aftermarket warranties

[jlandreth]

Has anyone had experience with Warranty Direct,Prestige,or other aftermarket warranty companies? The factory warranty on my 2000 996 recently expired and ,although I've had no problems(RMS or otherwise),I'm wondering if this would be a wise investment.My P-car specialist shop has had no experience w/Warranty Direct. Thanks!

[scottb]

I looked into this when I bought an Acura TL. I ultimately decided to go with an extended warranty program offered by Allstate. I felt more confident having Allstate behind it, and the cost, coverage and deductibles were all pretty reasonable.

[Dantilla]

Pretty common for aftermarket warranty companies to go "bankrupt" and then open back up under a new name to avoid actually paying claims. It's a huge profit center for dealerships to sell them, but if you have a claim, you will be told that the dealership is not responsible- Go talk to the warranty company- If they are still in business.

I would ONLY consider a warranty by the manufacturer as any good.

[silverc4s]

As part of a auto business I am a partner in, we evaluate many aftermarket warranties, and sell a few brands.
I do not sell a lot of high line cars, so the warranties that I am most familiar with exclude P cars, along with most other high end Euro cars..
Do your research before you sign up. The best companies will have been in business for a number of years, 5 is good, 10 is excellent. They also will reinsure their policy coverage with major reinsurers like Lloyds, etc.
As far as the policy itself, read it carefully as in all cases ONLY those items specifically mentioned in the policy will be covered, and hairs will be split by the approval folks at repair time.
Example: The main bearing in your compressor clutch seizes up, destroying the clutch, compressor, and some other things in your engine compartment. Most policies will cover the replacement clutch, and that's it. The other parts did not FAIL, but were wiped by a failing part, yaydayyada....
\Caveat> I am not a lawyer, I do not want to sell anyone here a warranty. Use this info as you freely choose..

[david.avery]

MOST of these warranties only cover "lubricated parts". Crank, cams, anything that is internal to the engine. This is where I learned that someone is willing to take 1-2K of my money, and not give me anything of value for it.

I actually found a "reputable" one when I was looking into a C2 purchase. www.Exoticwarranty.com. Spoke with a person there a few times, and they cover more, and even some higher mileage cars. They do require an inspection from a certified mechanic.

[scottb]

As I recall, the Allstate policy covered the car bumper-to-bumper, which was important to me because it has a navigation system in it.