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.
I agree, hope to never use it! Those adjustable Bilsteins are $500 each and I've had shocks/struts leak on other cars, so it's worth it to me for that alone!
As we should all know, things can and will change at some point with FCA products, including warranties.
That's why I decided to get the Lifetime Bumper to Bumper when I got my '16 Scat Pack. I know what's covered and not, and I knew what the price for one was at the time of purchasing it, and told my dealer what I would pay for it at delivery.
There's no guarantee what the future price will be, or what models will be added or excluded, or if the Lifetime policy will be axed.
It's all about gambling, so to speak, so I decided to gamble $3100 at delivery, for a guaranteed fact of getting the Lifetime coverage with a $100 deductible, knowing that I plan on keeping this car a good long time.
Nothing would make me feel better than saying 10 years from now, I NEVER had a problem, and didn't use the warranty at all, but I'm a realist, and bet that within 5-6 years, I'll be even on repairs vs warranty costs.
My R/T Scat Pack is one hell of a car to me, but again, being a realist, it is a Dodge, and a fun one that will get stretched regularly
Unless they changed it for '16, the only trim you couldn't get a lifetime maxcare on was the hellcat. The mopar extended warranty website has a number you can call directly and verify too.
When I picked up my car on Dec 3 ,I was quoted $2700 for the lifetime warranty. I thought I throw that in here. I'm leaning towards that since I wanna keep it a long time.
Chrysler extended service plans are driven by the vin number and mileage, cheapest to buy before a year old or 12k miles, also new service plan must be purchased while the vehicle is under the factory base warranty, 3/36k
Luke
Not true, the plans can be purchased without an inspection up to 4yr or 48k miles from the in-service date. After that point the vehicle must undergo an inspection by a dealer before the plans can be purchased and there is likely to be an additional surcharge as well.
0-11,999 miles and up to 12 months from in-service: No surcharge
12,000-47,999 miles and up to 48 months from in-service: $100 surcharge
After 4yr/48k I don't know if or what the surcharge is.
EDIT: Actually, it looks like, according to the official Mopar site for this, the new vehicle plans can only be purchased within 48mo/48k miles. A dealer site on plans indicated that after that point an inspection would be needed first.
From FCA:
A: New Vehicle plans can be purchased anytime within 4 years and 48,000 miles of the vehicle's warranty start date (the date the vehicle was delivered to its original owner). Surcharges may apply after 1 year or 12,000 miles.
Certified Pre-Owned plans can be purchased on Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep® or Ram Truck vehicles with an active, Certified Pre-Owned Limited Warranty and an odometer that reads less than 75,000 miles. Lifetime plans for Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles must be purchased within 4 years and 48,000 miles of the vehicle's warranty start date (the date the vehicle was delivered to its original owner).
Traditional Pre-Owned Vehicle plans can be purchased on vehicles that are no more than 10 model years old and with an odometer that reads less than 125,000 miles. Your dealer will complete a Vehicle Inspection to ensure the vehicle is eligible for coverage.
Most – but not all – Convenience and Maintenance (non-mechanical) plans can be purchased on vehicles that are no more than 10 model years old and with an odometer that reads less than 125,000 miles. Some Convenience and Maintenance (non-mechanical) plans have specific enrollment rules. Please visit your local dealer for details.
I didn't read all the posts so excuse me if I am repeating something someone else already posted but here goes my 2 cents:
No offense, but geez, can't anyone take any risk anymore? Extended warranties are insurance. If you need peace of mind, add up all the extended warranties you are offered for everything from the toaster at the store to your car and have an automatic deposit to a money market account at Vanguard or something deducted from your checking account. This will help to keep you disciplined and it will help you to pay for any catastrophic repairs in the event they ever happen. If they don't (and the odds are they won't) you have a nice chunk of money.
Extended warranties make money for the folks that offer them or they wouldn't sell them which means the odds are you will pay in more than you take out. They also include commissions for anyone selling you one. Pretend you're at a casino. You are the gambler and they are the house. The house always wins in the long run, you may be the lucky gambler one day, but if you keep playing, you will lose in the long run. You can always find someone who gets more back than they pay in, those are the ones you hear about. You don't hear too much from all the folks that pay in more than they take out but I assure you they are the majority. If they weren't, the warranty wouldn't be offered since the warranty company would be losing money. Since there is a huge commission for the warranties sold, that amount isn't even in the risk assessment for the warranty company, which means you are paying the seller (dealership) first. There are also rules about maintenance, don't make a mistake there or your repair may not qualify since you let a maintenance issue slide a little too long.
Sure, we all have to carry liability and collision insurance, healthcare, life and homeowners because the risk of loss is too high if it ever happens, but car repairs don't cost near as much most of the time.
Go sit inside a 2015+ Challenger and look at all the expensive electronics they have now, not to mention all the electronics and modules you can't see. Those failures and the labor to fix them is what hurts. Engine, trans and diff problems, while major, are relatively rare.
It's the electronics that worry me and it's nice having peace of mind that I don't have to worry if something breaks.
But, that's me. I'm not here to convince anyone that they NEED the extended warranty, I just want to try and make sure the people that WANT one don't get ripped off.
@slorob
Your statement is true in many cases, but not in the case of the lifetime warranty (if you keep your car for a long time). If you keep your car for many years, it is all but certain that you will use more than the cost of your warranty. Possibly not if the first big repair is needed after the car's value has already dropped below what you paid for the warranty. They get their money from what they keep of the prorated amount they refund to the people who sell their cars early.
in my opinion the cost of repairs in the future will cause vehicles to be cheaper to replace than repair, the cost of some modules and computers, electronics that will prevent vehicle operations will become such that people will start abandoning vehicles
Luke
for some people warranty means very little, for some especially those who do not have the means to pay for large repairs, means everything
it isnt for everybody,
Hello, I just picked up my new ordered SPS this morning and when I sat down to price out the extended warranties. The Factory Lifetime warranty for my car was not available ??. The order screen had all the other ones available, but Lifetime wasn't listed.
Has anyone come across this ?
Has Chrysler decided to stop it ?
I live in Nevada, that shouldn't matter ?
Thanks
I ended up purchasing the Mopar Maximum Care Lifetime Protection Plan. Ultimately, the price I paid was $3,065. Since I plan on owning the car forever, I think it'll end up being a wise investment. Car repairs are expensive and I, in particular, am a freak about my car. I want it to stay nice, not just let it gradually go to crap like most people in the general public do with their cars.
I think that getting a new Challenger is a lot like falling in love, it feels like it's going to be forever. But usually that is not the case. Look at the real Challenger enthusiasts here, guys that bought in '08-'12 or 13, seems to me like many of them are on their second or maybe even third Challenger. New ones will come out with even cooler features than the ones being made now, or our life circumstances will change and we'll decide we really 'need' something else, etc. Really, how many of you have kept a car for 10+ years? Yeah, I know it happens, but I suspect the kind of person who buys a Challenger is not part of that demographic.
Meanwhile, extended warranties are nothing more than insurance policies, and the house always wins.
I won't be dropping $3K today, for repairs that I may or may not need years from now. Hey, if I keep the car and find years from now that I need to pay the big bucks to fix something, so be it.
I bought the Lifetime Maximum Care with $100 deductible on 11/25/15 for my 2016 SRT392. When I called to purchase the warranty I was told that the SRT392 is eligible. Well I just got my contract 12/04/15 and it states. ELIGIBLE VEHICLES: FCA US vehicles (excluding Sprinter, all SRT vehicles, Viper, diesel-equipped, all Ram Cab/Chassis, ProMaster, Hellcat models, Alfa Romeo 4C, right-hand drive, battery/electric and Hybrid vehicles) covered by an active 5/60 or longer
Powertrain Warranty are eligible within 48 months of the in-service date and 48,000 miles.
So I called and was assured that SRT392 is eligible & was told that if your vehicle is not eligible the system would not allow the warranty to be done. My problem is that the contact clearly states SRT is excluded. WTF!! Is it just me or is that CRAZY. Why would the contract say it is Excluded if its not? I just don't feel comfortable paying $4,549 for a warranty that states it Does Not cover the car. I will be calling tomorrow 12/08/15 to cancel it and get a refund. Plus it sounds like $4,549 is over priced for 2016 SRT392 Challenger with less than 575 miles. Really want the life time warranty if anyone gets this cleared up please let me know ASAP.
Somethings to consider... Lifetime maxcare comes with a first day rental policy. Rental coverage isn't lifetime ( 7 year/100k ) but you can grab a rental any time you bring the car in. Including oil changes.
Another thing is the trip interruption insurance it comes with. On a trip in my Dart with a lifetime (while still under factory warranty) a check trans light came on. Turns out it just needed a TCM update but I was already in my free rental on my way. And Chrysler ended up paying nearly $800.00 in expenses from the trip that I was going to spend anyway, just for the hassle. And the service was awesome, they expedited my car at the dealer to being ready the next morning when I was originally told 3 days to get a look in that department.
Service Advisers get paid differently than a Finance rep. Look around and you can probably find one who will sell you one close to cost. Works for them because they get paid per warranty sold, not on the margin (although I could be wrong). They also make a new potential "lifetime" customer. My rep was able to show me the cost on both my cars.
Last my 2015 Scat Pack with only 1,700 miles had a leaking oil cooler when I came in for an oil change today. So I'll agree these cars are complex with a lot of electronics and high performance parts. All expensive to replace. Finding a good Dealer is probably the most important thing here, they will do the right thing if you do.
ran a Scat Pack vin for a customer this morning and it was not eligible for lifetime plans, made a call, response i got was class E, which includes Scat and SRT are excluded from lifetime plans
Luke
As of 12/07/15 ALL SRT models are no longer eligible for the lifetime warranty. WOW!!! I will keep mine after all & very thankful I was able to get it before this happened.
I plan on keeping my 2016 SRT392 Challenger for life as it is a garage car. I also planed on getting a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, but not now!!! I went with the 392 over Hellcat because #1- Lifetime warranty #2-Hellcat is not much faster (raced it - not worth $$$$) #3-392 sounds better. Put a 2015 SRT392 & Hellcat side by side and start them. 392 sounds so much better & I don't like the whine of the supercharger!
had to have the radio replace $1000.00 still under warranty thank god. looking into the life time one.
now having fan control unit done . love the can but seems to need more work than others cars I have had.
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