Why do cars break right after a warranty expires?

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I know it is a rhetorical question but what a budget buster. We purchased an extended warranty on our Jeep for 7 years/70,000 miles that is pretty much bumper to bumper. DH had to travel several hours away out of town for Army training and on the trip the a/c in the vehicle went out. He took the vehicle to the dealership in the town he is in and we are waiting for the verdict but he is pretty sure it is at least the compressor.

The mileage on the Jeep is 70,801.

I'm assuming we are just out of luck so we are bracing ourselves for the bill.

Next time we are springing for the 100,000 mile warranty!

 

[JenLanDisney]

The AC compressor went on our 2007 Jeep Liberty around 45,000 miles.

We contacted Chrysler and they agreed to fix it for $300 deductible.

Try it!

 

[LilyWDW]

Because... it knows...

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

The AC compressor went on our 2007 Jeep Liberty around 45,000 miles.

We contacted Chrysler and they agreed to fix it for $300 deductible.

Try it!

We had to have the a/c fan replaced last summer but forgot we had the extended warranty so we paid out of pocket for that repair.

I don't know how much this repair will be. DH is going to ask if they will honor the warranty since the mileage is so close but I'm not holding my breath.

Because... it knows...

I think you are correct!

 

[cinabug]

planned obsolescence. I'm not actually sure that automakers do this, but take a look at the inner workings of a hair dryer sometime. Those little bits of soldering are meant to give out in a timely fashion so that you will buy a no one on a regular basis. It isn't a stretch to think that the same business model is used for cars. Gotta love it.

 

[katman2540]

When my wife's hair dryer starts to fail I just take it apart and fix it myself. I hate buying something new when a couple of minutes of work will bring it back to life. But on the otherside I am also a computer/printer repair person so YMMV.

 

[Swimalie]

A friend of mine's Honda had an issue 3 weeks after the original warranty ended. They called Honda and they agreed to fix it for them. My friend's paid for the repair and then sent the bill to Honda who reimbursed them. Not sure if any other manufacturer will do this, though.

 

[ssawka]

Because the computers in the cars are programmed to do this. After you decide whether or not to get the extended warranty, the dealer goes in back and enters the length of your warranty into the car's computer. Once your warranty periods ends, the car's computer begins wrecking havoc. Didn't you ever wonder why it takes the dealer so long to get the car ready before you drive away? They need to program the computer!

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Bought a new car in June 1995. Made the last payment 48 months later in June 1999. Looked forward to having a little extra cash each month.

Ooops...........the battery died about a week after paying it off so we had to cough up 100 bucks.

Not exactly an "out of warranty" situation, but it was obviously a little deflating!

As a side note, the dealer may be able to help you get coverage since you are just over 70,000 miles. A regional person from Chrysler may be able to help out if the dealership calls them. If the dealership refuses, YOU can track a Chrysler rep down and tell them your story. Good luck and I hope it works out.

 

[Sadie22]

Let us know how the cost of the repair compares with the amount you have paid for the warranty.

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

That darned Murphy and his law!!!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

DH took the Jeep in when they opened this morning and they told him to come back tomorrow. In the meantime he is wracking up more miles driving back and forth. No word yet on whether or not the warranty will do any good or not. I'll update when we find out.

It would be nice if the warranty paid for the repair but again, I'm not expecting them to do so.

Let us know how the cost of the repair compares with the amount you have paid for the warranty.

I know that extended warranties aren't usually considered a good deal but we actually have gotten our money's worth out of this one for the most part. When I dug out the warranty info from the filing cabinet, I also found the receipts for work we had done just a few months after we purchased it that would have cost about what we paid for the warranty.

The prices of extended warranties are negotiable just like the price of the car - just be sure to negotiate your price on the vehicle first THEN negotiate down the price of the warranty so they don't wrap it back into the purchase price.

Our total price on the Jeep plus the warranty was still lower than the kbb price for the vehicle with the mileage so I feel that we did get a good deal.

 

[angwill]

Because the computers in the cars are programmed to do this. After you decide whether or not to get the extended warranty, the dealer goes in back and enters the length of your warranty into the car's computer. Once your warranty periods ends, the car's computer begins wrecking havoc. Didn't you ever wonder why it takes the dealer so long to get the car ready before you drive away? They need to program the computer!

Sadly, I would not be surprised if this is possible and/or happens.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Just wanted to update - the warranty company would not pay for the repair so we are now deciding whether to fix the vehicle or trade it in. We had planned to trade it in this Winter or next year anyway so we will most likely just go ahead and do it now and not get it repaired.

We are looking at purchasing another small or mid-size SUV. Luckily USAA has a car buying service which takes most of the hassle of negotiating away.

 

[Swimalie]

Just wanted to update - the warranty company would not pay for the repair so we are now deciding whether to fix the vehicle or trade it in. We had planned to trade it in this Winter or next year anyway so we will most likely just go ahead and do it now and not get it repaired.

We are looking at purchasing another small or mid-size SUV. Luckily USAA has a car buying service which takes most of the hassle of negotiating away.

Sorry they wouldn't extend the warranty to fix the car. As for the buying service, also check in to Costco if you are a member. We just bought a Forester last week and checked in to both USAA and Costco. Costco ended up being cheaper by about $300. We bought the car using their program and got a great deal on it.

 

[dawson5]

Just wanted to update - the warranty company would not pay for the repair so we are now deciding whether to fix the vehicle or trade it in. We had planned to trade it in this Winter or next year anyway so we will most likely just go ahead and do it now and not get it repaired.

We are looking at purchasing another small or mid-size SUV. Luckily USAA has a car buying service which takes most of the hassle of negotiating away.

Who asked if they would cover it?

My hubby has gone to bat for people in this same position and usually they will cover it (the one time that I know that they didn't, was for my dad, because he was family). If they don't cover it entirely, they cover a good portion. If the service writer called, see if you can get the service manager to call and see what he can do. Sometimes they have a better relationship with their district reps.