Extended Warranty

[bluenose1940]

Hi Folks, If I haven't changed my car by the time my current Lexus warranty runs out (October 28th) I am seriously considering taking out another Extended Warranty Plan and am wondering if anyone has any specific recommendations in this regard.

Lexus are quoting me £760.00 for a further 12month plan and £1335.00 for a 24month plan. I have started scanning the internet and there are cheaper options available out there. Has anyone any experience, good or bad, of these independent providers? One of the plans I have come across is operated by Quentin Wilson, the motoring guru, anyone had one of these?

Any input will be gratefully received for which many thanks in advance.

[lebon]

Hi Geoff, I have an extended warranty with Lexus and have no regrets at all. It might be slightly expensive but its worth it. There are loads of thread here on warranties have a read through.

[ironrose]

I'd say stick to the lexus extended warranty rather than a third party one.

In my case, the entire clutch assembly on the IS250 was replaced without any questions when i went to dealer and said "it doesnt feel right".

Not sure how much that would have costed if i had to do it independently. I bet its quite a task to convince that something is wrong on the car to a third party warranty company (I might be wrong though....)

[Exiled]

My car is three years old in October and I will be purchasing the Lexus extended warranty from my dealer. I have spoken to them and should anything go wrong I want it sorting out with a phone call to them without having to go through a third party.

They will collect the car from my home and supply me with a vehicle whilst mine is undergoing work. It may be more expensive than one supplied by a warranty company but I feel I will be looked after better. Another benefit is the continuance of the comprehensive breakdown service.

[wendle]

I had quite a long chat with Quentin Wilson a few weeks ago when he helped with the grand revealing of the new GS at my local Lexus dealership, funny enough he was quite interested in my view of the new GS as I had already ordered one, he told me about his warranty company and that only 1% of the clams were from Lexus owners, His company sounded ok and I don’t think you would have any problems with clams, he is in fact quite a Lexus enthusiast. But the decision must be down to you.

[bluenose1940]

I had quite a long chat with Quentin Wilson a few weeks ago when he helped with the grand revealing of the new GS at my local Lexus dealership, funny enough he was quite interested in my view of the new GS as I had already ordered one, he told me about his warranty company and that only 1% of the clams were from Lexus owners, His company sounded ok and I don’t think you would have any problems with clams, he is in fact quite a Lexus enthusiast. But the decision must be down to you.

Hi lebon, ironrose, Exiled and wendle, Thanks to each of you for your input, I am extremely grateful. did an on-line quote with Warrantywise (Quentin Willson) and the figure was very competetive at £1086.29 for 24months of cover (Lexus is £1335.00) and today the promotion material turned up in the post. I have to say that it does look to be an extremely comprehensive package and includes cover for items that are not included in the Lexus package. I think that I will have to sit down and do a 'like for like' comparison. I will also do a search of the LOC to see what has been discussed in the past and, to see if I can glean a little more to help me with my decision.

[Bratman91]

When I refinanced my IS250 at the 3 year point, the warranty was extended to end with the refinance period - it made the refinancing a bit more attractive.

[giorgoXXI]

I bought a WarrantyWise policy (Quentin Wilson's company) a few months ago for my IS-F. The Lexus warranty was coming to £1800 for 24 months, while WarrantyWise on their top cover was half that. I can't comment on how easy it is to claim as I luckily haven't used it yet, but the sales process was very good. My advice is to do a quote, then wait for a sales person to contact you and then start bargaining, don't settle for the online quote. I know the Lexus warranty is completely "no-hassle", but the cost difference was huge. If the difference is only around £200 I would go with Lexus.

[lebon]

I had experience using Warranty Direct on my previous car. When it came to claiming I was left without a car for 2 weeks and they try to wriggle their way out of not paying. When you make a claim and then you got to wait for their engineers to turn up to inspect and then they start giving you excuses that you don't need to use original parts and then they put their findings to Warranty Direct waiting for their approval. Once approved only then work can be started on your car. If you think that's worth a few quid saved then by all means go ahead with them. Since having a 2 year extended warranty with lexus I've had my steering rack changed/both wing mirrors/rear windscreen and rear brake calipers changed without any hassle. If you can afford a Lexus then you should be able to pay for warranty.

[bluenose1940]

I had experience using Warranty Direct on my previous car. When it came to claiming I was left without a car for 2 weeks and they try to wriggle their way out of not paying. When you make a claim and then you got to wait for their engineers to turn up to inspect and then they start giving you excuses that you don't need to use original parts and then they put their findings to Warranty Direct waiting for their approval. Once approved only then work can be started on your car. If you think that's worth a few quid saved then by all means go ahead with them. Since having a 2 year extended warranty with lexus I've had my steering rack changed/both wing mirrors/rear windscreen and rear brake calipers changed without any hassle. If you can afford a Lexus then you should be able to pay for warranty.

I have now had the paperwork through from Warranty Direct and, the premium for 24months of cover is almost exactly half of what Lexus want to charge me. On that basis I would make the assumption that the level and quality of cover offered will be lacking somewhat. I won't dismiss them out of hand but I will certainly examine the cover very carefully. Outside of the Lexus Plan, I am quite impressed with Warrantywise (Quentin Willson) which is slightly cheaper and does appear to offer more cover but, I have yet to examine this in fine detail and so will reserve judgement at the moment.

Overall, the chances are that I will go with Lexus but, I have to add that owning a Lexus isn't necessarily an indication of an endless supply of pennies, therefore for those of us on a fixed income, with very little chance to replensih our savings, shopping around for good deals, regardless of what the purchase may be, is an absolute must, hence the thread to seek comments/views/recommendations or otherwise.

[Exiled]

I had experience using Warranty Direct on my previous car. When it came to claiming I was left without a car for 2 weeks and they try to wriggle their way out of not paying. When you make a claim and then you got to wait for their engineers to turn up to inspect and then they start giving you excuses that you don't need to use original parts and then they put their findings to Warranty Direct waiting for their approval. Once approved only then work can be started on your car. If you think that's worth a few quid saved then by all means go ahead with them. Since having a 2 year extended warranty with lexus I've had my steering rack changed/both wing mirrors/rear windscreen and rear brake calipers changed without any hassle. If you can afford a Lexus then you should be able to pay for warranty.

I have now had the paperwork through from Warranty Direct and, the premium for 24months of cover is almost exactly half of what Lexus want to charge me. On that basis I would make the assumption that the level and quality of cover offered will be lacking somewhat. I won't dismiss them out of hand but I will certainly examine the cover very carefully. Outside of the Lexus Plan, I am quite impressed with Warrantywise (Quentin Willson) which is slightly cheaper and does appear to offer more cover but, I have yet to examine this in fine detail and so will reserve judgement at the moment.

Overall, the chances are that I will go with Lexus but, I have to add that owning a Lexus isn't necessarily an indication of an endless supply of pennies, therefore for those of us on a fixed income, with very little chance to replensih our savings, shopping around for good deals, regardless of what the purchase may be, is an absolute must, hence the thread to seek comments/views/recommendations or otherwise.

Some very good points bluenose, there seems very little likelihood of better interest rates or higher investment returns any time soon and I agree with your purchasing philosophy.

Regarding the Lexus I don't want any unexpected surprises and decided when I bought it that if I liked the car and intended keeping it for any length of time I would take out the extended warranty with Lexus.

I think that the Lexus policy will be the best and I believe it will give me peace of mind at least I believe it will give me a higher percentage peace of mind than any other policy.

[bluenose1940]

I had experience using Warranty Direct on my previous car. When it came to claiming I was left without a car for 2 weeks and they try to wriggle their way out of not paying. When you make a claim and then you got to wait for their engineers to turn up to inspect and then they start giving you excuses that you don't need to use original parts and then they put their findings to Warranty Direct waiting for their approval. Once approved only then work can be started on your car. If you think that's worth a few quid saved then by all means go ahead with them. Since having a 2 year extended warranty with lexus I've had my steering rack changed/both wing mirrors/rear windscreen and rear brake calipers changed without any hassle. If you can afford a Lexus then you should be able to pay for warranty.

I have now had the paperwork through from Warranty Direct and, the premium for 24months of cover is almost exactly half of what Lexus want to charge me. On that basis I would make the assumption that the level and quality of cover offered will be lacking somewhat. I won't dismiss them out of hand but I will certainly examine the cover very carefully. Outside of the Lexus Plan, I am quite impressed with Warrantywise (Quentin Willson) which is slightly cheaper and does appear to offer more cover but, I have yet to examine this in fine detail and so will reserve judgement at the moment.

Overall, the chances are that I will go with Lexus but, I have to add that owning a Lexus isn't necessarily an indication of an endless supply of pennies, therefore for those of us on a fixed income, with very little chance to replensih our savings, shopping around for good deals, regardless of what the purchase may be, is an absolute must, hence the thread to seek comments/views/recommendations or otherwise.

Some very good points bluenose, there seems very little likelihood of better interest rates or higher investment returns any time soon and I agree with your purchasing philosophy.

Regarding the Lexus I don't want any unexpected surprises and decided when I bought it that if I liked the car and intended keeping it for any length of time I would take out the extended warranty with Lexus.

I think that the Lexus policy will be the best and I believe it will give me peace of mind at least I believe it will give me a higher percentage peace of mind than any other policy.

Hi Exiled, Yes I can say that I am leaning very much towards the Lexus plan from the peace of mind angle. I have had very good service from both the Bristol and Exeter branches of Lexus. I purchased the car from the Bristol branch but purchased the 3 year service plan from Exeter as they offered me better terms (careful shopping again you see!)

Yesterday I was loaned an IS250 and I have to say that I was well impressed with it. I have been a passenger in the model on a couple of occasions but yesterday was the first time that I have driven one and the experience was first class. I have been toying with the idea of changing the car and if I do it will definitely be for the 250. If I am able to change the car I hope to be able to change it before my current warranty runs out at the end of October, that would then give me a new 12 months on the new one, which I can then renew for 24 months on the 250 when it becomes due.

[pauls13]

For me the extended warranty was the best investment I ever made, I brought my IS 220d last January as I opted out of my companies company car scheme, as I do some 15k business miles a year, I can’t afford not to be without a car, in the last 16 months, my car has had a warped head which eventually ended up being completely changed with a new engine, had I had not had the warranty would of cost me close to £10k. I have also had new brake callipers a new Xeon bulb and ballast (costing £180) all done under warranty and each time the car has gone in, I have always been provided with a car and classic Lexus service. As a bonus you also get breakdown cover which saves on AA subscription.

[bluenose1940]

For me the extended warranty was the best investment I ever made, I brought my IS 220d last January as I opted out of my companies company car scheme, as I do some 15k business miles a year, I can’t afford not to be without a car, in the last 16 months, my car has had a warped head which eventually ended up being completely changed with a new engine, had I had not had the warranty would of cost me close to £10k. I have also had new brake callipers a new Xeon bulb and ballast (costing £180) all done under warranty and each time the car has gone in, I have always been provided with a car and classic Lexus service. As a bonus you also get breakdown cover which saves on AA subscription.

Hello Paul, You seem to be endorsing all that is good about Lexus (they're not perfect....but who is!) and as i said in my reply to Exiled, I am leaning heavily towards taking out the warranty with Lexus so it seems that that will almost certainly be my final choice. It is very helpful to get input from people like yourself and other members of the LOC, it is useful to hear of good experiences like your own and others that I have read on the forum, I haven't seen too many adverse comments, so it seems that the good outweighs the bad in respect of Lexus warranties. Thank you.

[fjcfarrar]

For me the extended warranty was the best investment I ever made, I brought my IS 220d last January as I opted out of my companies company car scheme, as I do some 15k business miles a year, I can’t afford not to be without a car, in the last 16 months, my car has had a warped head which eventually ended up being completely changed with a new engine, had I had not had the warranty would of cost me close to £10k. I have also had new brake callipers a new Xeon bulb and ballast (costing £180) all done under warranty and each time the car has gone in, I have always been provided with a car and classic Lexus service. As a bonus you also get breakdown cover which saves on AA subscription.

Hello Paul, You seem to be endorsing all that is good about Lexus (they're not perfect....but who is!) and as i said in my reply to Exiled, I am leaning heavily towards taking out the warranty with Lexus so it seems that that will almost certainly be my final choice. It is very helpful to get input from people like yourself and other members of the LOC, it is useful to hear of good experiences like your own and others that I have read on the forum, I haven't seen too many adverse comments, so it seems that the good outweighs the bad in respect of Lexus warranties. Thank you.

I agree with your sentiments. Lexus seem to operate their Warranty as an aspect of their overall customer care & to enhance their reputation. Lexus Warranty repairs seem to be promptly dealt with in a fuss-free way - with no superhuman effort to seek exceptions to avoid payment. Nevertheless it is an insurance, and not a cheap one. But weighing it all up, I recently extended my already extended warranty on my ISF to 7 years recently even though it is unlikely to go wrong - because if it did, and it was more than something minor; the cost would be in mortgage territory. With the IS220, the chances of problems do seem to be greater; so extended warranty seems even more worthwhile - and it might as well be the costlier Lexus one to keep things hassle-free, and being transferrable, could be a selling-point when the time comes. The only thing is; if you never have to make a claim - will it still seem worth it and how come they can't include 5 or 7 year warranties in the price as some lesser Korean brands (which I cannot imagine to be any more reliable) manage to do?

[normski2]

For me the extended warranty was the best investment I ever made, I brought my IS 220d last January as I opted out of my companies company car scheme, as I do some 15k business miles a year, I can’t afford not to be without a car, in the last 16 months, my car has had a warped head which eventually ended up being completely changed with a new engine, had I had not had the warranty would of cost me close to £10k. I have also had new brake callipers a new Xeon bulb and ballast (costing £180) all done under warranty and each time the car has gone in, I have always been provided with a car and classic Lexus service. As a bonus you also get breakdown cover which saves on AA subscription.

Hello Paul, You seem to be endorsing all that is good about Lexus (they're not perfect....but who is!) and as i said in my reply to Exiled, I am leaning heavily towards taking out the warranty with Lexus so it seems that that will almost certainly be my final choice. It is very helpful to get input from people like yourself and other members of the LOC, it is useful to hear of good experiences like your own and others that I have read on the forum, I haven't seen too many adverse comments, so it seems that the good outweighs the bad in respect of Lexus warranties. Thank you.

I agree with your sentiments. Lexus seem to operate their Warranty as an aspect of their overall customer care & to enhance their reputation. Lexus Warranty repairs seem to be promptly dealt with in a fuss-free way - with no superhuman effort to seek exceptions to avoid payment. Nevertheless it is an insurance, and not a cheap one. But weighing it all up, I recently extended my already extended warranty on my ISF to 7 years recently even though it is unlikely to go wrong - because if it did, and it was more than something minor; the cost would be in mortgage territory. With the IS220, the chances of problems do seem to be greater; so extended warranty seems even more worthwhile - and it might as well be the costlier Lexus one to keep things hassle-free, and being transferrable, could be a selling-point when the time comes. The only thing is; if you never have to make a claim - will it still seem worth it and how come they can't include 5 or 7 year warranties in the price as some lesser Korean brands (which I cannot imagine to be any more reliable) manage to do?

Could not agree more with the sentiment. To answer your final sentence....well, it comes down to peace of mind knowing that you have it covered if it SHOULD happen during the term.