Extended Warrenty

seanwr400

Member
OK guys guess what I need to know is the extended warrenty woth the money. I can get an extra 2 years and 50,000 miles for about $2,400. I am thinking what it will boil down to is 3 or 4 oil changes and 1 brake job if nothing breaks. Between that and the inspections it would be about a wash if I have the work done at the dealer any ways. Problem is, what if I am not happy with the stock brakes, ect.... I know they aren't going to cover after market parts. I have always found that the aftermarket stuff is usualy way better for the same money or less. WIll this hold true on this car? ANd while on the subject, are there any "must" do mods for this car, for performance or durability? WHat about getting a little more power? PLans are to leave it alone and maybe upgrade to an M a few years from now, but I love to tinker......
 
There are a lot of people here who loves mods. I'm not one of them, but I wouldn't be without a warranty. I know there are lots of mods that will void your warranty, so whatever it is you want to do to your Z, check first - if you decide to purchase one - otherwise, you're on your own.
Are you planning on tracking your Z, just curious? You'll get lots of great info. on the questions you asked if you do a search here. :thumbsup:
Also, since you're planning on trading up later, take into consideration most dealerships will want an OEM car. Mods don't increase the value.
 
I did my research on extended warranties when I bought my 2003 Z4 from the Auction house last month.

I found out that 99% of all dealer extended warranties are way overpriced.
Look at least sites for more info:

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/warranty.htm (surprising info)
http://www.consumerautomotiveresearch.com/
http://www.autowarrantyandmore.com/orgs.jsp

There are other sites but these are what I could remember.......

There are only a few companies that are fully insured by an A-rated insurance company, and have a five star rating.

I went with Warranty Direct.

http://www.warrantydirect.com/ (For an instant quote)
http://www.warrantydirect.com/warrantyd ... buyingtips (To see the different coverages and what is covered)

I bought the SecureCare+. Price out the door $1350.00

What's covered: Virtually every mechanical, electrical and computer related part of your vehicle is covered. Just like your factory warranty, it lists only a limited number of items not covered.

Type of coverage Mechanical breakdowns
Wear-and-tear failures
Unlimited number of claims

What else is included? FREE Deluxe 24x7 Roadside Assistance Membership
$100 towing benefit
Lost Key/Lockout Service
Mechanical First Aid
Emergency Tire Service
Battery Boost and more…
Car rental for up to 8 days per occurrence
Travel interruption benefits
60 day money back guarantee!

What cars are eligible? Vehicles still covered under the original full factory warranty or those up to 4 model years old with less than 50,000 miles.
Where can I go for repairs? You may use ANY repair facility of your choice. Choose your dealer, trusted mechanic or national chain, it's up to you.
How are claims paid? Claims are paid directly to the repair facility with our corporate credit card. There are no paperwork, billing hassles or waiting to be reimbursed.


Just my 2cents. I am now stepping of the soap box...........
 
20ducks said:
seanwr400, Are you a member of BMW CCA?
Never even heard of it....but interested. As far as tracking the car goes, that is half the reason I bought the coupe instead of teh ragtop. Figured it would be a stiffer platform. I used to drag race the Cobra, and relize that is not what this car is about. But I would like to try my hand at some solo racing this coming summer. Looks like it would be alot of fun, and low risk as far as racing goes. I am figuring some good tires and brake pads and I should be good to go.
 
The reason I asked is that if you purchase a new or CPO vehicle there are rebates from the BMW Car Club of America. I major qualifier is that you are a member for at least 12 continuous months prior to the purchase. There are, of course, other stipulations but you get the picture. BMW CCA has 75,000 members in the US. You can google for the Chapter in your area for details, if interested.

btw, I'm curious as to what track qualifications you have to race?
 
20ducks said:
btw, I'm curious as to what track qualifications you have to race?

Even SOLO I will require a SCCA competition license and compliance with the SCCA General Competition Rules (GCR) - that's a steep order for a car doing street duty. Think roll cage, fire suppression system, fuel cells, electrical cutoff, etc.

I almost went this route with a SPEC Miata but the slippery slope of storage space and in the long run trailer, tow vehicle, etc. chased me back to nice simple Driver Events with my local clubs.
 
seanwr400 said:
OK guys guess what I need to know is the extended warrenty woth the money. ....

Most folks get these confused, are you referring to the extended "maintenance" warranty (covering schedule maintenance and some wear items), or a extended "manufacturers" warranty (which covers defects and malfunctions)? if your talking the maintenance warranty IMHO you have to drive more than 30K miles in the next 2 years to get the most out of it, and even then your talking an oil service and inspection 1 or 2, but depending on the dealership thats only around $700 for both services combined. Brakes and rotors on all 4 will get you close to the total price of the warranty, but if you have fresh brakes and rotors you may not need both replaced in 2 years and they will not replace unless needed.
 
20ducks said:
The reason I asked is that if you purchase a new or CPO vehicle there are rebates from the BMW Car Club of America. I major qualifier is that you are a member for at least 12 continuous months prior to the purchase. There are, of course, other stipulations but you get the picture. BMW CCA has 75,000 members in the US. You can google for the Chapter in your area for details, if interested.

btw, I'm curious as to what track qualifications you have to race?
I was checking into getting my lic. a few years ago. I had a 924 I was turning into a track car till things got put on hold. I am figuring on renting a car and doing the weekend class thing to get my lic. I haven't checked into what is required for the solo racing yet. As far as I know they have classes for everything, kind of a run what ya brung sort of thing. I know that there are alot of street cars running in these events here, and I know that they don't all have cages....maybe I am getting solo1 confused with some other type of racing? I know I had the chance to take my cobra to Gingerman and Waterford Hills a few times for track days, so I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to do the same with the Z. I have no plans on competing on any real level with the car, just want to go and have fun. I will research this more and let ya know what I find.
 
OK, this is from the SCCA website "Over 1200 Regional - and Divisional-level Solo events are held across the country at local shopping centers, airports, and stadium parking lots -- or wherever competitors can find a large amount of pavement to safely layout their courses. The sport typically attracts ordinary sports and sports-type cars used for daily transportation, as well as heavily modified vehicles used for racing only. Owners of “street” cars usually inflate the tires to higher than normal pressures, remove the hubcaps, empty the interior of loose items, buckle the seat belts, and have a go. A helmet is required for competitors and most events have loaner helmets available. The Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championship, held annually in Topeka, Kansas, is the epitome of Solo competition and camaraderie. Over 1200 drivers travel to Topeka to create the world's largest autocross competition and party. While over 50 National Class Champions will be crowned in the men's and women's Solo classes, the primary reasons for attending are the dynamics of the event (organization, competition, variety of cars, etc.), and most of all, the friendships formed and renewed at the parties and in the paddock. " So I am thinking you can just show up, they give you a helmet and let you have a go at it....sounds like fun to me!
 
Yup - SOLO II AutoX events are held quite frequently and do not require the same equipment as on track events at all. SOLO II can be held wherever you have enough pavement for a cone course and as you have pointed out SCCA rules are quite minimal in terms of vehicle safety preparations.

SOLO 1 was an interesting concept but the problem with holding them is the fact that few facilities in the country are affordable for this format. Most full sized track facilities cost $7-8K/day to rent with premier tracks going for far more than that. Having cars run on the track one at a time against the clock leaves far too few paid laps during the course of a day to allow event sponsors to make ends meet. There hasn't been a SOLO I event in my area at all for many years now. Most of the time when SCCA mentions SOLO events in their newsletters it refers almost exclusively to AutoX.

That's why most folks who want track time join their local marque car clubs and play at non competitive Driver Events instead. Gobs of opportunities for lapping time at nice facilities....
 
Shipkiller said:
I did my research on extended warranties when I bought my 2003 Z4 from the Auction house last month.

I found out that 99% of all dealer extended warranties are way overpriced.
Look at least sites for more info:

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/warranty.htm (surprising info)
http://www.consumerautomotiveresearch.com/
http://www.autowarrantyandmore.com/orgs.jsp

There are other sites but these are what I could remember.......

There are only a few companies that are fully insured by an A-rated insurance company, and have a five star rating.

I went with Warranty Direct.

http://www.warrantydirect.com/ (For an instant quote)
http://www.warrantydirect.com/warrantyd ... buyingtips (To see the different coverages and what is covered)

I bought the SecureCare+. Price out the door $1350.00

What's covered: Virtually every mechanical, electrical and computer related part of your vehicle is covered. Just like your factory warranty, it lists only a limited number of items not covered.

Type of coverage Mechanical breakdowns
Wear-and-tear failures
Unlimited number of claims

What else is included? FREE Deluxe 24x7 Roadside Assistance Membership
$100 towing benefit
Lost Key/Lockout Service
Mechanical First Aid
Emergency Tire Service
Battery Boost and more…
Car rental for up to 8 days per occurrence
Travel interruption benefits
60 day money back guarantee!

What cars are eligible? Vehicles still covered under the original full factory warranty or those up to 4 model years old with less than 50,000 miles.
Where can I go for repairs? You may use ANY repair facility of your choice. Choose your dealer, trusted mechanic or national chain, it's up to you.
How are claims paid? Claims are paid directly to the repair facility with our corporate credit card. There are no paperwork, billing hassles or waiting to be reimbursed.


Just my 2cents. I am now stepping of the soap box...........

Got an extended warranty from Mercury Ins on my 2002 E46, after original maintenance warranty was up. Cost me $2600 for 4 years. Essentially, same deal above, but what was not said, and I am sure is true for the above warranty, was that replacement parts most likely will be rebuilt parts where possible. Or, they will pay you the cost of the rebuilt part and you pay the rest for a new part. BTW, if you are having the work done at BMW, BMW won't install the rebuilt parts.
 
I have had the worst luck with rebuilt parts - they suck, course that's not with BMW. Anyone here got any experience with BMW re-built parts and their reliability? While rebuilding the motor in my Chevy, I quickly learned you may as well spring an extra X-number of dollars for the genuine stuff or you'll find yourself going back and exchanging the junk.
 
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