I'd love input on the:

BMW extended warranty - take from 36 to 48 months (50,000 mi) for $643. Includes brakes/rotors which he claims I'll need that 4th year.

Tire/wheel guarantee - covers rims, tires. I'll have the 17" run flats. 5 years = $795

I figure lo/jack at $895 is overpriced vs a local guy...thinking car alarm since that'd have kill switch. I park in safe areas anyway.

Thanks for your input! Eric

 

For warranty .... see http://www.carnutgarage.com/warranty/Warranty_3.html In general, its a ripoff.

For alarms, you already got a kill switch. As far as I can tell, on all MINI forums I've asked, there is not ONE documented case of a MINI being stolen without someone leaving the key in the car!

 

for 800 you could buy 2 sets of backup s-lites with tires as takeoffs.... don't do it. I'd spend that money to buy a second set of wheels for summer or track use.

 

I extended the 3/36 FSM warranty on my 05 S to 4/50 when I purchased it but it was only $495 then. I say this is OK, esp. if U plan to get to 50K in 4 years, not if U don't plan to put many miles on the car (less that 10k/year.) remember this amount is not taxed because it's a service.....

The other two are PURE rip-offs: tire and wheel warranty? GMAB If you have Discount Tire stores in your area you should be able to purchase full road hazard and replacement warranties for the run-flats for about $23/tire, including free rotations. Call first or ask your MA.

As far as Lo-Jack goes, well, you're getting 'jacked if you fall for that. JB

 

Let me just relate a short story in regard to the extended 50K-100K warranty. I purchased an 03 MCS with 67K miles and the 100K mile warranty. Then decided to trade it in on an 05 MCSc thinking I should get a good price since it still had warranty...not. The MA said the warranty really wasn't worth anything. I was also told to read the fine print. Parts that are under warranty have to break, not just wear out. What? Luckily, I was also told I could get a rebate on the unused part of the warranty which I did and then sold the car outright.

Now the warranty that extends the service is another matter. Just think about what may have to be replaced within the first 36 months vs during the extended period. Add up the costs of what you think might have to be addressed during the extended period vs the price of the warranty. For goodness sakes, learning to service your MINI...it can be fun

 

I found the tire and wheel warranty to be well worth the money. I purchsed tire and wheel insurance on my '05mcs - 4 years unlimited mileage $2000 max payout - for $400. One pothole took out two tires two rims replacement - cost $1000+ so I am already $600 ahead. Still have enough coverage to take care of two more tires and rims.

Some things I learned: Yes I could have bought other wheels or take-offs - couldn't wait that long. Finance guy walked away with $200 commission on sale of insurance - next time I 'm going to say "I'll take tire insurance if you split the commission with me" - better than no commission at all. You are also locked in to replacing with only the wheels and tires that are on the car at the time the insurance is purchased - so no tire or wheel upgrades for the duration of the policy. As to what was said above about road hazard insurance from Tire Rack - logic dictates that the price mentioned would only be for wheels and tires purchased from Tire Rack. Other Tire and wheel insurance is probably available from outside the dealership - but If you buy from the dealership - they have a vested interest in making your experience as painless as possible and getting you back on the road ASAP - which to me is the most important

 

Met a guy who took his car to get car worked on. Car worked on and moved to area to be washed and detailed as courtesy.

While car doors open, keys in ignition, two bank robbers just happened to take a short cut through area after robbing nearby bank.

You guessed it... They jumped in to car and drove off before anyone could do anything.

Car owner found out that car -- he had bought it used -- had LoJack installed. Police located car across bay with minor damage. Bank robbers I guess are easy on cars...

Even knowing the above happened, I've not bought LoJack. But you never know what's going to happen.

Sincerely,

RockC.

 

According to the 06 brochure I have as well as what my MA told me the standard warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles. So I don't know why you would pay $643 extra for the standard warranty.

 

absolutely... the warrantee covers the car for 4/50. the only benefit of that 643 would be the maintenance... which I assure you can be gotten cheaper as anything maintenance related would be needed (brake pads, wipers, oil, brake fluid... I dunno if anything else is covered and if you add it up you can tell it's a ripoff.

 

The finance guy (who gets a nice commission) was proclaiming that a nail could ruin a run-flat and that they usually can't be repaired? That would be worrisome.

Saw this - claimed repairs ok unless overheated from extended driving:

Repairs
Whether a run-flat tire can be repaired depends on who made the tire. Firestone does not allow any repairs, so far. Any punctured or otherwise damaged Firestone or Bridgestone run-flat tire must be replaced, and the damaged tire sent directly to Firestone. Firestone prefers to directly evaluate the damage that can be incurred to run-flat tires.

Punctures in the tire crown on current Goodyear run-flat tires can be repaired using a combination plug and patch (see Figure 3). These can only be installed from the inside, which requires demounting the tire. The patch repairs the liner of the tire and the plug fills the hole. Plugging the hole is important because moisture can migrate into the cords of the tire if left exposed.














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