i'll try to be brief but, probably won't be so... thanks for your patience in advance .

i am the second owner of a 2003 MINI R50 CVT. it is in good shape and has 37k on the odometer. runs well etc, had an issue with the drivers door lock and i had danny over at minicorsa fix that (great guy), he also did my inspection 1 service a couple weeks ago and is doing my brakes and installing a new (aftermarket) exhaust next weekend. all in all excellent shape except for the standard maintenance things- which is probably why the previous owners traded it in or sold it. as we know the little things on the MINI can be pretty pricey. even at really discounted prices at an independent MINI mechanic it still isn't cheap. FWIW i bought it "as is" from an independent lot after inspecting it and going over the car pretty well.

i've been involved here on NAM since right before i bought my MINI and even though i feel the car is great and i love it, reading negative things have gotten me totally paranoid. Mainly pertaining to the CVT almost to the point where it is sometimes hard to enjoy my motoring experience as i am constantly "listening" or "feeling" while driving as if i'm expecting the tranny to blow at any time. ok thats my OCD issue. hopefully someone with a high mileage CVT can tell me how great the car has been and still is.

so that leads me (finally) to my point. extended warranties (3rd party- ie - warranty direct) in california and my shock to learn that i "couldn't" purchase an extended warranty here unless it was from the dealer. i'm from texas and have only lived here for 2 years. so i had NO Idea that purchasing an extended warranty to ease my fears of high price breakdowns would be an issue in california. i've also read that a california can't purchase an extended warranty online. does this mean i can buy one in person? i'm a little confused...

my questions are these:

if my MINI is out of warranty- and it is, the warranty expired in october of 07- will a mini dealer sell me an extended warranty? i thought i had heard before 60,000 miles? maybe i'm dreaming...

does anyone know the specific california laws about purchasing an extended warranty? can you in fact buy one from somewhere around socal in person but, you cannot buy one online?

technically i am STILL a resident of texas and a california resident. it seems this is a loophole in the warranty companies guidelines (dual residence) that i may get around. if you go to warranty direct's site and look for service centers and type in area code 323, there are hundreds of authorized service centers in L.A. that accept payment from warranty direct. so i can use an out of state warranty to totally cover all repair costs here (minus deductible) but, i can't buy the service here...

morally, IF I HAVE TO and if i can work it i will and have no regrets (other than a possible hassle to gather whatever documentation) taking the dual resident route. i do love the MINI (have wanted a mini/MINI for over 30 years) but, morally speaking if a CVT goes at 50,000 miles and costs $7000 to replace, IMHO that's sort of immoral on the part of the manfacturer/dealer. well, maybe not immoral but, totally ludicrous.

does anyone know of a MINI dealer that does accept warranty direct, if i can wiggle through the loophole? i ned to call them to see if i have the correct proof of TX residence.

anyhow, those are my questions. sorry for the long post. i'm just confused with some of the crazy california standards. and i also would rather not work some loophole to protect my "investment" if in fact i can get a MINI dealer or another california company to offer a warranty. unless of course warranty directs service excels that of MINI, etc...

thanks in advance.

 

so nobody knows? well, i talked to universal where the car was originally purchased. as usual they were jerks and told me to call alexander MINI. guess i will tomorrow.

 

I wish I could help answer your questions, but my extended warranty was purchased when I picked up the car. I don't remember how much it cost off the top of my head but I can check my paperwork when I get home. This was done through South Bay MINI btw..

 

Okay so I can't find it right now.. d'oh!

But I called my mom (who has copies of all my important stuff) and she said it was $2500 and it's good for 7yrs or 100k miles.

 

thanks very much.

actually, i talked to sally over at alexander MINI today. very nice lady in the warrany deptartment. this may be good info for anyone who has purchased a second hand MINI from an outside source (independent used car lot, individual, etc. like i did). alexander MINI will sell you an extended warranty! it is a 3rd party warranty through millenium. 49k or 4 years complete coverage (excluding the normal- brake pads and maintenance), for $2516. apparantly the same company you would be getting your extended warranty from if you purchased it the day you bought from an actual MINI dealer. bmw doesn't offer an extended past the factory warranty.

most importantly it DOES cover the biggies- tranny, engine and such. not sure if there is a mileage limit to qualify as i didn't ask, althouhg i would imagine it would be around 50k. but, my MINI has 37k on the odometer and i'm fine. sooo now i need to gather up $2500 but, it is good news. $2500 for a little peace of mind vs. $7000 if the CVT tranny dies.

hope anyone else looking into this will find this helpful!

 

So do they charge tax on top of the $2500? I have heard you can purchase extended warranty from out-of-state dealers and therefore there is no tax. Ppl who have done this please feel free to chime in.

 

thats a good question. i asked her for a total price and ***(umed), it included tax. i will note that she emailed me a brochure which included all the plans. she quoted me the platinum plan price BUT, the gold plan includes EVERYTHING that is included in the platinum. the difference with the platinum plan is that you get free towing, rental car and trip reimbursement. i have AAA so i do not need this and i am going to call her and get the gold price. will post back my findings.

PS- you may be able to purchase the extended warranty and not pay tax. very good idea. i will explore that as i cannot cough up $2500 until feb 15th- just got married, bought the MINI etc. and it crushed us financially for a few months. so i will explore that as i get closer to mid-feb. one other thing, the loophole i spoke of in my first post will work with a catch: your car must NOT be registered in cali. my car is, so that dashed it for me... and i guess it would anyone as i would imagine in order to drive the car here you would eventually have to register it in california. unless you were truly a dual resident.

 

couple quick updates nothing major yet but, some leads.

1- i contacted prestige MINI (new jersey?) hoping to hear back from them tomorrow. NAM vendor so possible NAM discount- no tax. we'll see.

2- another interesting find. is an extended warranty through chrysler. yes chrysler. now, i believe i am JUST out of range of qualifying by 3 MONTHS (when the factory warranty expired on my MINI). i'm hoping i'm wrong but, i may not be the site is confusing as far as qualifications but, if i am truly out of warranty by a mere 3 months that'll really suck.

here's the thing about the chrysler warranty. it's CHEAP. from what i can garner you can get your whole drivetrain and engine warranty extended with a $50 deductible for around $600 and up depending on the "convenience" features (rental, tow, yada, yada) you want! i was looking at the 4/48k plans. even better there is 0% financing for 12 months on the warranty! so we're looking at like $60 down and $40 a month for 11 more months. the repairs for the MINI (or whatever vehicle) are not done by chrysler but by the actual MINI dealer or shop. so you're getting real MINI parts by a real MINI service location.

my wife has an 03 pt cruiser and has this extended warranty from the same comapny bought from the chrysler and so far it has been great.

so there is a little more news there to look at. i'm not done yet and will keep on searching as i get closer to mid FEB and my estimated warranty purchase.

if you're still within the 48k mark (or 4 years) the chrysler warranty is good to go. and i'm sure they will call me tomorrow and i'll find out if i can qualify- crossing fingers. hoping this info will help out fellow socal MINI owners. $600-$700 or so is a great deal for peace of mind IMHO.

if anyone has any more info please post. not everyone in socal has the means NOR the desire to swap out for a new vehicle every 3-4 years.

link:http://chryslerservicecontracts.com/

 

another update. the prices do include tax. so: the gold warranty is 3/36k $2100 or 4/48k $2400. platinum is 4/48k at $2516- which includes towing etc. these seem to be the best deals or rather the only deals i can get here in california. i'm going for the gold in a couple weeks and am deciding between the 3 or 4 year warranty thinking however i will go for the 4 as it will cover the MINI up through 85k miles. not a huge difference in price between the gold and platinum so if you do not have AAA i would go with the patinum.

 

final update. this is mainly for people who have new cars still under warranty. some california insurance agents are allowed to sell an MBI (mech breakdown insurance) it's a whole lot cheaper than the dealers extended warranty. and from what i've learned it's pretty good. usually can be paid in an installment. prices i've seen are around $600. and covers a good chunk of problem areas if not all. mercury insurance i know for sure carries it. now you can purchase this if you just bought a used car but, you must do so within 10 days of purchase.

it can be purchased through some credit unions for used cars past the 10 days and right now i'm looking at some credit unions and getting the info. as for now, i guess i'm going with alexander as no other MINI dealership in los angeles bothers to return a call. but, if i can find a credit union which will cover me, i will pay a minimal fee to open a savings account and get an MBI.

anyhow, sorry for all the long winded posts but, there are some options out there.

 

whoops spoke too soon on the final update thing. almost there. i've learned a bunch more info. listen i hope someone else finds this info valuable. i KNOW i'm not the only one here in SoCal who just doesn't believe in frivolously swapping out vehicles every couple of years and eating an endless car payment cycle until death. i know some of us LOVE our cars and want to preserve them as long as possible. maybe i am though considering all the foreclosure signs in my neighborhood :(.

i know there has to be others here that want to get warranty extension and just can't figure it all out. internet research has proven to be effective but also leads to a bunch of dead end roads. i have invested a BUNCH of hours exploring california's bizaare "consumer protection" laws, learning what you can and cannot do and how you can find out if a company offering you an extension is legit or not. been on the phone with countless insurance and warranty companies and i think finally have figured it out. think...

california dept of insurance- if you find a warranty of MBI you can go here http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0100-con...y-profiles.cfm and click the little link and type in the insurance service company name it will tell you if it licensed and state approved to provide you coverage. keep in mind some of these places have many other divisions and names- that's not a bad thing in MOST cases. it may just be a huge company that has an MBI division so you want to find any other names the company may operate under just in case the name you type in doesn't find anything. you cand all that stuff by digging around on their website- it should be there. you also can ask that when inquiring about the warranty from the supplier, you simply ask if they are CID certified, ask for their license number or any other names to research them. you can also ask who the underwriter is and search that too. if they don't want to give you that info then they are probably bogus. if you have done exhaustive searching of all company/division/underwriters names and/or license numbers at CID then they probably are bogus. here are the 2 i have found that WILL cover your used MINI even if you are out of warranty and past the 10 day buying priod that mercury enforces. these are the final 2 i have narrowed it to - aside from Alexander MINI, who now runs in a distant 3rd place.

SECOND PLACE:

1- i called the water and power credit union- which i am eligible to join due to the zip code i live in. under the guise of a potential member, i enquired about their MBI protection. i was promptly informed that yes i was qualified to be a credit union member BUT, i did not have to be a member to get the MBI! warranty company is AUTOLAND/ advocar and they patched me through to a rep and here is what i found out:

A- eligible even though i'm out of factory warranty? YES
B- inspection due before coverage- NO BUT you cannot use warranty until 30 days or 1000 miles have passed.
C- CID certified? YES i did my own research at the CID link above.
D- coverage? depending on plan -bumper to bumper excluding maitnenace things- oil, brakes, tune ups...
E- MODS? YES except for suspension- lowering and oversized rims- nutso whacky engine mods- common sense stuff. coverage is good unless it is determined that said mod caused failure to a covered part. then that part is not covered. standard warranty exception on all of them including factory.
F- PRICE and terms? i got a price for 3/36 am calling back tomorrow for the 4/48. price on 3/36 is $1600 includes tax. all due at once. $100 deductible per visit not per failure- if 3 things go wrong at once you only pay $100. they pay via corporate credit card on the spot minus your deductible. you can take it to the dealer or favorite LICENSED mechanic or one of their "favorite" facilities.

side note- if you go to their site you can get a quote for a plan since they ARE in california and licensed through CID for MBI protection. and they DO offer financing but, it is like a standard loan w/ 8.9 % interest on top of it. better to pay it up front IMHO. the online quote is just an estimate and can be lower (or higher i guess) if you call and speak personally to a rep so you can give them your actual mileage etc. the site quote just gives a loose odometer range to choose from.

they have other lower tier plans. i was quoted the elite. all plans include towing and other perks

link: http://www.advocar.com/MBP/PlanPg1VehSelect.asp

FIRST PLACE: MBA direct. in arizona but, they are CID licensed here in california to provide the MBI as is their underwriter. they can't give you an online quote as they are out of state-but call them and they will. member of the BBB etc. etc. friendly service. good ratings online.

COVERAGE AND TERMS: basically the same as above will cover used cars out of warranty with these important notes.

1- INSPECTION REQUIRED? YES. non-refundable $90 inspection fee. which takes about 30 minutes at your home or office. inspector comes out does his thing reports to MBA and if passed, MBA calls immediately and you are covered as soon as you pay the same day. no waiting for coverage in other words. you need to make sure the car is in good condition before the inspection or it will be an excluded part until it is repaired at your expense and you prove in writing it has be done. ie- you have to take it to a licensed mechanic and have a written receipt. if the car is a total mess you would probably have to resubmit application and pay another $90 fee- just a guess though. or they may say "no thanks".

also if you pass and don't want to start the policy that same day, you have 15 days to start it without paying another inspection fee.

2- PRICE. this is where it excels over the autoland MBI. 4/48 silver plus with $100 deductible = $1195! $50 deductible= $1280! 1/2 due after passed inspection to activate warranty. remainder at 0% interest over 6 months via auto debit. $9 installment fee for installment though. or you can pay all at once obviously.

they pay the same way as autoland. 1 deductible payment when you take it in, they pay right away with corporate credit card. can take to dealer, your licensed mechanic or one of their "favorites".

MBA to me IS the no brainer as long as your vehicle can pass the inspection. if not then autoland but, if you have a part on it's way to failure it may not hold out and you may have to fix it before your 30 days are up. may end up costing you even more in the end. plus IMHO if you have a repair need on day 31 if may raise some eyebrows. techincally you have the right to do so but, may throw up a "flag" for the future repairs.

MBA price is much better and if you choose to make payments even better.

site: http://www.mbadirect.com/

THIRD PLACE and now losing steam: millennium warranty via Alexander MINI.:

4/48k. 30 day waiting period on repairs after contract is purchased. no inspection. you're buying through a dealer so i KNOW they're cranking the price up! $2400+ depending on the tier. due all at once.

millennium does have a very good reputation though. i just can't find any other places to get the warranty from for a better price. if i do i will post.

link: http://www.themillenniumclub.net/?q=product/app

all of these MBI's are mechanical failure warranties. they do not cover maintenance service. so you have to make sure you MAINTAIN the car correctly and save receipts for things like oil changes etc. if you do not they have grounds to deny the claim. also if you overheat you better pull over and get a tow. if you keep going and it really screws something they may try to screw you. i you have mods installed after the warranty- you may want to remove them before you file a claim. exhaust (pipes, cat converter and muffler) is a non factor because exhaust is a maintenance item and your responsibility. exhaust manifold is covered though. but, if you have a C.A.I. or want to install one (i have one), i would save the stock air box just in case (i did). any JCW kits installed by the dealer should be good to go though.

also if you DO have 1,000 miles or one month of factory warranty left- ALL of these companies above will provide extended warranty service as stated above for a much better price.

so, i will probably know by tomorrow which one of the 2 i am going with. and should be covered by the end of the week or as soon as i can get an inspector to check out the mini (i believe the appt for inspection usually falls in the 24-72 hour range) or you can set it out as long as you want i guess.

i will most definitely go with MBA direct unless for some weird reason i fail the inspection. in that case autoland it is.

PS- all the MBI's listed above are transferable ONE TIME to a new private owner if you sell your car for a $50 fee. so it could really increase the value of the car if you are looking to sell.

good luck. excuse any typos .

 

well the saga is over! i am warrantied... and the winner is... autoland! they pulled it off in the end. local (based in sherman oaks), and they do not require inspection and the vehicle is covered IMMEDIATELY if it has less than 50,000 miles. the 30 day wait to use the MBI waranty is only if you are over 50K.

the price- i had originally misquoted- it was $1476 total for a 4 year 40k warranty. a little more expensive if you get a 4/48k though. i didn't get the 48k version simply because i do not drive 12k a year. so the 4 year mark will come before the 40 or 48k for me. the 3/36k is $1100 FWIW. all due at once. it covers everything (excluding anyhting i have already mentioned) and includes towing, rental reimbursement, lockout, roadside, etc.. something i didn;t need but, nice i guess.

the no inspection was the clincher- much less of a hassle.

so all in all i saved $1000 and got a better warranty with no wait period over the dealers best price for a comparable plan.

again, i hope someone finds this of use. if you have any questions PM me. and i can provide you with the name of the autoland gentleman who took care of me.

 

Wow...thx for all the warranty info. I'm trying to get a '04 Cooper S warrantied and can't get anywhere near the prices you were able to get (>$1k difference). I can't imagine that 1yr newer and an S version commands prices in excess of $1k more. Were you able to negotiate prices down at all? I can only get them to drop their quotes by $100.

 

Wow, Whitey,

Thank you for all the information! I plan on keeping my MINI forever (I want to be a gravelly voiced, cussing old lady in 40 years with white hair, a great attitude, and my beautiful MINI!!

All your work to get the info, then to put it here for us So Cal folks is really appreciated, and I'm sure by many others besides me!

Cheers!

 

thanks whiteyanderson you did great research. if anything it helps me start thinking about purchasing an extended warranty sometime next year. I actually was thiniking about this issue a couple of months ago. I know my credit union offers an MBI, I'm going to check on it and compare it with Autoland.

 

if you send me a PM i can scrounge up the guys number. it's around here somewhere i think. well, i'm at work right now actually. but i paid right around $1475 for the 4/40k warranty. 4/48 was a little more but, i don't put a TON of miles on the car so i'll probably hit 4 years before 40k unless, i switch jobs or something.

anyhow if you send me a PM it will help serve as a reminder for me and i can get the guys number for you.

PS- i did not negotiate, i was just happy to find a warranty. it may be dependant on your mileage though. my 2003 had 37k-ish miles when i got the warranty.

 

Thanks for all the great information, Whitey.

Just so I'm clear, Autoland won because of the instant, no-inspection coverage, and the local presence?

Based on your strong initial write-up (and the lower prices), I'm strongly considering MBA right now, but if other considerations popped up, then who knows.

Thanks again, and here's hoping you don't actually need any of this worrisome warranty stuff!

 

Thanks for the huge writeup. I'm going to go w/ MBAdirect.