As a previous Finance Manager, you have to understand that Extended Warranties and Maintenance Plans are additional products. There is MARKUP.. obviously it's not free but should not cost more than if you were to do the services yourself. You are paying for the convenience. I just bought a Mini Cooper S 2012 for my wife and we bought the Extended Warranty for 5/100K $2195 and 6/100K Maintenance for $1695.

I figured that my wife's previous mini had some issues with AC and engine issues. Since she drives a lot figured we should just protect it and if sh*t hits the fan and things break we don't have to incur additional charges. A Brake job in a mini costs approximately $1400 at the dealership so 1 brake job after the 4/50K would pay for the maintenance plan alone. She went through 2 sets of brakes and rotors in her last mini.
We also added the Wheel and Tire protection plan for $995 because they claim that if you hit pot holes the wheel and tires are all protected, they also claim that they will do alignment if the pothole was the cause of misalignment. I have not used it yet so we'll see if holds up to what they claim. We live in the city and potholes are unavoidable. I told my wife that she should drive the sh*t out of this mini and if we get close to needing new tires just hit a few potholes.... to get free replacements.

Overall I do feel it's a decent value to cover the uncertainties of the vehicles these days. There are so many issues with cars and it's not so simple to diagnose any more.

I'm no longer in the Auto industry so I'm not trying to sell anything.. I just know that i wanted peace of mind for my wife when she drove this and we weren't going to have unexpected bills later on.


Someone also asked if you could get a refund on warranty's and the answer is "YES" Warranties are and insurance product and loosely regulated by the state. If you end a contract (original place of purchase) you are entitled to a refund, minus fees for administrative costs. Some Finance and Insurance (F&I) guys don't do this often because it's a lot of paperwork but if they are honest people they should process this for you. Note: it will take a couple of weeks to get any refund.

Hope this helps.

 

Somebody mentioned reseting the maintenance reminder. I don't think this will effect the warrantee. Here are several vids on how to do ithttp://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Mini+Cooper+Reset+Service+Ind icator+Procedure&oq=Mini+Cooper+Reset+Service+Indi cator+Procedure&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1285 9l12859l0l13297l1l1l0l0l0l0l369l369l3-1l1l0
this is a good one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Zt5UywVR0
I was quoted almost 2K to extend my warrantee from Mini SF and after reading the first and last few pages here, it seems like a bad idea.

I think with the info you can get from the videos above, you can see what you need, reset and go to your own mechanic without the need of any engine reader.
Is this correct?

 

My 2008 MCS comes out from under her warranty in May. She has a little more than 34k in miles, and since I bought her in February, I've had the dealer doing lots of little things, and a couple of not so little. The timing chain/tensioner, the auxiliary water pump have all been addressed. She runs like a top.
The dealer will only offer me 4years extended service, not the 5 advertised inthe brochure, and they want 2370.00 for it. This does not seem to be a good deal. Your comments are appreciated.

 

Can't offer an opinion on the extended maintenance. But the Mini XL extended warranty has been a godsend. The dealers in northern metro areas honor it without question (East Bay, Niello, Concord). A great deal can go wrong with an 2008 MCS engine and it will.

 

my extended maint. contract dated 3/31/2012 specifically lists clutch as covered on my r60 s all4

also, it states that with the extended maint, the roadside assistance is also extended to 6 years and unlimited miles, a nice little "bonus" i was unaware of

scott

 

I would definitely buy some sort of warranty if you plan on keeping your car but call around to different dealerships everywhere. It doesn't matter if they are not in the same state because it's covered by mini. Because you don't drive much I would look at 7 year 75k warranty.

If you pay closer to $2000 is a good price for 7y 100k.

 

I would NOT advise you pay that price. That is astronomically expensive.

I purchased the Extended Maintenance Plan (Which only covers maintenance; not to be confused with a warranty, or "Service", extension) for nearly HALF what your were quoted. I paid $1200 about two years ago at Long Beach MINI to extend my 2007 R56's maintenance. I called around to MANY dealers (which I suggest. Quotes range dramatically. Bid the dealerships against each other).

 

I'm sorry but I don't think you understand the difference between service plan and maintenance plan. Maintenance basically oil changes, tire rotations and other service items. Service plan covers defects like engine failure or timing belt. Service plans will protect from higher priced expenses and usually worth the money if you use the plan once. My wife's 07 MC had a timing belt replaced and if we didn't have the coverage it would have cost $2500 to fix.

It's basically like health insurance. You don't want to pay for it but you'll be glad you had it if something was to go wrong.

 

Hi HiMac,

Thanks for clarifying. I do understand the difference... you caught my slip in replying to Brian! I was referring to the Extended Maintenance Plan (Just as I have before, contributing to this same trusty thread) which does indeed cover "basically oil changes and other service items".

Of course, since Brian is posting in the Extended Maintenance Program - 6 year 100k miles Contract Terms thread, I thought that was what he was referring to and made the common slip of intermixing the terms. I'll edit my original reply to avoid confusion.

Seems Brian is asking a question for another thread, and goes to prove once again the confusion of the "Maintenance" and "Service" titles for these two unique options.

To Brian - Sorry for any confusion!! I can only speak the the extended Maintenance, which I've thoroughly enjoyed considering the cost of simple maintenance on my little '07. Once it's up (I'm at 76K miles now), I'll be breaking out the books, YouTube videos, and of course this incredible community, to take care of these maintenance items in my own garage . Happy Motoring!!

 

I apologize if this has been implicitly answered here already, but I just took ownership of my new Coupe, and absolutely love it. I believe the Sales Advisor did a great job and have no qualms with him. However, my ignorance on the dealer cost and suggested retail price of the 6 year/100,000 mile maintenance cost me greatly...$2295. Do I have recourse to cancel this plan? I've had the car for one week, but it is currently at the dealer getting the dealer-responsible accessories installed, and I will return there tomorrow afternoon or Tuesday to pick her up. I am as miffed at myself as I am at the Sales Manager...

 

CONGRATS on the new Coupe! If you check out HiMac's post above, I believe the answer is yes. It wouldn't hurt ask either way. Hope it all works out!

 

I keep reading about what you guys are paying for brake jobs at the dealer and it's insane. I think my first brake job was about $600 from an independent with new rotors and better pads. After that instarted doing it my self because it's so easy. Save your money and skip the extended service contracts. On my 2012 JCW that is ordered I will not, and I will keep the car well out of warrant as I did with my 2003.

 

I'm not a MINI owner, but I'm shopping for a new daily driver.

I've got to tell you, reading this post has scared the crap out of me. The prices of MINI repairs are high, I'd always heard that.

But it bothers me that they want to sell you an extended warranty that doesn't cover things that break for years 4-6, and an extended maintenance plan for $2,000 or so, that covers brakes and a couple of oil changes. I only drive 10k miles a year, so I'd get maybe three oil changes and a brake job for $2,000?!

Sounds like a scam.

 

I opted for the extended maintenance plan... 100k / 72 month for $1500. I'm a high millage driver so I’ll take full advantage of the whole package. There are no garages in the area that specialize in MINI for cheaper service so for me this is the best option. Also I was told MINI warranties parts and services for 2 years. So this combined made it a no brainer.

 

I would be very interested in purchasing the extended maintenance package if I could get it for that $1,500 price (or even less!). Please post the name of the dealerships (and any contact people, if possible) that are offering good prices on it. Thanks so much.

 

hey guys, after reading this it doesn't scare me a bit after owning an 09' r56 auto for about 2 weeks,

after a week of driving the car, the "brake" light and service went on at around 20800 miles, thinking it was completely covered by mini so i made an appointment with southbay and brought it in today.

unfortunetley my maintenance warranty was expired on april 2012, they wanted 1995 out the door for an extended warranty with 3 years/100k miles but my powertrain is still under until next april. im very upset at the fact that the original owner did not mention this ( still trying to find him as we speak ) and the fact that mini is quoting me 425 for pads only on the front... 1995 is alot of money for an extend warranty, what do you guys think i should do? i personally cannot tell how bad i need to replace my pads but i don't want to drive rubbing metal to metal.

sux! today is just not my day. any comment will help.

thanks,

-MS

 

are you confusing the extended maintenance with the extended warranty?

Please re-read the thread starting on page 1.

 

It is very easy to confuse the extended maintenance plan with the extended warranty, or even to think there both programs are combined into one "warranty."

 

Sometimes I wish my dealership was around everywhere for you guys. I mean that is real crap how some treat you and don't care for your car truly. I love everyone that works here at Motor City MINI. Never had a complaint or anything but I am still not going to extend my warranty. I will just take it to my MINI specialist Chad from Detroit Tuned. I believe the prices are right and my car is very well maintained anyway. Good luck to everyone else's choices on the warranty.

 

Bought a used 2007 MC with the 6 yr/100k warranty/service coverage. Last week my oil temp light came on as I sat in traffic. I pulled off the highway and it died at the next light.

A month earlier I was getting sporadic oil and service warnings that never stayed on or showed up consistently. Turns out it was 3-1/2 qts low on oil. My Cooper was consuming it rather quickly, apparently. They topped it off and said all was well.

Turns out I'm getting a new motor! THAT is worth the cost of the extended coverage ... or it would've been ... if I'd paid it! :-) (the previous owner did!) So far they aren't being terribly specific about what the problem was.

 

Sorry to bump an old topic but noticed this never got answered.

The Clutch replacement under Extended Maint works exactly like this. You bring in the car because of clutch issues. You agree to cover the cost of 15 hours of labor to take the clutch off if there is NO replacement done under maint.

here is why

The clutch measurements for replacement are very detailed. You must be within X measurement to warrant a replacement under the extended maint plan. This and a full brake job or even multiple make it worth it , if you can get it for a good deal.

I am getting ready to trade in my 2007 MCS and had it under Extended Maint till 100k. I went through 6 sets of pads and 4 full sets of rotors, all replaced under Maint! Thats worth it.

if you baby the brakes or the clutch, think about saving the money for repairs as they come up.

I am getting my second mini soon , and debating the extended service if i can find it cheap enough but will do the extended Maint again for sure.

 

This is 100% worth the buy. I am the proud second owner of a R56 JCW, and the original owner purchased the extended maint. Brought the vehicle in for the aux waterpump replacement last week and Mini replaced the following for my $50 deductible:

Timing chain
Timing guides
Spark plugs
Air filter
Front pads and rotors
Rear pads and rotors
Oil change
Tire rotation
ECU update
Front & rear wipers

Timing chain alone is an 11 hour job plus parts......
I wish I knew the original owner of my car, as they would get a HUGE hug and possible kiss on the cheek.

 

Any recent pricing from anyone who has purchased this? We would like the extended maintenance on my wife's All4, and we'll need to pull the trigger on that sooner rather than later. Thanks!

 

Was that done under extended maint or extended warranty?

 

Extended Maint.