Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The dealer service package is always great- for the dealer. I avoid these and extended warranties. The reason I don’t like service plans is I have a good mechanic who I trust. His shop is easier to get to and always faster than the dealer. He is also cheaper than the dealer. Usually service packages only cover the most routine maintenance.

Just bought a Honda and the sales guy gave me the hard sell on the extended warranty. I told him if he thought Hondas were so bad that “I had to get an extended warranty,” maybe I should consider a Toyota.

Todays cars, including Toyota, Honda etc are much more complex vs even five years back. Most feature turbo engines, complex sensors, electronics. I am a Toyota man and would never purchase an extended warranty prior, but these days, it may be a wise move to do so. I don't have extra $$ to waste but now take all our vehicles to the dealer, even after warranty expires. There are just too many cheap parts available (think of cheap made in china oil filter) and using the dealer insures that they are using OEM parts. As for your mechanic, trust me, he cannot keep with all of the latest crap in car technology.

Not only can the mechanic not keep up with the technology, modern diagnostic equipment is getting more brand specific and it is not cheap. Either he doesn't have it and is wasting time diagnosing a problem or he has it and has to charge enough to recoup his investment. Even small things like putting a car with a dead battery and a push button transmission into neutral can require model specific tools (ask me how I know). 20 years ago, independent mechanics where the way to go, but that's changing with modern cars.

+1. We have a 2018 lexus NX - 4 cyl turbo, only 19K miles as rarely driven after covid. Couple months back noticed a humming noise from the engine bay, but car now out of base warranty and no extended warranty. Took it to dealer and they diagnosed some bad valve connected to the turbo - cost close to $1K to fix. I escalated to Service Mgr and lexus then covered it under "customer goodwill" because we had purchased it there, they had performed all service (mainly oil changes), and car had low mileage. I doubt an independent would have been able to diagnose and fix it...and then do it for free. The point here is that it pays to get extended warranty coverage (i wish had) on these newer vehicles and it also pays to get the service or repairs performed at the dealer.

Anonymous wrote:The dealer service package is always great- for the dealer. I avoid these and extended warranties. The reason I don’t like service plans is I have a good mechanic who I trust. His shop is easier to get to and always faster than the dealer. He is also cheaper than the dealer. Usually service packages only cover the most routine maintenance.

Just bought a Honda and the sales guy gave me the hard sell on the extended warranty. I told him if he thought Hondas were so bad that “I had to get an extended warranty,” maybe I should consider a Toyota.

You sound like my dad...and today's cars are not the same as my dad's car.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The dealer service package is always great- for the dealer. I avoid these and extended warranties. The reason I don’t like service plans is I have a good mechanic who I trust. His shop is easier to get to and always faster than the dealer. He is also cheaper than the dealer. Usually service packages only cover the most routine maintenance.

Just bought a Honda and the sales guy gave me the hard sell on the extended warranty. I told him if he thought Hondas were so bad that “I had to get an extended warranty,” maybe I should consider a Toyota.

Todays cars, including Toyota, Honda etc are much more complex vs even five years back. Most feature turbo engines, complex sensors, electronics. I am a Toyota man and would never purchase an extended warranty prior, but these days, it may be a wise move to do so. I don't have extra $$ to waste but now take all our vehicles to the dealer, even after warranty expires. There are just too many cheap parts available (think of cheap made in china oil filter) and using the dealer insures that they are using OEM parts. As for your mechanic, trust me, he cannot keep with all of the latest crap in car technology.

Not only can the mechanic not keep up with the technology, modern diagnostic equipment is getting more brand specific and it is not cheap. Either he doesn't have it and is wasting time diagnosing a problem or he has it and has to charge enough to recoup his investment. Even small things like putting a car with a dead battery and a push button transmission into neutral can require model specific tools (ask me how I know). 20 years ago, independent mechanics where the way to go, but that's changing with modern cars.

Anonymous wrote:The dealer service package is always great- for the dealer. I avoid these and extended warranties. The reason I don’t like service plans is I have a good mechanic who I trust. His shop is easier to get to and always faster than the dealer. He is also cheaper than the dealer. Usually service packages only cover the most routine maintenance.

Just bought a Honda and the sales guy gave me the hard sell on the extended warranty. I told him if he thought Hondas were so bad that “I had to get an extended warranty,” maybe I should consider a Toyota.

Todays cars, including Toyota, Honda etc are much more complex vs even five years back. Most feature turbo engines, complex sensors, electronics. I am a Toyota man and would never purchase an extended warranty prior, but these days, it may be a wise move to do so. I don't have extra $$ to waste but now take all our vehicles to the dealer, even after warranty expires. There are just too many cheap parts available (think of cheap made in china oil filter) and using the dealer insures that they are using OEM parts. As for your mechanic, trust me, he cannot keep with all of the latest crap in car technology.

The dealer service package is always great- for the dealer. I avoid these and extended warranties. The reason I don’t like service plans is I have a good mechanic who I trust. His shop is easier to get to and always faster than the dealer. He is also cheaper than the dealer. Usually service packages only cover the most routine maintenance.

Just bought a Honda and the sales guy gave me the hard sell on the extended warranty. I told him if he thought Hondas were so bad that “I had to get an extended warranty,” maybe I should consider a Toyota.

We just got our hybrid lexus and havent committed to a plan. Should we? Is it worth it?