Unwarranted

[adi2tai]

Gents, Ladies, Little space aliens,

Lexus, blessed be they and their accountants, have offered me a further year's warranty on my LS460. It's an 08 reg, done 44k miles and in the year since I bought it second hand from a Leics dealership has had a few niggles but nothing major. The warranty the car came with runs out in 3 weeks time.

Now, I was delighted to see that Lexus ranked fourth for reliability in a recent survey in the States, so I'm hoping my car isn't the dud. I've no reason to think it is (apart from the wheel nearly falling off - see earlier post...). Would you lot spend £995 or your hard-earned wages on pushing the warranty forward an extra year? I've asked Lexus if there's any flexibility on the price and the answer was a scandalised, "No!"

Best and ta for any advice,

Adi.

[SteveLS400]

Gents, Ladies, Little space aliens,

Lexus, blessed be they and their accountants, have offered me a further year's warranty on my LS460. It's an 08 reg, done 44k miles and in the year since I bought it second hand from a Leics dealership has had a few niggles but nothing major. The warranty the car came with runs out in 3 weeks time.

Now, I was delighted to see that Lexus ranked fourth for reliability in a recent survey in the States, so I'm hoping my car isn't the dud. I've no reason to think it is (apart from the wheel nearly falling off - see earlier post...). Would you lot spend £995 or your hard-earned wages on pushing the warranty forward an extra year? I've asked Lexus if there's any flexibility on the price and the answer was a scandalised, "No!"

Best and ta for any advice,

Adi.

There are 2 decisions to make. Do I need/want warranty? Can I get it cheaper? Warranty is insurance. Insurance provides money when something that might happen, actually does. Dealing with the 2nd issue 1st. Warranty can be purchased independantly. Here is but 1 example http://www.knowyourmoney.co.uk/car-warranty/?ad=y&be=y which could provide a saving over the Lexus own cover. Try that 1 then Google "car warranty insurance" and plough down the alternatives. I suspect you will be able to obtain cover at a price you are happy with.

As with any car, something could go wrong. It may be a Lexus, but parts wear out. Many of these parts are changed at scheduled services and you will have to pay for those in any case. To determine if you need/want cover, you have to decide how much you are prepared to pay for non-scheduled parts replacement. Take an example of, say, the aircon. The old pumps - such as on my car - have a clutch which disengages the pump when at rest/not in use. This type of pump has a service kit available at minimal cost. Newer systems probably like yours are not serviceable and do not dis-engage. The unit is always running. A replacement will cost you the thick end of £2k. This is just 1 example.

Only you know what expense you could live with. Due to the relative newness of the 460, I don't think there's a list of known issues. There is also a limited supply of used parts. No doubt someone more knowledgeable than me could define some issues for you to judge. I've also no doubt that some would advise against extened warranties of any kind.

A few things to consider anyway.

[adi2tai]

Thanks, Steve. Had a look at that site of yours, and have asked for a written quotation and list of what's covered and what's not. A LOT cheaper than Lexus... It's difficult comparing the products from the website as the language used is different to the Lexus offer, so it's not clear if cover is comparable or not. There should be some law against this - financial products really aren't that hard to understand, but I get the feeling the companies offering them try to be as obfuscatory as possible .

I'll have a look at Google now.

Ta for the help,

Adi.

[knitware]

Try Warranty Direct. They are excellent.

[scythe]

Well, I'm sorry to go against what others are saying, but my advice is to buy the Lexus warranty. I think that you'll get it a bit cheaper than that (£865?) by shopping around, but it is still more expensive than other warranties. So why am I suggesting you buy it?

When you compare what's covered with other warranties, the other warranties tell you what is covered. You have to work out what isn't covered. The Lexus one tells you what isn't - and this list isn't very big.

Looking at the warranty direct list mentioned above - their 'ExtraCare' policy at about £630 - there are lots of large looking things in their list. But just compare it to the list of kit that's in your car. Electric seat adjusters? Forward and rear radar? Vehicle stability control? Heated/cooled seats? Electric boot lift? Stereo infrared cameras? Sat nav? Electric handbrake? And what about all the mundane things that are the stuff of life, such as window rubbers and cigarette lighters and illuminated dials and seat belts and visors?

I've had LSs for some years now - and I've lived through a total of seven years of extended warranties. All the bits I've had problems with that have needed replacing in that time, would, if they were straightforward replacements, have cost me less than the cost of the warranties, but not by much.

But the big crunch is that when you do have a problem, your Lexus dealer will sort it out for you without any hassle. He won't have to worry about how much diagnostic work he has to carry out, or whether you'll want to pay for the part that needs sorting, or whether he'll have to wait for approval from a third party company, and whether they have limits on it. He knows that he'll get paid without any arguments, so he just gets on and deals with the whole job as quickly as possible.

You've presumably paid over £30k for your (£72k when new) car. I think that £1k per year to guarantee the whole of the car isn't really too much - especially when it comes with included full-on RAC European cover!

Good luck!

[Manc]

Well now... that is a tough one...

My '93 has never broken down in its 18 year life.... the only parts to go have been normal wear & tear parts like suspension, rusty pipes (only 3!!), seals & gaskets... oh and the blinking dash syndrome!! but thats only on the 1st two LS400 models anyway i believe....

i'm lucky & can get some parts from scarpyards, but with yours being an 08 plate, parts would have to be original from Lexus....

I doubt the warranty would cover such wear & tear parts so you'd need to check exactly what is covered, and check your forum to see if there are any common faults (if you can call it that oon such a new vehicle!!)

Personally i have faith in the reliability of any lexus after owning mine for 6 years, but after hearing stories of a few strange occurances in america with the newer models, then its probably wise to hand over the cash, but you would probably be wasting it as they are extremely well built.

If you can spare the cash then do it for peace of mind, but have you ever seen a lexus on the hard-shoulder???

Ask an AA or RAC bloke when you see one....

[adi2tai]

Well, I'm sorry to go against what others are saying, but my advice is to buy the Lexus warranty. I think that you'll get it a bit cheaper than that (£865?) by shopping around, but it is still more expensive than other warranties. So why am I suggesting you buy it?

When you compare what's covered with other warranties, the other warranties tell you what is covered. You have to work out what isn't covered. The Lexus one tells you what isn't - and this list isn't very big.

Looking at the warranty direct list mentioned above - their 'ExtraCare' policy at about £630 - there are lots of large looking things in their list. But just compare it to the list of kit that's in your car. Electric seat adjusters? Forward and rear radar? Vehicle stability control? Heated/cooled seats? Electric boot lift? Stereo infrared cameras? Sat nav? Electric handbrake? And what about all the mundane things that are the stuff of life, such as window rubbers and cigarette lighters and illuminated dials and seat belts and visors?

I've had LSs for some years now - and I've lived through a total of seven years of extended warranties. All the bits I've had problems with that have needed replacing in that time, would, if they were straightforward replacements, have cost me less than the cost of the warranties, but not by much.

But the big crunch is that when you do have a problem, your Lexus dealer will sort it out for you without any hassle. He won't have to worry about how much diagnostic work he has to carry out, or whether you'll want to pay for the part that needs sorting, or whether he'll have to wait for approval from a third party company, and whether they have limits on it. He knows that he'll get paid without any arguments, so he just gets on and deals with the whole job as quickly as possible.

You've presumably paid over £30k for your (£72k when new) car. I think that £1k per year to guarantee the whole of the car isn't really too much - especially when it comes with included full-on RAC European cover!

Good luck!

I've had a good look at the various options, incl Warranty Direct and Quentin "Aren't I Clever" Willson's WarrantyWise. I've also had a look at Warranty Expert to try to compare them and others. And I've looked at the Lexus warranty. The most interesting thing was that Mr Clever's warranty, if you ticked all the boxes to make it approximate the Lexus offer, worked out at a full £30 cheaper. In other words, the Lexus warranty was pretty competitive.

I have been wondering, though, about the items listed in neither the "what's covered" nor the "what's not covered" sections of the Lexus one: satnav, airbags, alarm/immobiliser, abs and turbo, as well as the command console in the center of the dash. And is wear-and-tear included?

Might ring Lexus for some answers tomorrow, unless one of you clever people knows the answer?

Cheers,

Adi.

[SteveLS400]

It goes back to what I said earlier. Only you know if you can live with the cost of not having it.

No one is going to cover the stuff that wears out and should be replaced under the service plan or the owner due to wear & tear.

Makes sense to ring Lexus and the next best to determine whats covered/excluded. It will be in the small print.

[ACLex]

Well, I'm sorry to go against what others are saying, but my advice is to buy the Lexus warranty. I think that you'll get it a bit cheaper than that (£865?) by shopping around, but it is still more expensive than other warranties. So why am I suggesting you buy it?

When you compare what's covered with other warranties, the other warranties tell you what is covered. You have to work out what isn't covered. The Lexus one tells you what isn't - and this list isn't very big.

Looking at the warranty direct list mentioned above - their 'ExtraCare' policy at about £630 - there are lots of large looking things in their list. But just compare it to the list of kit that's in your car. Electric seat adjusters? Forward and rear radar? Vehicle stability control? Heated/cooled seats? Electric boot lift? Stereo infrared cameras? Sat nav? Electric handbrake? And what about all the mundane things that are the stuff of life, such as window rubbers and cigarette lighters and illuminated dials and seat belts and visors?

I've had LSs for some years now - and I've lived through a total of seven years of extended warranties. All the bits I've had problems with that have needed replacing in that time, would, if they were straightforward replacements, have cost me less than the cost of the warranties, but not by much.

But the big crunch is that when you do have a problem, your Lexus dealer will sort it out for you without any hassle. He won't have to worry about how much diagnostic work he has to carry out, or whether you'll want to pay for the part that needs sorting, or whether he'll have to wait for approval from a third party company, and whether they have limits on it. He knows that he'll get paid without any arguments, so he just gets on and deals with the whole job as quickly as possible.

You've presumably paid over £30k for your (£72k when new) car. I think that £1k per year to guarantee the whole of the car isn't really too much - especially when it comes with included full-on RAC European cover!

Good luck!

I've had a good look at the various options, incl Warranty Direct and Quentin "Aren't I Clever" Willson's WarrantyWise. I've also had a look at Warranty Expert to try to compare them and others. And I've looked at the Lexus warranty. The most interesting thing was that Mr Clever's warranty, if you ticked all the boxes to make it approximate the Lexus offer, worked out at a full £30 cheaper. In other words, the Lexus warranty was pretty competitive.

I have been wondering, though, about the items listed in neither the "what's covered" nor the "what's not covered" sections of the Lexus one: satnav, airbags, alarm/immobiliser, abs and turbo, as well as the command console in the center of the dash. And is wear-and-tear included?

Might ring Lexus for some answers tomorrow, unless one of you clever people knows the answer?

Cheers,

Adi.

Just to chuck my views into the pot, having dealt with a few extended warranty companies not all of them will use genuine parts in repairs so that would be worth checking as well.

Andy

[GEN]

Well, I'm sorry to go against what others are saying, but my advice is to buy the Lexus warranty. I think that you'll get it a bit cheaper than that (£865?) by shopping around, but it is still more expensive than other warranties. So why am I suggesting you buy it?

When you compare what's covered with other warranties, the other warranties tell you what is covered. You have to work out what isn't covered. The Lexus one tells you what isn't - and this list isn't very big.

Looking at the warranty direct list mentioned above - their 'ExtraCare' policy at about £630 - there are lots of large looking things in their list. But just compare it to the list of kit that's in your car. Electric seat adjusters? Forward and rear radar? Vehicle stability control? Heated/cooled seats? Electric boot lift? Stereo infrared cameras? Sat nav? Electric handbrake? And what about all the mundane things that are the stuff of life, such as window rubbers and cigarette lighters and illuminated dials and seat belts and visors?

I've had LSs for some years now - and I've lived through a total of seven years of extended warranties. All the bits I've had problems with that have needed replacing in that time, would, if they were straightforward replacements, have cost me less than the cost of the warranties, but not by much.

But the big crunch is that when you do have a problem, your Lexus dealer will sort it out for you without any hassle. He won't have to worry about how much diagnostic work he has to carry out, or whether you'll want to pay for the part that needs sorting, or whether he'll have to wait for approval from a third party company, and whether they have limits on it. He knows that he'll get paid without any arguments, so he just gets on and deals with the whole job as quickly as possible.

You've presumably paid over £30k for your (£72k when new) car. I think that £1k per year to guarantee the whole of the car isn't really too much - especially when it comes with included full-on RAC European cover!

Good luck!

I've had a good look at the various options, incl Warranty Direct and Quentin "Aren't I Clever" Willson's WarrantyWise. I've also had a look at Warranty Expert to try to compare them and others. And I've looked at the Lexus warranty. The most interesting thing was that Mr Clever's warranty, if you ticked all the boxes to make it approximate the Lexus offer, worked out at a full £30 cheaper. In other words, the Lexus warranty was pretty competitive.

I have been wondering, though, about the items listed in neither the "what's covered" nor the "what's not covered" sections of the Lexus one: satnav, airbags, alarm/immobiliser, abs and turbo, as well as the command console in the center of the dash. And is wear-and-tear included?

Might ring Lexus for some answers tomorrow, unless one of you clever people knows the answer?

Cheers,

Adi.

Just to chuck my views into the pot, having dealt with a few extended warranty companies not all of them will use genuine parts in repairs so that would be worth checking as well.

Andy

+1 - I also have had experience with the non-dealer warranty companies - last time one of the ones mentioned here - in short: cost me the price of the three year warrantee and then had to pay £1000 which was supposedly covered. I won't bore you with the details but if wanted pm me. In the meantime if you are going to buy such a warrantee go for the Lexus one.

[steve2006]

Well, I'm sorry to go against what others are saying, but my advice is to buy the Lexus warranty. I think that you'll get it a bit cheaper than that (£865?) by shopping around, but it is still more expensive than other warranties. So why am I suggesting you buy it?

When you compare what's covered with other warranties, the other warranties tell you what is covered. You have to work out what isn't covered. The Lexus one tells you what isn't - and this list isn't very big.

Looking at the warranty direct list mentioned above - their 'ExtraCare' policy at about £630 - there are lots of large looking things in their list. But just compare it to the list of kit that's in your car. Electric seat adjusters? Forward and rear radar? Vehicle stability control? Heated/cooled seats? Electric boot lift? Stereo infrared cameras? Sat nav? Electric handbrake? And what about all the mundane things that are the stuff of life, such as window rubbers and cigarette lighters and illuminated dials and seat belts and visors?

I've had LSs for some years now - and I've lived through a total of seven years of extended warranties. All the bits I've had problems with that have needed replacing in that time, would, if they were straightforward replacements, have cost me less than the cost of the warranties, but not by much.

But the big crunch is that when you do have a problem, your Lexus dealer will sort it out for you without any hassle. He won't have to worry about how much diagnostic work he has to carry out, or whether you'll want to pay for the part that needs sorting, or whether he'll have to wait for approval from a third party company, and whether they have limits on it. He knows that he'll get paid without any arguments, so he just gets on and deals with the whole job as quickly as possible.

You've presumably paid over £30k for your (£72k when new) car. I think that £1k per year to guarantee the whole of the car isn't really too much - especially when it comes with included full-on RAC European cover!

Good luck!

I've had a good look at the various options, incl Warranty Direct and Quentin "Aren't I Clever" Willson's WarrantyWise. I've also had a look at Warranty Expert to try to compare them and others. And I've looked at the Lexus warranty. The most interesting thing was that Mr Clever's warranty, if you ticked all the boxes to make it approximate the Lexus offer, worked out at a full £30 cheaper. In other words, the Lexus warranty was pretty competitive.

I have been wondering, though, about the items listed in neither the "what's covered" nor the "what's not covered" sections of the Lexus one: satnav, airbags, alarm/immobiliser, abs and turbo, as well as the command console in the center of the dash. And is wear-and-tear included?

Might ring Lexus for some answers tomorrow, unless one of you clever people knows the answer?

Cheers,

Adi.

Just to chuck my views into the pot, having dealt with a few extended warranty companies not all of them will use genuine parts in repairs so that would be worth checking as well.

Andy

Can't you get a better deal for him Andy?

[ACLex]

Well, I'm sorry to go against what others are saying, but my advice is to buy the Lexus warranty. I think that you'll get it a bit cheaper than that (£865?) by shopping around, but it is still more expensive than other warranties. So why am I suggesting you buy it?

When you compare what's covered with other warranties, the other warranties tell you what is covered. You have to work out what isn't covered. The Lexus one tells you what isn't - and this list isn't very big.

Looking at the warranty direct list mentioned above - their 'ExtraCare' policy at about £630 - there are lots of large looking things in their list. But just compare it to the list of kit that's in your car. Electric seat adjusters? Forward and rear radar? Vehicle stability control? Heated/cooled seats? Electric boot lift? Stereo infrared cameras? Sat nav? Electric handbrake? And what about all the mundane things that are the stuff of life, such as window rubbers and cigarette lighters and illuminated dials and seat belts and visors?

I've had LSs for some years now - and I've lived through a total of seven years of extended warranties. All the bits I've had problems with that have needed replacing in that time, would, if they were straightforward replacements, have cost me less than the cost of the warranties, but not by much.

But the big crunch is that when you do have a problem, your Lexus dealer will sort it out for you without any hassle. He won't have to worry about how much diagnostic work he has to carry out, or whether you'll want to pay for the part that needs sorting, or whether he'll have to wait for approval from a third party company, and whether they have limits on it. He knows that he'll get paid without any arguments, so he just gets on and deals with the whole job as quickly as possible.

You've presumably paid over £30k for your (£72k when new) car. I think that £1k per year to guarantee the whole of the car isn't really too much - especially when it comes with included full-on RAC European cover!

Good luck!

I've had a good look at the various options, incl Warranty Direct and Quentin "Aren't I Clever" Willson's WarrantyWise. I've also had a look at Warranty Expert to try to compare them and others. And I've looked at the Lexus warranty. The most interesting thing was that Mr Clever's warranty, if you ticked all the boxes to make it approximate the Lexus offer, worked out at a full £30 cheaper. In other words, the Lexus warranty was pretty competitive.

I have been wondering, though, about the items listed in neither the "what's covered" nor the "what's not covered" sections of the Lexus one: satnav, airbags, alarm/immobiliser, abs and turbo, as well as the command console in the center of the dash. And is wear-and-tear included?

Might ring Lexus for some answers tomorrow, unless one of you clever people knows the answer?

Cheers,

Adi.

Just to chuck my views into the pot, having dealt with a few extended warranty companies not all of them will use genuine parts in repairs so that would be worth checking as well.

Andy

Can't you get a better deal for him Andy?

I wish I could Steve, but we do not set the prices :(

Andy

[Malc]

WARRANTIES it's simple really.

My experience as an erstwhile car dealer also selling warranties is simply;

The warranty company would not be selling the product if it wasn't able to make a profit from the deal.

The warranties I dealt with were a mixed bunch, but mostly the conditions made it often difficult for the claimant to validly claim to get reimbursed.

This is a good earner for the warranty companies and even Lexus aren't doing it for the love of their client.

If you want the security of a warranty company around you then go4it.

Personally, I would save the warranty fees and put it towards the ( unlikely ) costs of covering whatever exceptional events might otherwise result in a valid and reimbursable warranty claim.

Warranties never ( as I understand it ) cover wear and tear and serviceable items that should have been serviced and replaced in the normal course.

Hope this helps in your decision.

Malc

[knitware]

The only reason that I recommend Warranty Direct is that I have used them for a warranty claim and I found them to be excellent. They do cover for wear and tear i.e. water pump, and they insure against a non insured item, i.e. a belt causing a failure of another part. I'm sure that the Lexus warranty will be more encompassing than the Warranty Direct policy but they cover all the important bits.

[dave1]

The only reason that I recommend Warranty Direct is that I have used them for a warranty claim and I found them to be excellent. They do cover for wear and tear i.e. water pump, and they insure against a non insured item, i.e. a belt causing a failure of another part. I'm sure that the Lexus warranty will be more encompassing than the Warranty Direct policy but they cover all the important bits.

I have used the Lexus extended warranty. When my car was serviced it was noticed that the haedlamp washers were not working so it was fixed under warranty with no problem. The unfortunate part of the Lexus warranty, and probably others too, is that they only cover parts which fail. If a ball joint is found to have play on it then it won't be covered, but if it fails 6 months later whilst the car is still under warranty then it is covered as it has failed, even though it is a wear and tear item. Thinking about it, all parts can be classed as wear and tear items surely?

[tonyricha]

I always extend my warranty with Lexus, just offset the price against the massive depreciation the previous owner suffered and suddenly it does not seem so expensive or painful to have no worries. Ask for a 24 month quote and pay it monthly, this plan reduces the interest free monthly DD and means they can not increase the price this time next year, mine went up by 20% from last year, wish I realized this dodge 12 months ago!Mine will stay under the warranty for the full 7 years by which time it will have covered 250,000 miles with all this scary technology to go wrong, I saw a LS460 needed a new steering rack for huge money.

[adi2tai]

As a veterinary surgeon, I know that insurance is a money-making jaunt for the insurer.... on average. That "on average" or over the course of several dozen or even several hundred policies, is the key: there's no predicting what any one animal, or in this case car, will need. What you can be sure of is that the "house" always wins: the insurers are offering the warranties to make a profit on it overall.

My advice to pet owners is that, if they can afford the odd couple of grand if things go wrong with their pet, then insurance is not for them. Otherwise it's better to spend £15 a month to avoid the sudden shock of a very high bill (or worse for the animal!).

I guess I was fairly decided to take the Lexus offer. It seemed pretty comprehensive and, after I'd checked WarrantyWise and Warranty Direct, the pricing looked pretty reasonable, too. I wanted your collective blessing that it wasn't a total ripoff before I went ahead. Even though you don't all agree (chance would be a fine thing), on balance I think I'll go with my first instinct. What I've definitely learnt is to ask about the 2y policy - thanks for that!

Thanks for all the help, chaps, it's always appreciated.

Best,

Adi.

[scythe]

Cool. You won't regret it!

[adi2tai]

Have today spoken to the merry lot at Lexus. They use a company called The Warranty Group, which provides warranties for Lexus, Toyota, Honda, the RAC and others. They said it's a "manufacturer's equivalent" warranty and is designed to give the same level of cover. It's all run thru the Lexus dealers, so you'd handle a claim in the same way as you would with a new car: take it in to Lexus and let them sort the repair and deal with the paperwork.

On my list of unmentioned items (satnav, ABS, alarm/immobiliser, airbags, radar/stability control, command console, etc.) they said that these would be covered as they were not on the list of exclusions. The good news for the punter on this one seems to be that only the items specifically excluded on the documents are excluded, anything not mentioned is considered covered.

The 1y option is £99.50pm for 10 months, the 2y option slightly cheaper at £92.50pm for 20 months. At least with the 2y option you don't get caught by a premium hike after one year.

All done. Now please don't someone come on to say what a terrible mistake I've made!

Cheers,

Adi.

[Malc]

Hi,

I guess the real hope is that you never have to use the Warranty and that it's been a total waste of money .......... OR, would you rather get value from it and have lots of problems covered by the Warranty !

Either way you win, it just might not feel like it at the end of two years.

I'm sure whatever decision you have made it is the right one for you.

Good luck

Malc