I have never bought an extended warranty for a vehicle other than for my 2014 F250 which currently has 40,000miles on the odometer. Since I purchased this truck mainly to tow my travel trailer, I decided I'd like the security of being able to go to a Ford dealership if something happens when traveling away from home without full exposure to dealer repair prices, as much as possible. While exploring the Savannah, GA area my truck threw a check engine light on a Sunday. The code indicated a probably issue with an O2 sensor. While there were no drivability issues, I was hesitant to hook up and hit the road with my trailer on Tuesday as scheduled.

Monday morning I opened the local Ford dealership and explained the situation. They told me while I should be fine to get to my next destination and have the problem addressed there, they would be happy to check it out for me if I had the time. Inspection would cost $100.00. An hour later they confirmed my issue and said they could have the part ordered and repair done by 9 AM the next morning. The mechanic also found that I had caliper issues so my front brakes were not fully releasing and that as a result, the pads and caliper were in bad shape. To top it off my front hubs were not functioning properly. Because this dealership runs two shifts of mechanics, they were able to have everything fixed and me back on the road by 6:30 the next morning for my $100.00 plus tax. The Service Writer said this was over $3,000.00 worth of work.

So, no real question here and while I'm still not an advocate of extended warranties in most cases, the warranty more than paid for itself and I still have 18 months left.

Safe travels.

 

Great to hear. I really enjoy reading / knowing there are dealers out there that honor the warranty without hassle. They could have very well told you your pads were "normal wear & tear" and made you jump through hoops to get it fixed. Hats off to the dealer!!

 

was this a ford extended warranty or a different company?

 

It was the Ford “bumper-to-bumper” extended warranty. I went with 7-years (overlaps the original warranty and selected 75,000 miles. I purchased it online from a Ford dealer because the dealer I bought the truck from wouldn’t come close to the price.

 

I believe most experts say the extended warrantees are not a good financial decision, but it depends on the individual. For some, the extra up-front cost is worth the peace of mind that it gives to the owner. Just depends on what you consider to be good value.

For someone like myself, they are not worth the cost as I do all my own diagnostics and repairs. Sounds like your trip went smoothly due to having the warranty and finding a good dealer for service.

— Dave

 

I agree and I think the experts are correct in the vast majority of the cases. At the end of the day, Ford has to be making a profit on extended warranties or they would charge more or discontinue them. Locally, I have a mechanic I trust and who charges reasonable prices. Since most of my miles were going to be on the road, I figured a Ford dealership would usually be a better bet than picking a name off a campground placemat.

This service experience was the best I've ever had from the multi-lane covered area where I pulled up and was met by someone who escorted me directly to the service writer, the loaner, to the promptness of the diagnosis/repair and the cleanliness of my truck when I picked it up. A lot of dealerships could take a lesson.

 

The Service Writer said from their mechanic's assessment, the calipers were the cause and the pads/rotors were a result so they were covered. I agree they could have easily diagnosed it differently. I keep copies of all the warranty paperwork, from the sales pamphlets to the contract in my truck but it was refreshing to have the dealership not make me fight for warranty coverage. Especially, given my limited timeline.