the car. Well, maintain the whee out of the car either way.
posted by 192.249....
, Tue, 4 Jan 2005 12:32:00 <-- Viewing This Message
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
