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Mopar Lifetime Vehicle Protection Plan

22K views 120 replies 44 participants last post by  stevewhiteparts 
#1 ·
I own a 2012 Dodge Challenger R/T. I now have around 42,000 miles on the vehicle, so the original manufacturer's warranty has expired. I received an e-mail from the dealership I bought the car from advertising a Mopar Lifetime Vehicle Protection Plan. I'm trying to decide whether or not to purchase the plan and thought before I signed any paperwork, I'd ask some of you fellow Challenger owners out there for your thoughts/opinions.

I was told the plan would cost $3,400. This isn't a small sum of me, to me, at least. However, we all know how costly car repairs can be. I'd much rather make minimum payments toward that figure than have something unexpected happen with the car and pay that much for only a few repairs.

I'm not made of money, I'm not a wealthy sixty-year-old guy like some. I'm a younger guy still trying to establish himself in the world and would like to make the best possible decision regarding protecting myself financially from hardships like costly car repairs. Is the Mopar Lifetime Vehicle Protection Plan worth the money?

I don't want to get it, only to find out later how much the dealer tries to screw you by saying you can't use it for this, that or the other. But, I also don't want ignore the chance to get the warranty while my car still has low enough mileage to apply, then be hosed later. I would greatly appreciate any advice.
 
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#2 ·
Everything is contract. What I would do is ask the sales person for a copy of the contract for you to read. The devil is in the details. Take your time and read it through, if you don't grasp some of the terminology, ask around or research through the web. Someone might tell you "it covers everything" - it's not true - there are always limitations and conditions. Once you sign on the dotted line and pay up, there's no crying later. It's just like buying insurance or anything else that demands performance from another party at some time in the future. Read carefully before agreeing / paying for anything.
 
#5 ·
What it probably is, is a Chrysler maximum care contract. If you plan on keeping your challenger forever, or at least a very long time, it is worth it. My two Chrysler products I own have that contract. My last Chrysler product had that too. It covers everything except weatherstrips, and of course maintenance (oil changes, brakes, light bulbs, tune ups) in my opinion, it is well worth it. And, it gives me peace of mind.
 
#6 ·
I was faced with same decision. When I asked what does it cover, salesman said "everything". That set off a red flag as I've heard from others that repair denials are not uncommon with "pre existing condition" being the reason. I passed on the contract but still wonder if I did the right thing.
 
#7 ·
Honestly, I would like to keep the car forever. There are only two cars I care about owning in life, and I already own one, the modern Challenger. The dream car is, of course, the original 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T.

I'm not sure if the warranty is transferable or not, but as I said, since I would like to keep the car as long as humanly possible, that's not a primary consideration for me. Car repairs are expensive everywhere, but where I live in Southern California, I can't seem to go to the dealer without spending at least $500 each time I go. That's why I'm trying to figure out what's the best investment.
 
#49 · (Edited)
If you really plan to keep the car "forever" I'd buy the factory extended warranty that best suits your budget.
I change cars every few years or sooner so it's not worth it for me.
 
#11 ·
The A8 refers to the ZF 8-speed automatic.
 
#10 ·
You can get the lifetime Maximum Care Mopar extended warranty from other dealers for around $2600. FCA also offers an 18-month payment plan with no interest or credit check.

The Maximum Care warranty is an exclusionary warranty. What that means is that if the contract doesn't explicitly say something ISN'T covered then it is covered. This is how standard bumper-to-bumper warranties work, they list what isn't covered. The other warranties are inclusionary, meaning if it's not listed then it's NOT covered.

The Mopar Maximum Care warranty is very good, I've had it and used it on previous vehicles and it works just like your factory warranty. No fighting, no getting the repair pre approved, etc.

Check out http://chryslerwarrantydirect.com for the cheapest price I've found. When I called them to buy the warranty for my last vehicle they mentioned the payment plan without me asking. You can also cancel within 60 days for a full refund, after that you can cancel and get a prorated refund.

If you plan on keeping the car for a long time then I would get it. Your time is almost up (you can only get it before 4 years or 48k miles).
 
#14 · (Edited)
I have 3 vehicles with the Max Care Lifetime Warranty. It covers like your factory warranty. This is a good choice if you plan on keeping your vehicles a long time. The Chrysler lifetime warranties are non-transferable so that is something to keep in mind. There are different levels of deductibles that will affect the price also. You can and should shop around or negotiate price. I received a zero deductible lifetime warranty on my 2014 Challenger instead of paint defect repair, and paid $2400 each for a $100 deductible lifetime warranty on my wife's 2015 Dart, and the 2015 Ram Sport that we bought 2 day's ago. With the cost of electronics on these newer cars, it is something to consider.
 
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#15 ·
I bought it on my car on the day I picked the car up. Repairs on new car are expensive, and it could easily surpass $3400.

Plus...cars are smart...they talk to every other appliance in your house and will only break down about a week after your refrigerator or water heater blow up. :grin2:
 
#16 ·
I looked up Chrysler warranty direct on google and saw a link to AllPar, a pretty reputable car site, as I'm sure many of you already know, and it made it sound like that site was a little scammy. What do you guys think? I think I'm just going to ask the dealer about the plan directky and maybe call another dealership to get a different price quote and then attempt to put their prices against each other. What do you guys think? http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2015/06/chrysler-warranty-scam-warning-29015
 
#17 ·
I looked up Chrysler warranty direct on google and saw a link to AllPar, a pretty reputable car site, as I'm sure many of you already know, and it made it sound like that site was a little scammy. What do you guys think? I think I'm just going to ask the dealer about the plan directky and maybe call another dealership to get a different price quote and then attempt to put their prices against each other. What do you guys think? News | ?Chrysler Warranty? Scam Warning
I don't know why anything would say that chryslerwarrantydirect.com is "scammy." I have done business with them personally and they were nothing but professional. They have to be, they're a Chrysler dealer selling FCA (Chrysler) warranties.

They are "C. R. Motors", a Chrysler dealer in Michigan. C. R. Motors of Hudson MI | New 2015-2016 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM & Used Car Dealership Serving Adrian, Jackson and Hillsdale MI

But, it's up to you if you want to save money on an extended warranty. I don't have any affiliation with them, I've just done business with them and highly recommend them.
 
#18 ·
Yahooligan, please don't think I was being critical of you. I appreciate the advice you're sharing. I just thought it was kind of interesting what I found because Allpar is pretty legit. I'm very thankful for the info you've told me because this is my first nice car, I love it, I want to keep it nice so I'm just trying to make the best financial decision on this. I've got an appointment with the Dodge dealership I bought the car from tomorrow and I'm going to have them go over the details of their offer in person so I can get a better sense of what it's all about. I'll keep you guys posted.
 
#19 ·
You must be referring to this page...

News | ?Chrysler Warranty? Scam Warning

It's not saying that chryslerwarrantydirect.com is the "Chrysler warranty services" 3rd party warranty scammer, it's just saying that it's a dealer and not "direct" from Chrysler like you would think the name would imply. It also says that customers buy the contracts from dealers and not necessarily from the dealer they bought the vehicle from, also that there are variations in pricing (Such as what has been shown here, the price quote you received is different than what is offered by C.R. Motors) and to shop around.

The page doesn't connect the cold-calling scammers to Chrysler Warranty Direct or any other dealer. Your local dealer won't have a different "Maximum Care" warranty from FCA, it's the same one offered by other dealers because it's a product offered by FCA and sold by dealers, they have a part number and everything.

Your local dealer may try and sweeten the deal by offering something like lifetime oil changes or something, but the warranty itself will be the same regardless of what dealer you buy it from. The only difference will be the price.
 
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#20 · (Edited)
Being out of warranty is not necessarily a bad thing. I purchased a MOPAR 7/75 $0 deductable on my new SRT figuring the big ticket items will hopefully be taken care of by then. After that, there are better independent shops at a fraction of what a dealer's shop will charge. The guys around me know and have worked on MOPAR longer than most greenhorns working at dealerships (and they give a damn).
 
#22 ·
Well here's the questions you have to ask yourself:

1. Do I plan on keeping this car for a long time?

2. Did I plan to upgrade in the future to a newer model/upgraded model?

If it were me I would take that 3400 dollars and use that as a down payment on a scat pack or something. I am not sure how much you paid for your '12 Challenger RT or how many years you have left but considering that a new Challenger has a new warranty plus rebates this time a year, I would consider that.

How much did you pay for your '12?
 
#23 ·
$3400 seems a little high for the lifetime warrranty on your car, unless maybe it has a $0 deductible. If you truly plan on keeping it, I'd shop some of the online places offering the mopar extended warranties. I paid about $2900 for the lifetime on a 15 srt.
 
#48 ·
I bought the life time warranty for $2995 with $100 deductible nothing down and 18 months to pay with no interest . Another dealer wanted $3995 and 10% down. Got a post card in the mail from Dodge and got the $3995 price. The one I bought mine from said Dodge does not send cards out. The life time is not transferable but you can cancel for a refund. The dealer where I bought car charged $1995 for 100000 mile bumper to bumper. I canceled it.
 
#24 ·
I would like to hear from people who have actually had claims paid with one of these warranties. I'm skeptical myself. I love my Challenger, but think in general Dodge dealers and FCA customer service suck. I would guess they fight you tooth and nail when it comes time to pay claims based on my warranty experience with a couple of Ram trucks and my current Scat Pack.
 
#26 ·
I've had and used these lifetime Chrysler warranties before, there are no "claims" or fighting to get them to "pay" anything. It works just like your normal warranty, the only difference is if you get one with a deductible then you pay the deductible when you pick the vehicle up and everything else is covered under the warranty.

As has been said, these aren't crappy 3rd party policies that require pre approval and other crap. These are factory warranties that aren't any more hassle than the standard factory warranty.
 
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#25 ·
I had the Chrysler Lifetime on my past R/TC, and bought it again for my R/T Scat Pack.


First off, I've got a great dealer, and they are aware of these warranties, because they look at the VIN number in the FCA system, and it shows what coverage I have. Simple process and part of their job to do this when you go in for service, but it sounds like many dealers don't.


I had to use it twice on my R/TC, and it went smoothly, no problems, no headaches, no glitches, and no run around. My fuel sending unit went bad, and it's part of the fuel pump. Paid my $100 deductable when I picked my car up, and that was it for out of pocket cost.


That's as easy as it gets IMO, and these policies are "for real"
 
#31 ·
Check out Harold Zeigler Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Michigan. (Just google it) I bought a lifetime Maxcare and the 7 year tire and wheel road hazard warranty from them for my '15 SP for $2560. You may pay higher because your car has so many miles on it. (I believe the price goes up the older the car is.)
 
#32 ·
When did your buy it and what is the deductible?, right now from them the lifetime on my new SPS with $100 deductible is $3K. That is a quote from the website, did you negotiate with them over the phone?
 
#34 ·
I got the $200 deductible. And I bought it in June, about a month after I bought the car. There's no deductible on the tire and wheel package.
 
#35 ·
So everything I'm reading is saying SRT's are exluded from any type of lifetime warranty, yet a link posted here somewhere is showing a lime green SRT for sale that includes a lifetime warranty. Not sure what to make of this. Anyone know the scoop? Would love to shop prices for my SRT but confusion is sinking in.
 
#36 ·
Yeah, last I knew you could only get 7 or 8 year plans, max, for SRT vehicles. It's crazy because the Scat Packs aren't officially SRTs but mechanically they are and they qualify for the lifetime Maximum Care plans.

The plans available depend on what the VIN says you have, if a dealer sells you a plan that your vehicle doesn't actually qualify for then FCA will cancel order and trigger a refund.
 
#38 ·
One more thing...
The extended warranty covers up to 3 free replacements for the key fob, no matter if its lost or broken. In addition, free rental car if they need to keep my car overnight (a dealer may offer this as a nice courtesy, but the warranty guarantees it). Nice perks above the standard factory warr.
 
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