Any thoughts on out-of-warranty auto repair insurance?

[211]

I know this is a forum full of DIY'ers and I am too; but realistically, if it came down to it and my car broke down RIGHT NOW I do not have the time or money to fix it.

 

So I'm hearing a lot about these out-of-warranty auto repair insurance companies MOGI.com is one. And with the inevitable likelyhood of Subaru headgasket failures I'm wondering if this sort of insurance coverage would be a smart option.

 

Any thoughts on this?

[211]

Hmm... maybe this was a pointless question. I just looked at Mogi's BBB report; they have an F.

[valvestem]

Although they advertise heavily on TV and such, I have read many reports where the aftermarket repair "insurance" is not a good deal. It seems there are many "getout" clauses written in which makes it nary impossible to get a claim paid.

 

I'm guessing it's similar to the "LifeTime DriveTrain Warranty" I have on my 2010 Forester from the selling dealer, after reading the fine print, I see that ANY work done to the car has to be done by them, or they have to authorize work done by any other person. Tough to do when even simple oil & filter changes can be expensive at the dealer, as compared to a specialty oil & filter change only franchise business. The Lifetime DriveTrain Warranty was a BIG sales pitch before buying the car, but mentioned very little at the sign on the bottom lines "ceremony".

[wtdash]

I've had 2 experiences w/these - 2 different companies - both before I had Subaru(s). One was for some brake work that was covered; the other was an internal tie rod that wasn't.

 

Unless you get the 'bumper-to-bumper' coverage (even then there are things not covered, which are considered 'maintenance items', etc.), it's too easy for the company to disallow the claim.

 

Best option is to set aside the $$ each month for repairs....if you don't use it, it's there for a nice downpayment on your new Subaru!

[wtdash]

I'm guessing it's similar to the "LifeTime DriveTrain Warranty" I have on my 2010 Forester from the selling dealer, after reading the fine print, I see that ANY work done to the car has to be done by them, or they have to authorize work done by any other person. Tough to do when even simple oil & filter changes can be expensive at the dealer, as compared to a specialty oil & filter change only franchise business. The Lifetime DriveTrain Warranty was a BIG sales pitch before buying the car, but mentioned very little at the sign on the bottom lines "ceremony".

 

I know there's a law (Magnuson-Moss?) against manufacturers (dealers?) requiring buyers to service their cars @ the dealer to maintain the warranty. If your warranty is provided by Subaru, it may be covered by the law.

[geo.]

Most of them are surely scams. Fidelis which advertises ad nauseum has been investigated and fined by the feds.... They are likely on the scam alert list.

[svxpert]

<<I know there's a law (Magnuson-Moss?) against manufacturers (dealers?) requiring buyers to service their cars @ the dealer to maintain the warranty. If your warranty is provided by Subaru, it may be covered by the law.>>

 

true, they cant make you use a dealer for simple services like oil changes and such. but you better save the reciepts for the oil and filters you buy when you are going to file a claim for a warranty repair!