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Buying an Extended Warranty? READ THIS FIRST!!

473K views 394 replies 147 participants last post by  Bestdeal1 
#1 · (Edited)
The Toyota Extra Care Vehicle Service Agreement (extended warranty) can be very valuable to have when something unexpectedly breaks on your RAV4 past the 3 year/36,000 mile factory warranty. Some say that Toyota builds some of the most reliable vehicles on the road today, and the extended warranty is a waste of money. However, today's Toyotas are far more complex than those from just 10-12 years ago.

The additional safety systems, ECU's and electronics can be very expensive to troubleshoot and repair. For example, what if the power window goes out on the driver's door? This is a complex system of a motor, ECU, switches, and jam protection circuitry. You might be surprised to find out the parts and labor to replace just the motor could very well exceed the cost of the extended warranty. Another example would be the Limited's Auto Climate Control. This is more than just an A/C and heater--it has ambient temperature sensors, a sun sensor, servo motors to control and regulate airflow separately for both driver and passenger, all controlled by a small computer. This is not something your average mechanic can repair--many of these systems need diagnostic equipment and training that only the dealerships have.

Most of us were offered the Toyota VSA by the salesperson when we were buying our new RAV4. They usually save the pitch until the very end of the deal when you're about to sign on the dotted line. Most buyers balk at the price of the VSA, most of the time it's anywhere from 1200 to 2000 dollars! The profit margin on these warranties is HUGE. They could lower their prices by 50% and they would still be making a fair profit. The smart buyers ALWAYS turn down the extended warranty at the dealer. They know that they can always wait and buy the warranty anytime before the 3 year/36,000 mile factory warranty runs out. AND they know they can buy that same Toyota VSA from ANY Toyota dealer. So, why not shop around and buy it from a dealer that offers the best price? Here are the latest prices from Jerry Johnson of Midwest Toyota:

Toyota Extra Care Vehicle Service Agreement, Platinum
No deductible

8yr / 75,000 miles - $659 - The price for this warranty on the Toyota site is $1325 for comparison.

Things included in this coverage are:
*Unlimited towing to nearest Toyota dealership
*Reimbursement up to $50/day for 5 days per occurrence for rental car
*Meal/lodging up to $100/day when over 150 miles from home
*Transferability (with fee) to others if vehicle sold


Jerry Johnson
cell phone (620-664-8844)
jerryj@midwestsuperstore.com

Midwest Toyota
1100 East 30th
Hutchinson, KS 67502
(800-530-5789)
Midwest Superstore 866-796-3495 | Lincoln Dealers | Hutchinson, KS

Called Jerry and got the following quotes:
6yr / 75k - $479
7yr / 75k - $559
8yr / 75k - $659
7yr / 100k - $814
8yr / 100k - $944
7yr/ 125k - $1059
8yr / 125K - $1259

But what happens if you already bought the extended warranty from the dealer? Don't worry, you can cancel the warranty by calling Toyota Financial Services and get your money back. You have 60 days to cancel for a full refund, after that there may be a small fee.

There are other dealers, such as Troy Dietch from Greenfield Toyota in the Boston area that offer similar deals. The key thing to remember is this is the same warranty that your dealer sells, and will be honored at any Toyota dealer in the US and Canada. The only difference is the price.

Here are a few threads discussing this same topic:

http://www.rav4world.com/forums/96-4-3-general/72883-extended-warranty-price-update.html

http://www.rav4world.com/forums/96-4-3-general/85145-warranty-coverage.html

http://www.rav4world.com/forums/96-...l-forum-members-jerrys-extended-warranty.html

http://www.rav4world.com/forums/96-4-3-general/88668-toyota-car-extended-warranty.html
 
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#2 ·
I'm one of those guys that doesn't like to bet against the house. I figure Toyota knows the odds better than I do and they couldn't make money if this was a good deal for the average owner. On the other hand, if a large repair bill would bankrupt you it might make sense. Some of the coverage in the platinum plan is just fluff for some of us such as the reimbursement for lodging on the road - I would never use that - and towing - already covered by my credit cards. I wonder what the discount price for the lesser coverages such as Gold that don't include these would be?
 
#3 ·
I'm one of those guys that doesn't like to bet against the house. I figure Toyota knows the odds better than I do and they couldn't make money if this was a good deal for the average owner. On the other hand, if a large repair bill would bankrupt you it might make sense.
Normally, I would agree with you, but not this time. A large repair bill wouldn't bankrupt me, but it would put a serious crimp in my home budget. I don't have a wallet full of credit cards for emergencies, got rid of those years ago. Now I only use a debit card. So if it isn't in the checking account, it will have to wait.

The way I see it is I'm betting Toyota that some time between now and November of 2016 SOMETHING is going to go wrong with my RAV4 AND it's going to cost more than $659 to repair. If that doesn't happen and the vehicle is flawless until then, I'm fine with that. I consider it cheap insurance.
 
#4 ·
I bought the 8 year 75k warranty from Jerry when the vehicle was brand new with a few hundred miles. I canceled my AAA tow insurance because the Toyota warranty includes tow. I'm saving money for the first three years even if I never use it. I'm 99 percent sure I'll use the warranty sometime before the 8 years is up and the warranty will more than pay for itself. If by some chance I never have a failure in 8 years, I still win. It's a small price to pay for piece of mind.
 
#8 ·
Why not invest the amount you would have paid for an extended warranty into an interest bearing account of some kind? That way the money still works for you and if you luck out and never need to repair the car with it, you can keep the money. Add to this account when you buy your next car and before long you may have enough for a down payment on a brand new car in the future.

Our family has owned 12 Toyota's, Scions, and one Lexus over the last 40 years or so, not one of them would have benefited from an extended warranty and all but our current '11 Rav4 and daughter's '10 FJ (both still too new) went well past those coverage limits at 125K with no major problems. Of all of them the only one that needed a major repair was a transmission failure on a '98 Sienna. That happened with less than 10K on the clock so was taken care of by Toyota. We still have that vehicle, currently with > 206,000 miles on it with no further mechanical problems. Besides the Rav, FJ Cruiser and the Sienna, we still have an '02 Lexus IS300 and a '97 Tercel.

Save your money.
 
#13 ·
Why not invest the amount you would have paid for an extended warranty into an interest bearing account of some kind? That way the money still works for you and if you luck out and never need to repair the car with it, you can keep the money. Add to this account when you buy your next car and before long you may have enough for a down payment on a brand new car in the future.

Save your money.
Love this thinking. I always make my money work for me not the other way around. This is why I can retire early.:thumbs_up:
 
#9 ·
I got the 8 yr/75K plan. Well worth the peace of mind it provides.
 
#12 ·
I've always wondered just what these warranties really cover. I doubt its for tires, brakes, belt or worn suspension components. Everybody always talks about a transmission, but how often do they actually fail (with regular maintenance and responsible driving?) Maybe the warranty covers the idler pulley or alternator? At 90k on our 2008 RAV, the only "repair" has been to change the water pump which I did myself for $150. All other items have been normal maintenance.

The price for the warranty from Jerry look more favorable than others that are out there.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the advice on this thread. I figured that for my situation and the used RAV4 I just bought, it may pan out to have the extended warranty. I learned a couple of things that I'll share:

1. If you finance the car and roll the extended warranty in with the loan, you don't actually get a check in the mail for the refund - the dealer I bought from would only allow the refund to go back to the lien holder (TFS, in this case). So, your payments don't get changed, you just make fewer of them, since they deduct the purchase price from the balance. Not great, but technically you get your money back. It's okay for me since I'm going to pay off the loan anyway, but beware!

2. Jerry Johnson at Midwest Toyota is a really nice guy to deal with. He must make a small margin, but he really doesn't need to "sell" them - he just gives you the prices. I recommend buying from him if you decide to get an extended warranty.

3. By all means, DO THE MATH on your driving habits and the coverages provided. The dealer led me to believe that there was only one extended warranty (7 year/100k miles). Jerry showed me the other options, and I went with a 5 year/100k that saved me nearly a thousand dollars over the dealer, and my mileage will time out about the same time as the clock does. I would have hit 100k miles WELL within 7 years, given my projected driving habits.

This is my first post on this board, but so far, this free service has saved me a bundle! Thanks to everyone who contributes! I'm looking forward to participating.

-Nathan
 
#15 ·
3. By all means, DO THE MATH on your driving habits and the coverages provided. The dealer led me to believe that there was only one extended warranty (7 year/100k miles). Jerry showed me the other options, and I went with a 5 year/100k that saved me nearly a thousand dollars over the dealer, and my mileage will time out about the same time as the clock does. I would have hit 100k miles WELL within 7 years, given my projected driving habits.
This is great advice, Nathan! Since I only average about 6600 miles a year, I got the 8 year/75000 mile warranty. The clock will probably run out way before I get to 75000, so this saved me a lot.

Excellent first post!
 
#17 ·
I talked to Toyota today, to cancel my 6/100 warranty I bought at the dealer.

I told her I found a better deal, and what Jerry's price was. She shared how much above dealer cost that was. I thought it was extemely fair.

Dealers are making a VERY NICE profit on the warranty if they are selling at full price. The profit margin at full price is almost obscene.
 
#18 ·
I talked to Toyota today, to cancel my 6/100 warranty I bought at the dealer.

I told her I found a better deal, and what Jerry's price was. She shared how much above dealer cost that was. I thought it was extremely fair.

Dealers are making a VERY NICE profit on the warranty if they are selling at full price. The profit margin at full price is almost obscene.
OK, spill it! What did she say was the dealer's cost and the full price?
 
#19 ·
Toyota Warranty From Jerry

:)
Thanks to this site: Sent Jerry a E-Mail, requested a Quote, imediate call back and an E-mail response. Went for a Platinnum $0.00 deductable 7yrs. 75000 miles @ $559.00.
Vehicle must be within Toyota,s basic warranty and will be dated from original purshase date.
He will need the vin #, 2 or 4 wheel drive, mileage, Purchase date.

Great Guy: Other Quotes recieved were: $1345. , and $745.00. for same coverage.

Reviewing these threads: Rav 4 problems escalate at 5-6 years and after 60,000 miles (warranty expiration time) even though I would hope that 2011Rav 4 are more reliable (ECM's) than the 2006's & 2007,s. Have purchased Honda's & Toyota's for last 30 years but vehicles are no longer shade tree challenges. Most likely will not go to term on this warranty, but now have peace of mind if an unforscene clitch occurs. GREAT PRICE !! RECOMEND YOU ALL CALL JERRY !!!
 
#23 ·
Yes, Jerry can sell you a warranty for any Toyota/Scion/Lexus model. Also, Ford/Mercury/Lincoln.
 
#27 ·
Did you try shopping around to different dealers? Sounds like there's a great opportunity for some smart sales person in Canada to start selling lots of discounted warranties!
 
#29 ·
When I got my RAV4 they tried so hard to sell me a warranty and we just refused. The accountant (Warranty Salesman) go so angry he was yelling. After he finally stopped trying to force a warranty on us he sat there pouting clearly still upset he couldn't scam us.
Congrats on standing firm! I had a similar experience with a Hyundai dealer's accounts rep. in Southern California - she tried to sell me an extended warranty on a car which already had a 100,000 mile warranty and when I refused she got bent out of shape. I also paid for the car in full so there was no commission for her for financing, either. Then she apparently sought revenge by screwing up the paperwork - I found out when the DMV refused to register the car. I had to return to the dealer and raise a fuss so that they finally sorted out the problem.

No such problem when I bought my RAV in Oregon - dealers can't try to shove something like that down customers' throats.
 
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#30 ·
I have learned so much from these forums and will be using Jerry for my upcoming purchase of a 2009. The amount I am saving is insane. about $800.
But before I buy a car...
I am confused about what happens if the vehicle is just over the warranty.

the base 2009 are in my price range. But most of them seem to be either 36,200ish miles or just over 3 years old from the inservice date. How does that work with these plans?
I see there is a "used" vs the "new" plans, for vehicles under 9 years/125,000 miles.
And does it change that if it is toyota certified and just out of warranty vs not? I had a couple close calls, dealers pushing that it is a 2009 but them not mentioning it is juusssst over 3 years old. Ideally, the right rav just under 3 years and 36k will become available...but what if not? I keep my cars 10 years, so I like having as much coverage as I can. On the last vehicle I never needed it at 14 years old, on others...I have. Worth the gamble.
thank you!
 
#31 ·
Well, if the mileage is 36,200 you could fudge a little and tell Jerry it's 35,900 and it will slide. But the in service date is the in service date and you can't fudge that. As for the "used" extended warranty plans, those must be bought from the selling dealer at the time of the sale, as far as I can tell. Maybe Jerry can clarify that--give him a call, he's a great guy and a pleasure to do business with.
 
#32 ·
I don't suppose there is any way to cancel an extended warranty before the built in warranty ends, is there?

When I bought my RAV4 in 2009, my mother (the constant worrier) bought a 7yr/75k for something like $1200-1500 from the dealership, as a present to me. Presently, we're at like 2.5 years, 25000k. Is there any way to get her money back and purchase one of these better priced warranties in its place?
 
#33 ·
Yes, you can! You will get a pro-rated refund which will amount to most of your money. Call Jerry at Midwest, he's very friendly and will tell you what to do. You could get the 8yr/75K warranty and still get a lot of money back!
 
#36 ·
Yes, for example: In September of 2007, the 7 year/100,000 mile warranty was $779. Today it goes for $814. And also in that time, the 8 year warranties were added.
 
#38 ·
At this rate it is only 0.9% (not even 1%) compounded inteterest per year. If you have other loans or mortgages with higher interest, then pay those loans first. If you have a savings account with more COMPOUND interest, the put it in a savings account.

It's your $ you do what you like, as long as you know all the facts.

Cheers
 
#42 ·
Great site, and great thread. The dealer tried to sell me the 7/100k for $2890. I just about fell out of my chair and couldn't tell her "no" fast enough. That being said, I will be calling Jerry for sure. Our winters are bad enough up here that the best vehicles still have problems. I also agree with an earlier poster about all of the electronic gadgetry and potential problems with it. Toyota can cover the first 100k, I'll roll the dice on the next 100k. Thanks to all for the great information.
 
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