Extended warranty worth it?

DaveyBoy · May 10, 2018

Sorry chaps. I've gone through most posts and the consensus is that all Lexus cars are reliable. One person said with hindsight, it was a waste.

I'll be buying the 2016 model, probably in the next 3 months.

Ala Larj · May 10, 2018

I had one on my IS220d and it paid for itself. Have one on my GS more for peace of mind and the excellent roadside assistance. Hope I don't need to use it like all insurances.

If you're getting a 2016 model I'd see how it goes over the next couple of years before making a decision.

sorcerer · May 10, 2018

Ah, The Lexus Paradox - people are drawn to the brand, in no little part, because of their legendary reliability, then spend thousands of pounds on warranties because they may not be reliable

It sort of depends, and on a few things.

I've only ever had low-value cars before, never spending more than £5,000, so warranties either weren't worth it or excluded. I was also physically able and knowledgeable enough to do almost any job on my cars myself, partly because they were less complicated then and had less electronics in them.

A couple of months ago we spent £25,000 on our new-to-us RX450h and it came with 12 months warranty, but we are very seriously considering buying another two years warranty, along with a service plan - partly because after a back injury I can no longer do my own work and partly because they are so complicated.

Only you can really decide if it's worth it to you.

steveledzep · May 10, 2018

Bought my RX 15 months ago and put 24 months warranty on it. I've not made a claim and I haven't called upon the Roadside Assistance service either. But, I'm still happy as it gives me peace of mind.

Previously I had two IS250s and I put warranty on those too. In both cases the claims exceeded the premium, so very happy.

I also have home and contents insurance and I'm very happy not to make a claim !

There is no correct answer, it's up to you David.

chris_fletcher · May 10, 2018

I think almost any repair will exceed the cost of a warranty but as another has already commented, any insurance is for peace of mind so imo not a waste of money if never used. Home and buildings insurance, normal car inurance etc are perfect cases in point. It costs me nearly as much to insure my mountain bike as it does my car

DaveyBoy · May 10, 2018

Very interesting.... The cost of repair especially! I had an ac condenser changed under warranty on a Hyundai and that would have cost me about £800. So I guess it is worth it.

I'm going to have to HP a smallish amount as I'm short. Is there any danger with that? I should start a new thread i suppose - again! Lastly, if buying from a Lexus dealer, is a hpi check still necessary? If bought on hp, wouldn't the hp company also run a hpi check and so, be a benefit to having hp?

Ala Larj · May 10, 2018

Better to get a bank loan than hp!

sorcerer · May 10, 2018

Another thing to consider is that to have the warranty you also have to have servicing carried out at the main dealer, which adds a lot more cost on. My local trusted independent garage/mechanic charges £40/hour as opposed to Lexus who charge triple that or more.

sorcerer · May 10, 2018

54 minutes ago, DaveyBoy said:

Very interesting.... The cost of repair especially! I had an ac condenser changed under warranty on a Hyundai and that would have cost me about £800. So I guess it is worth it.

But would it really have cost you nearly £800?

Given main dealer parts prices and main dealer labour charges then yes, it probably would. However, as you'll see below, you can get condensers for a reasonable price and get a local indi garage to fit for reasonable cost. So, was the cost of the warranty really worth it or only worth it when compared to a main dealer?

steveledzep · May 10, 2018

27 minutes ago, sorcerer said:

Another thing to consider is that to have the warranty you also have to have servicing carried out at the main dealer, which adds a lot more cost on. My local trusted independent garage/mechanic charges £40/hour as opposed to Lexus who charge triple that or more.

That's a very fair point you make John. Also your subsequent point about the condenser.

However, our vehicles are very sophisticated bits of kit and £1,000 buys you little at a Lexus dealer if something goes wrong. One of my previous claims on my IS250 was for a £700+ headlamp assembly because it was fogging with condensation. That's not even a fault associated with sophisticated bits of kit !!

Peace of mind suits me thank you.

chris_fletcher · May 10, 2018

Cost of parts that are dealer specific are hugely expensive. My recent under warranty claims (gen 4 RX) with cost based on dealer quoted prices for parts only

Drivers door panel ~£2500, actually unecesary replacement that did not cure the vibrating rattle. I fixed myself with velcro tape between the quarter light/window metal slide chanel and top of door panel and redone by the dealer

Passenger and drivers seat bases with motors £2500 each, replaced due to juddering and very noisy movement

Drivers seat cushion £2000 replaced as colour bleeding out

No way I am risking not buying an extended warranty when the time comes

Ala Larj · May 10, 2018

On my IS I was told that a new passenger seat would cost about £5000 had they not managed to fix it. Hate to think what the cost of my GS seat would be.! Even though Lexus has a wonderful reputation for reliability, things can fail or go wrong. Peace of mind helps me knowing I'm not going to be hit with a sudden high cost which I may not be able to afford. Had to scrap a perfectly decent Volvo once because the repair to the Aircon system was more than the car was worth. My experience with Lexus warranty with my old IS was amazing. They never queried any claim which differs from my experience with car and house insurances. Each to their own but I guess it depends on how much of a gambler one is.

sorcerer · May 11, 2018

@steveledzep @chris_fletcher @Ala Larj

All very good points and you've finally made our minds up to go for it, cheers guys

May 11, 2018

Agreed it’s a personal thing but I’ve just bought (April 2018) a 2010 450h from a private seller who’d only owned since last Oct. having bought it from a Lexus dealer, so is still under their one year after sales warranty, he also purchased the 2 yr extension. Just before Xmas the rear door motor failed, so was replaced under the purchase warranty. It would have cost over £1000 to fix. So I’m quite happy to have the remainder of 2.5 yrs worth of Lexus manufacturer warranty.

Having had a couple of claims refused on previous cars, with the standard aftermarket warranty companies, I wouldn’t have anything other than a full manufacturer version now.

Enjoy the car though, big seller for me was the legendary reliability and dealership support.

rayaans · May 11, 2018

Nah wouldn't on any Lexus to be honest.

All issues are usually fixed during the warranty period if there are any. Im on my 4th Lexus and nothing has gone wrong with any of them

Stuno1 · May 11, 2018

Depends on the car. On my isf it paid for itself 2 times over when my front headlights were replaced due to water ingress. Around 1k per headlight cluster! If you can get bogof the I think it is well worth it as it also includes full breakdown cover including Europe.

sorcerer · May 12, 2018

Something else that has just come to mind.

We all know that a condition of getting the extended warranty is that we must also have servicing carried out at the Lexus dealers. We also know that the warranty purposely and categorically excludes some items, so if a need arises is it OK to have those items dealt with at an independent garage or do all repairs have to be carried out by Lexus dealers as a condition of warranty as well as servicing?

steveledzep · May 12, 2018

I don't see anything stopping me getting say a replacement brake light sorted at Halfords, or anywhere else for that matter. My dealer is sixty miles away from me, so strictly dealer issues only get the 120 miles round trip.

ColinBarber · May 12, 2018

1 hour ago, sorcerer said:

so if a need arises is it OK to have those items dealt with at an independent garage or do all repairs have to be carried out by Lexus dealers as a condition of warranty as well as servicing?

There isn't anything in the T&Cs that prohibit that.

Ala Larj · May 12, 2018

From my experience the Lexus warranty is pretty comprehensive and the only things that are excluded are normal wear and tear items. Also I believe that you don't have to have services carried out by Lexus but they have to be to Lexus standards using original parts. I'm actually happy with Lexus servicing. I am confident it's being done well and I always get a courtesy car usually an IS or NX more recently. I've had plenty of RX's too and have only had a CT when I've booked it in close to when I want it done. When I had an MOT done recently they let me play with a new LS!

ColinBarber · May 12, 2018

3 hours ago, Ala Larj said:

Also I believe that you don't have to have services carried out by Lexus but they have to be to Lexus standards using original parts.

For the used warranty that is incorrect.

ensure that the Protected Vehicle is serviced by a Service Centre within 30 days or 2000 miles (whichever occurs first) of each service interval specified by the manufacturer (please refer to the vehicle handbook);

Service Centre

An official Lexus retail centre or service outlet appointed by the Warranty Provider or, in the case of any Specified Territory outside the United Kingdom, by the Lexus national sales and marketing company for that territory.

Ala Larj · May 12, 2018

That's interesting. I thought there were laws against that!

steveledzep · May 12, 2018

5 minutes ago, Ala Larj said:

That's interesting. I thought there were laws against that!

I believe you are correct when referring to a "new" car warranty. Here we are discussing a "used" car warranty. That's my understanding.

Ala Larj · May 12, 2018

Isn't the law an *****?

ColinBarber · May 13, 2018

15 hours ago, Ala Larj said:

That's interesting. I thought there were laws against that!

Law is for a new vehicle because you don't have a choice who provides the warranty. For a used warranty there are hundreds of different policies you can choose from, if you don't like the Lexus T&Cs you can purchase from someone else instead.