Why NOT to Buy that Extended Warranty?

That warranty for California, and maybe other ZEV states, is a big deal. I think some items have 15 year coverage, and this only applies to PHEV vehicles, not BEV or hybrid. Perhaps another reason GM didn't see a reason to continue a vehicle that would have to be covered for up to 15 years.

 

Yes. The phev's are expensive to manufacture and warranty. Made more business sense when emissions standards were getting more strict. Most people don't realize the value these cars have. Im very thankful to own one.

 

I thought the CA warranty for the battery pack was 10 years, 150,000 miles ?

 

It would seem to be, although many related components are 15/150k:


(Column A is rest of US, column B is PZEV states)

Battery Assembly (including all internal components) 8/100 10/150

Some sample related
Battery Charger (including battery charger cables) 8/100 15/150
Battery Charger Control Module 8/100 15/150
Battery Current Sensor 3/36 15/150
Battery Module Service Connector 3/36 15/150
Battery Condition Monitor Module (including software
upgrades)
3/36 15/150

 

Wow, with that extended warranty, why would you need to worry about buying Honda extended warranty ?
Unless the ICE is a weak point ??

 

The most problematic parts will be regular electronics, like adaptive cruise sensors, engine sensors and infotainment.

 

With the warranty I would expect a useable car for 15+ years, but other items may fail in that time. However, the car should still have a working drive train, water pump is not on a long warranty period though.

Going back in history for the interesting fact, it was Gov. Reagan who signed the legislation to begin the California Air Resources Board. They are responsible for the CA regulations and testing.
https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/about/history

 

My old Accord had a few issues past the 3/36. These are the ones I remember on top of my head, but definitely added up over the $1000 I paid for Honda Care, which took care of all of this.

Power window limiter went bad (window would go down and right back up), switch also replaced
Stuck calipers (2 of them) replaced including pads

 

I purchased an extended warranty and found out today that there's a deductible of $100. (I have 38,000 mi on my car so the factory warranty is over.) I was told the extended warranty covered 100% of everything. LIARS!! I took my car in this morning because the A/C was not putting out cold air. I was told if it needed freon it would cost $300 and I would have to pay for it because it's considered "maintenance." I called another Honda dealer and they said freon replacement would be $100. Stay away from UNOCARS Honda in Indio. They are crooks and liars.

 

The AC condenser leaked out the refrigerant in our Clarity. It was replaced under warranty. Make them tell you how all your refrigerant could evaporate in just 38,000 miles without there being a leaky, defective component.

 

Apparently, there's a huge problem with Clarity A/C leakage. I chatted with the extended warranty people and they are shelling tons of claims for A/C leakage problems. The warranty guys said A/C shouldn't have problems for at least 80,000 to 100,000 mi. I'm now glad I purchased the extended warranty.

 

I am getting good rates from online you-know-who dealers. Local dealers are all expensive and not willing to price match.
Is there any disadvantage in buying extended warranty care online from out-of-state dealers?

 

The only disadvantage that I know of is that your local dealer will have to postpone buying that new 85 inch TV that they were planning to get.

 

Thanks for the insight. I bought warranty from out-of-state dealer. It amazes me local dealers are happy to let go a customer than make a small profit.

 

I got the extended warranty from our local dealer. I showed him my quote from elsewhere, $1,500 for 7 year 120K, they matched it. I get it's a crap shot and after all, it's a Honda. But like I said above, it's only $1,500 so I wasn't going to worry if I come out ahead or not after 7 years.

 

I would add my 2 cents here. Previously I owned a 2007 Mazda CX-7 and after 7 years at around 70k miles, two intake (or exhaust) valves in one of the 4 cylinders failed, rendering the engine useless. repair cost was estimated at over $7000 for a junkyard engine or more than $10k for a new engine (from Japan). After that, I bought a Honda Odyssey and got the extended warranty, thinking that I am not sure how reliable that Eco mode would be (turning off 3 or 4 of the 6 cylinders to save fuel), and reading about premature failing of suspension parts from other Odyssey owners.

When I bought the Clarity, I also got the extended warranty. In both cases the extended warranty goes to 10 years/120k miles. To me, it is an insurance to limit the potential repair costs in the future as I intend to keep driving these cars for as long as possible.

 

I would agree it's good insurance if you get a good price.

The one car we have with no extended warranty has had to have the most repairs, which all would have been covered under an extended warranty.

 

Whether or not to buy an extended warranty seems a source of constant debate. My view is that it is only justified if the manufacturer/model has known reliability issues (Consumer Reports) or a new model with no repair history. In the case of the Clarity PHEV, you have a new model, with some new non-powertrain tech and a high frequency of initial repair visits. On the other hand, Honda tends to be a reliable brand in most maintenance areas, and the Clarity has had no major systems issues.

I would say an extended warranty is more justified on a Clarity than on an Accord or Camry. Also, some Clarity repair parts may get expensive once model production stops. Dealer repair expertise may be less than on mainstream vehicles. I think getting an extended warranty from a dealer like Hyannis on a Clarity makes sense provided it is cost effective.

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There are multiple different plans with different terms, mileage, and deductibles--some are $100 deductible, some are $0 deductible. The difference in initial cost is usually a few $100.

The lesson, I guess: Always look at the documents before signing