Hi everyone, I just bought my 3rd Jag last week. It's a 2015, XK convertible. My previous cars were both XK8 convertibles, '97 and '01. I live in The Woodlands, TX.

My dilemma is should I buy an extended warranty? I was looking into bumper to bumper ones. Information overload.

any advice on good ones (that don't cost $12K like a few I've been quoted), or any to stay away from.

thanks!!

 

That question is like asking the meaning of life. How much impact would writing a 3K check cause? If not much, don't get the warranty. Put 5K on a prepaid CC and you'll have a balance on it in 3 years.

Someone else will say do not start that car until you have a extended warranty on it.

 

A good alternative to getting any warranty is to put the cost of the warranty into your own bank account and use that money for any repairs that are needed. Chances are that there will be some remaining in your account once any 'extended' period is over. If not, then hey, you had money for your repairs.

 

Read this entire recent thread, including the links in every post.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...one-go-244211/

Buyer Beware! (From my previous post)
UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WARRANTY AND AN EXTENDED SERVICE CONTRACT


.
A "warranty" is a promise (a contract) by the manufacturer of a product to repair or replace it at their expense within a specified period of time for specific failures caused by defects in materials or workmanship. Only a manufacturer can issue a warranty. The Jaguar Select Certified Pre-Owned program IS a warranty because it is backed by the manufacturer, Jaguar. It extends the original manufacturer's warranty subject to certain limitations and exclusions. The Jaguar Select CPO Warranty is a real extended warranty.

So-called "Extended Warranties" that are sold by Jaguar dealers and by other sellers on the internet are not real warranties. They are extended service contracts issued by various companies unrelated to Jaguar, and are like an insurance policy for car repairs.

Upon the expiration of the original factory warranty, Jaguar dealers will offer to sell you an "extended warranty" for various lengths of time and miles at varying prices. Jaguar dealers sell them because they're highly profitable. But they're not real warranties.

Salespeople often intentionally confuse consumers by saying "extended warranty", when what they're really selling is an "extended service contract". Even if that so-called "extended warranty" is summarized on a Jaguar dealer's letterhead, it is an extended service contract, and not a warranty. BUYER BEWARE! Aftermarket extended service contracts contain deductibles, exclusions and limitations that are often ambiguous and are used to deny claims. YOU MUST GET THE ENTIRE CONTRACT AND READ THE FINE PRINT BEFORE YOU SIGN AND PAY FOR IT! A sales brochure is not enough to make an informed decision. You must do your own due diligence. Those contracts typically state that the contract itself is the sole governing authority, and that you cannot rely on anything said to you or given to you in writing by or from anyone else.

If you think a particular extended service contract is attractive, be sure to Google it for complaints before you buy it.

Companies that underwrite extended service contracts are in business to make money. They have mountains of data, know the likelihood and cost of repairs by vehicle and component, and how to price their products. They also know how to write the fine print to deny claims. Any extended service contract company that loses money won't stay in business.

Think of it this way. It's like a casino in Las Vegas; the House always wins. Why? Because it's their game and they make sure that the odds are in their favor. Sure, once in a while someone hits the Jackpot. But that's just how the House keeps everyone else in the game - to make them think that they, too, will be winners. That's the same business plan for companies that sell extended service contracts.

Buying an extended service contract is a crapshoot. Just know that the odds are against you.

And some are total scams.
https://www.realsimple.com/work-life...rvice-contract

So, is there anything else that I can do? Yes. Assume that the cost of the extended service contract is $5,000. Instead of paying that money to the seller, put it in a separate savings account in your bank and use it only to pay for repairs that would have been covered by that extended service contract. If the exclusions and limitations would have denied or limited payment of that claim, treat that repair money the same way. Odds are that at the end of the term of that contract, you'll still have money left over in that bank account. That's the equivalent of the company's profit.

Forum members will tell you about their great experiences with their aftermarket extended service contracts, but few, if any, will tell you about getting ripped off because their claims were denied. That's because they sold "that POS Jaguar" and left the Forum.

As I said earlier, it's a crapshoot. Although occasionally someone will hit the jackpot, the House always wins. Jackpots are a psychological warfare tool the House uses to make losers think that they can win, too. Don't forget that you're the amateur playing against the pro and the odds are against you.

It's your car, your money, and your choice. If buying an extended service contract helps you to sleep better at night, then it's worth the cost. Unless those pleasant dreams turn into a nightmare.

Stuart

P.S. For an example of how a used car dealer tricks buyers into buying an "extended warranty", see my Post #38 in this thread:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-243346/page2/
This was an impulse purchase by an unsuspecting buyer who was tricked into thinking that he was getting a good deal. And it is, if his claims are paid. But that's not likely.

 

It doesn't really address the question, but food for thought (and supports Stuart's info above). I've bought a few cars in my lifetime, for me and my kids, some new, mostly used... The amount of effort the sales people spend on trying to sell you the extended "warranty" is more then they spend trying to sell you the car. Then when I decline, the finance person (if used) tries to give me a "better deal" and goes through all of the programs again. It's annoying, but part of the game. One can only imagine how much incentive they have selling you the extended warranty.

Last December, I had my first experience at Carmax when my daughter bought herself a 2 yr old Hyundai. the salesman tried to convince me that I NEEDED the warranty because his son just bought a car and had engine failure the next year! What the hell!. I responded that the Hyundai power train warranty will cover me for the next 3 years at no cost so we're good. haha.

Nonetheless, I can see having piece of mind having an extended service contract on a car that might me expensive to replace, but take the advice above and do what's you feel is right for you! Good luck and enjoy the car!

 

my vote is basically no, never buy any of these aftermarket contracts. i don't want to be too specific, but, my career exposes me to the inner workings of these. in my opinion they're really not worth it.

 

Millions of people buy lottery tickets knowing that their odds of winning are stacked against them. It's one thing to spend $10 or $20 on lottery tickets, but $5,000 or more on an ambiguous extended service contract without reading the fine print ... well, you know the alternative and it's your money and your choice.

 

Carmax is supposed to have a great warranty. It's a great seller to buy a car that is known for nickel & diming like a Land Rover for their warranty.

 

Yeah Doug DeMuro built a lot of his channel on the Carmax Range Rover on YouTube.

I would pass on the "warranty" aka repair contracts as mentioned before by Stuart S. They are quite robust cars and quite likely self insuring against repairs will be cheaper than purchasing said insurance/contract; and a lot of the warranty companies are excellent at exclusions to limit their actual liability on items with an actual likelihood of failing. As CeeJay mentioned, money for repairs if it needs it, money in your pocket if it doesn't.

This car is substantially more reliable than your previous 4L XK8s; I have a 4L XKR and it avoids all the 4L XK8 transmission woes, but still have the top hydraulics and timing bits issues the 8 had. It will be a lot cheaper to service and repair than your previous cars.

 

You don't happen to have the answer do you? I've been looking for while. Off topic I know but question was answered so...

 

 

bUmPeR tO bUmPer

Doug is as much as responsible for used exotic fears as anyone. Considering he sees so many cars and parts-bin sharing, he should know better.

The real question should be how comfortable are you with a ratchet and torx bits? Because those $2000 annual service invoices you see on BaT can usually be accomplished for a fraction of the price on a Saturday morning.

 

Yeah, I've actually thought of starting a youtube channel where I do maintenance and repairs on my cars.

Volkswagen on my 2011 TDI Jetta Sportwagen w/ DSG, so basically a golf, wanted $475 for the DSG fluid swap, which was $85 for me to do. I assembled a timing belt kit w/ WP, idlers, tensioner, tb and sb, including all the torque to yield bolts, AND the locking tools, AND enough coolant to swap the whole system. I was in about $375 for that and they want 1200 more to do all of that. This is standard Volkswagen stuff, not even exotic. That's just stuff I did in the last month at 84k miles. TB is every 80k and DSG fluid and filter is every 40k.

 

I can tell you I bought a 4 year, 100K warranty in 2008 when I bought my 2005 S-Type. I paid just under 2K for it and got 13K value from it. Now bear in mind, I did all the work with the silly dealership and their overcharging on parts and having the worst quality control I have ever seen in any profession in my life and the so-called service consultant was as much of a jerk *** as you could find. However it was an independent warranty and I got more than 6 times the value from it.

Tom in Dallas/Plano
2005 Stype 118K

 

I have owned a 2000 XK8, 2003 XK8, 2007 XK convertible, and currently a 2010 XK coupe. They were all very dependable cars. I lived in Houston for all but the current car. Keep them out of the summer sun if possible. The XK8 convertible has a hydraulic latch in the center of the windshield frame that is susceptible to failure and the hydraulic oil leaks out all over the center console and the 2007 convertible top rear glass started separating from the cloth top. I would just put what you would pay for the warranty and save it that will probably cover any repairs you would need. There are a number of good repair shops that specializes in Jaguar and Land Rover in Houston so you don’t have to go to a Dealership.

 

The Original Poster of this thread asked this question, immediately logged off and hasn't been back since. Not to say he won't BE back, but much ado about maybe nothing?

 

Good point. Time to stop wasting our breath.

 

Maybe he's doing extended warranty market research

 

All I know is that I've been trying to reach him on all his phones about his vehicles factory warranty being expired and been getting snubbed.

 

So you're the one who's been calling me at dinner time for months! Yes, I do need an insurance policy to protect me from getting any more calls like yours!