Hi. I am new here. I bought my MINI in Feb. She is a 2005 cooper.

My bumper to bumper warranty will expire Dec 31st. The Ottos MINI dealer told me in Feb that the extended warranty would cost 1,700.00 to cover up to 100,000 miles. I was fine with that and was going to wait since it would be a waste to have 2 warranties/double coverage.

I called MINI today to arrange the extended warranty and NOW they tell me it will be $4,076.00 plus I will need to pay another 250.00 for a pre-warranty inspection and get another oil change even though I just had one!!! I then asked them if they would service the MINI if I bought a different warranty and they said NO!

This seems crazy to me. How could the price go up so fast for a warranty? I have had no problems with the car so far. I have not hear of anyone paying that much for an extended warranty at the MINI dealer.

Any ideas? Is an extended warranty even worth it?

 

I'm only guessing.

The first warranty you quoted was just for the maintenance warranty. Oil changes, wiper blades and brakes. I got a similar quote from Otto's on this.

I think the higher priced one may be for extending the Manufacturer's warranty. Since you have an 05 you are probably getting close to the 4 year/50k warranty provided by MINI.

We opted to not go with extending the maintenance warranty. My husband is pretty handy with cars and can do that general stuff and he has the tools.

 

Hello:

Well ,you need to check in what all this extended warranty covers. Don't settle for someone saying:"It covers all things" ask for something in writting. The person who usually sells the warranty is not the person in the service dept. that you deal with . Is there a deductable? Do they pay for a "loaner car" while yours is being repaired?Do they cover Diagnosis? Does it cover towing? How long do you plan on keeping your car? $4000.00 can cover a lot of repairs if you decide not to purchase the warranty. Also check with your automobile insurance co,they may offer something? I know at one time all-state offered extended warranty's. Check online , do a google search for automotive extended warrantys. Also check out this site http://www.autowarrantyreviews.org/complete.htm

 

That's a crazy price. $4k is a lot of cash to make you feel good about the unknown. Just put it in a CD and buy yourself something nice when the CD matures.

 

I was looking at other warranties but Ottos MINI service dept told me they only honor the easycare warranty that they sell. I just cannot pay over 4k. Plus I do not understand why they would make me get another oil change plus pre-inspection just to get the warranty. They just changed the oil 2 months ago!

There is a 100.00 deductible with the warranty too!

 

FOUR GRAND FOR A WARRANTY!?!? Outrageous! Just put that money toward buying a new MINI. On the other hand, my 2005 Cooper with the CVT transmission (116,000 mies) recently almost needed a new transmission. Turned out to be a leaky transwmission oil cooler. New transmissions cost-$7,100.00 (AAAARRRGHH!) Fortunately just a few bucks to have the coooler tig-welded. On the other hand, electric power steering pump just failed. It kept running with the key off, overheated, slight damage to wiring harness. Verdict-new pump, new engine wiring harness, new power steering fan, new battery-Classic quoted price-$ 2,500.00. I'm presently doing the do-it-yourself fix, but as you can see, repairs to MINI's can be EXTREMELY PAINFUL. I don't know where Otto's is, but they seem to be giving new meaning to the term "Stealership"! Lotsa Luck.

 

That is new. When I was last there talking over warranties they never mentioned "having" to buy a preferred extended warranty to cover the MINI once it was out of the factory warranty.

I plan to set aside a fund for repairs. My 06 MCS is paid in full in September. I plan to make "several" more payments to myself to cover those eventual costs. I'm just about ready to hit 36k so I have a few more miles/years on my Manufacturer's warranty.

Word is there's a guy in my area that works on MINI's but I have not checked him out yet.

I'd say set aside what you can to help buffer the future repairs costs at this point and then, just go MOTOR!!!

 

If they want to sell you a warranty for $4k, what does that tell you about either or both their (a) faith in the Mini, (b) willingness to rip you off?

 

LOL thats nothing my 2006 SLK i was the 2nd owner... here are the prices the car had 18K oon her

 

This is really crazy. I am just upset about this! I just bought the car 6 months ago and am making car payments for several years. This is the first time I have had a car payment too. Perhaps I should sell it. Breaks my heart.

 

If you really want an extended warranty buy a reputable 3rd party one, like warranty direct. It won't be $4000, more like $2500. As long as you get the repair diagnosed and pre approved, the Deaslership will take their money and if they won't then Warranty Direct will reimburse you. Worked fine with the Buick we had before the MINI.

 

Why would you sell the car because you can't get an extended warranty? Statistically you are better off not getting the warranty and having some saving to pay for unexpected repairs.

 

WTF would you sell the car for? As emoore points out you are far less likely to actually need the warranty.
Take my first advice. Put that $4k in a CD for 36 months. Then when it comes due just treat yourself to something nice. All a warranty is is a crappy insurance policy that helps the 1%er that needs it. The other 99% pay for the 1% and all 100% sleep at night with a much lighter wallet. I prefer a fat wallet.

 

I purchased my '03 with 24K miles and did seek out an extended warranty only because of the CVT transmission issues I know I will have in other 50K miles or so. I only paid around 1,500.

I remember inquiring with my auto insurance carrier about their mechanical breakdown insurance - but they told me I had to be the original owner. I think it would have been around $10 a month or so. It is worth looking into if you are looking for piece of mind, which it sounds like you are. $4K is crazy though, and you will probably never receive the benefit if you paid this much.

My policy has a $50 deductible, and allows me to take it anywhere that agrees to submit claims to the insurance carrier and wait for payment, or I will have to do it myself. I have been taking it to my local BMW dealer, but may not for too much longer -- they recently raised their labor rates and my policy only covers up to $115 an hour or something like that. My last service for a window regulator cost me my $50 and than something like $15 an hour. Either way, it was much better than the $300 it would have cost me if I did not have the policy.

Sounds like you dealership is trying to sell you something that will gain them probably over $2K in profit and does not sound ethical. My BMW dealer had no problem accepting my 3rd party extended warranty - They even handle all of the paperwork and just collect my deductible.

 

Save your money for mods, and instead take your MINI to Helix MINISport in Phillly (they are moving to Manyunk) for repairs or maint. Or theres a place called Bimmerworks (I think) in West Chester, PA. Check phillymini.org for suggestions.

 

Do a NAM search on "extended warranty" to read my position on such.

Bottom line, don't buy an extended warranty. IMHO they are a total rip-off.

Also, I am not aware of any car manufacturer who sells extended manufacturer warranties. The car lots sell "extended service contracts" and only agree to "service or repair" the items listed in the contract.

Bottom line on the contracts is that they are craftily written to escape providing coverage.

And as to the dealer quoting $4100, that borders on fraud. Prices of extended service contracts are not carved in stone. Whatever a salesman can get away with selling you the contract for, the higher his sales commission will be. In your situation it looks to me like the salesman is trying to make a $2000 commission on what he perceives is an easy mark [aka sucker.] I base this on what I have seen, MINI extended service contracts are about $1500 to $2500, with some people paying up to $3000 [but those people got reamed.]

I duly note that the price might be a tad higher because yours is an older MINI that may start having problems. Since your manufacturer warranty would be expiring in a few months they may be calculating the rate based on the liklihood that they will have to pay under the agreement. But $4100 is ridiculous. And I suspect you won't be getting any better protection than the purchaser of the agreement when the MINI was new.

The FTC, Consumer Reports and many consumer protection agencies frown on these kind of service contracts because there are so many complaints about them. But people still buy em from the car dealers, so all they can do is say "buyer beware" and implement some regulations. [Some States even ban certain extended service companies from doing business in their States.]

 

Did you say the dealer is selling an Easy Care service agreement?

Check them out on the Net:

http://www.complaints.com/directory/...nuary/5/21.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/...Off0184566.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchre...mit2=Search%21

http://www.complaints.com/directory/...pril/21/33.htm

http://www.complaints.com/june2002/c...ay.june5.7.htm

http://www.pissedconsumer.com/?optio...hword=easycare

 

Pathetic that I am and a ratholer, I have on of my extended warranty posts saved on my PC.

Yes, you would be right, I'm no fan of extended service contracts.

Here it is:
========================

7/2/08 18:04:04

There are many threads on here that discuss "extended" and after-market warranties, that are NOT warranties, but service contracts.

I have generally said they are not worth it. But another member said he got his through AAA [American Automobile Association] and said it was a good warranty. I responded that I was not aware that AAA sold after-market warranties, but that I trust AAA products and recommendations. But I have yet to look into the AAA "warranty" in detail.

I am NOT aware of any after-market warranty that provides bumper to bumper coverage, similar or even close to a manufacturer's new vehicle warranty.

I am NOT aware of any manufacturer who sells extensions of their original new vehicle warranty.

I am aware that when buying a new MINI or other car, dealers attempt to sell "extended" warranties. The dealer's "F & I" person [finance and insurance] is the one who attempts to sell you the full range of products and finance, including after-market warranties. It's the person you see after the salesman does the initial writeup. "F & I" people are skilled persons who usually work on close to 100% commission, meaning their pay is dependent on what they sell you. Here in San Francisco a good F & I salesperson will make about $100 to $200 thousand a year.

The warranties they sell you are NOT true "extended" warranties because they do NOT extend the new vehicle warranty. Those are after-market warranties that are as varied as the number of companies that sell such products. And in fact they are not really warranties. I think the FTC should regulate these companies starting with telling people they are NOT warranties and NOT extending anything.
Most extended warranties are designed to look like you have great coverage, but if making a substantial claim the warranty is designed to deny coverage. Some states have banned the sale of certain extended warranties and have prohibited even calling them a warranty, extended or otherwise.

Below is a Consumer Reports April 2008 annual auto issue article on such warranties. [I put it on my server.]

If you decide to get one, make damn sure it will cover the MINI CVT transmission replacement. That's at least a $6000 job and I suspect any "warranty" company whom you are paying only $1500 to $2500 for the warranty is going to want to avoid paying that size a claim.

While your "warranty" may say in bold print "TRANSMISSION" implying the transmission is covered, that word is usually followed by a statement on what parts are covered. I submit that it would take an expert mechanic to figure out what is covered and not covered.

Moreover, as I have always said, if the transmission is covered, why not simply say that instead of long lists of what is or is not covered. The reason they have those long lists is to escape paying a claim.

The dealerships, service contrat companies [and F & I salespeople] operate on fear to sell the warranties. A $6000 to $8000 repair bill for a MINI tranny goes a long way to motivating people to buy these policies. But will the company cover it? I dunno, but I suspect not [despite what the salesperson will tell you to sell the warranty.] And besides, who wants to enter into a contract that contains pages and pages of exceptions and wiggle room for the company to back out of honoring what you think you bought.

I have always adhered to one rule. If a company tries to con me during our intial dealings, I don't do the deal. I cut off further conversation / consideration and I find someone else to do business with. For example when buying a car. If I call the dealership and the salesman quotes one price, but then on the car lot I am told "Oh, I was mistaken on that price, it's $500 more than I quoted," I say thanks for your time and drive away. I don't care to find out if it was an innocent mistake or not.

The choice is yours. Some people will swear by them, many will say they are worthless and simply a con game by people peddling them.

http://www.ct.gov/AG/cwp/view.asp?A=2795&Q=411422

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/...Off0223373.htm

http://tinyurl.com/3lt3ph

http://www.heartinsanfrancisco.com/E...Warranties.pdf

http://www.heartinsanfrancisco.com/E...rantyFraud.pdf

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0..._warranty.html