I just bought a new 2008 Toyota Corolla. I bought an extended warranty b/c it went up to 100,000 miles.?

Question

The warranty covers the engine, a/c, electrical, etc. It's the Platinum level with $0 deductible.

Now I am wondering if I really needed it. This is my first Toyota so I am not sure what their repair record is.

Does anyone know when a Toyota is likely to start needing repairs? I do a lot of stop and go driving, not too much highway driving. I go through brakes like crazy (I know the warranty doesn't cover them).

I would love to hear from a Toyota mechanic/Owners. Anyone else who knows something is great too.

Answer 1

Boy, what a mixed bag of answers/opinions! I also work for Toyota. Since no one can forsee the future, it's impossible to really say if you wasted your money, but we can say that your drivetrain is the same one they have been using for a few years, and we haven't seen any problems with them. Your car's covered for 3 yrs/36,000 miles bumper to bumper and the drivetrain is warranted for 5 yrs/60,000 miles. It is not true that even the best of warranties will exactly replace and extend that warranty...they just don't cover as much stuff, period. But it will cover the majority of major repairs, and if that is what you are looking for, then it's a good deal. Some other thoughts...:Yes, we make money on the sale of the warranties. But we do not make the decision as to what is covered, and we would certainly never lie about it. We actually like the warranties, because they are usually a guaranteed repair, even if at a slight discount. So don't think the dealers don't like them. Yes, Toyota had a problem with sludging, but only on two models of engines. (It's a shame they were is so many cars!!) But we do NOT engineer the engines to fail. If we did, they would fail at 60,000, not at 100,000. The 100K comes in because we EXTENDED the warranty VOLUNTARILY when we saw we had a problem. And most of the time, owners can get their cars covered even longer if they push.....But I am a little confused by texasm...if the Prius is under recall (which some of them were) why is there a claims agent involved? There is no limit to miles or age on recalls.

Something I think all people need to understand is this: one of the reasons that Toyota has the number of recalls it does is its willingness to step up to the plate and fix problems, unlike other manufacturers who have to be caught and forced to repair theirs. Rememer the Firestones? Ford knew for quite a while there was a problem before responding, whereas Toyota immediately replaced all affected tires.

Furthermore (and this parts hurts, but is true), it seems that we have a lot more problems with the cars as more and more are manufactured in the US.

The Corolla is one of the most dependable cars Toyota builds. In my experience the little hickups are usually ironed out before the warranty expires, and then you will have many years of enjoyable ownership. Good luck and God Bless!

Answer 2

I believe I have already answered this question. Any car can break down, and Toyota has more recalls than Ford right now. I am a warranty claims adjuster, and just today, I had several calls on 2006 Toyota Prius for steering shafts that were recalled, 1 2005, 1 2006, Highlanders with ABS lights on, one needed the ABS control Module, one needed a wheel speed sensor, a 4 Runner with a catastrophic transmission failure, etc. For anyone to assume a vehicle won't break down because of the company's reputation, should spend some time reading consumer reports on Toyota. They are on track to surpass Ford and Dodge recalls combined. I don't think this extended warranty was a mistake at all. You can either take the gamble that nothing will go wrong and keep your warranty money, but if something goes wrong, your first problem may cost you the cost of your warranty. It might even happen twice. It is nothing more than insurance really. We pay for insurance on our vehicles, but we never know if we will use it. I have been with the same insurance company for 3 years and never had anything more than a towing reimbursement when my fuel pump went out. Thanks to not having a warranty on my truck, I paid full cost of the fuel pump, 700.00. If I had paid 700.00 for a warranty, I wouldn't have to pay for the fuel pump. I also wouldn't be worried that now I am having trouble again, so I don't know if the fuel pump was the problem. Think the shop will admit they were wrong? It wouldn't matter if I had a warranty like yours. It is a gamble and only you can make the decision if you want the warranty or not. In defense of Corolla owners, I don't recall recently having any claims on the Corolla. The thing is, I didn't have any calls about a 2006 Prius in 2005 either. 2004-2006 Prius is just now being recalled for steering shafts, starting June 2006. If this shaft breaks, you lose your steering. The cost if you had to pay for it on your Corolla, is 1090.56. You never know when a recall will be announced. You never know when something will break.

To the individual who left me a message. That is a good question you bring up. "If the Prius was recalled, why was a warranty called on the steering shaft?" EXACTLY. The recall op was done 11/2006. The dealer that performed the repair called in a warranty on it because the NEW PART FAILED EXACTLY as the parts that caused the recall. We didn't cover the part because Toyota has a 12/unlimited warranty on their parts and it isn't 11/2007 yet. The shops do make attempts to get us to cover parts that are still under their warranty. The majority of shops don't do this, but this shop called me back and said the part only had a 12/12 and the vehicle had 15,000 on it since the recall repair was done. Little did he know that I had already called Toyota of America and gave him the reference number Toyota gave me on the call. They checked the VIN, owner's info, recall repair date, and told me the part has a 12/unlimited warranty. Some shops do try to get things by us, but thats just business. The Platinum Plan this individual has is not bumper-to-bumper by any means. What it means is that anything that is not SPECIFICALLY listed in exclusions is covered. What it means is that it covers way more than a Deluxe Plan would cover. In a Deluxe Plan, it only covers what is specifically listed as covered, while Platinum only excludes maintenance and emmissions parts. This does not mean it excludes o2 sensors. It excludes body parts, cat conv. and lightbulbs, spark plugs and wires, etc.

Take some thing as simple as a MAF Sensor for example. On a Deluxe Plan, it isn't listed as eligible for coverage. However, making the plan Platinum, it would be covered because it is not listed in Exclusions. A MAF Sensor claim can easily pay for a warranty almost. Some of those sensors can run 400.00 or more, 100.00-150.00 to install, and another 100.00 or so just to diagnose it. I think a warranty is one of the wisest investments anyone can make, but I have to agree with you on Corolla. It is probably the best built car globally since 1980. There is always going to be that one chance that a breakdown can cost big, and then we will be back on here lending a shoulder to someone who wishes they had not cancelled their warranty.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

I would absolutely buy a warranty to cover the car. I would get one to go out as far as I could in relation to how long I planned to keep the vehicle. You need to make sure it's a TOYOTA extended warranty. Not some 3rd party policy. TOYOTA ONLY! Having said that, you usually have up to one year to decide whether to buy the extended warranty. You can buy it from ANY Toyota dealer. It doesn't have to be the same one you bought the car from. The price is totally negotiable. Don't be afraid to really lowball. Offer 50% or 60% to start. Hang Tough during negotiations. Don't ask for it until the price of the car is settled. People who hate extended warranties have gotten these crummy 3rd party ripoff warranties. I doubt you'll find anyone who has the factory extended warranty who is unhappy with it. Also, if you sell the vehicle before the extended warranty expires, you get a prorated rebate of the amount you originally paid, or you can transfer the warranty as a selling point.

Answer 5

I had a Toyota Tercel when I first graduated. I had it for about 7 years before I had any problems with it. I traded it in because I lived in a rural area and there was no local Toyota dealer (or anyone who could work on a foreign car) and I had 2 kids and needed something bigger. I loved that car. It was small, but it ran great. The only problem I ever had was a hose that needed to be replaced. That and my husband thought that it was too small, but that was the model, not the maker. I wold love to have another Toyota.

Answer 6

Yes Toyota Dealers Offer extended warranties on Toyota's, and yes i don't want to shock or alarm you but they make a profit on warranties when they sell them. It is debatable whether you need one or not...but Toyota's can break, just like a space shuttle can break. In this world its wise to expect the unexpected. If knowing that for the next 100,000 miles you will NEVER have to fork out possibly hundreds or thousands of dollars should something fail gives you peace of mind, then keep it.

Answer 7

I am a Toyota Master and I do get a Extended warranty on all my Toyota's.
Just one good repair and it pays for itself.
Just remember if your radio goes bad after 3 years or 36K it is over $400 just for the parts, if you have a Nav system it is over $1500.

Answer 8

Waste of money, I have two toyota's. Never have I heard of one having major repair work, if you maintain & take care of it
it will last a long time.

P.S. I bought an extended warranty on a new 92 ford, 7yrs and 80k miles later never used it! Wife chewed my a$$!

Answer 9

I never buy extended warranties. Buying one a japaneese product is not something I would do either. You will hear stories, probably even on here how if they didnt have their warranty it would have cost them 2k dollars out of pocket...etc etc. The dealer sells them cause they make money on them. I'm sure there are the same amount of people that bought warranties and never used them.

If you do have a claim, a dealer will try to tell you that it is not coverered. They like to do this cause they have to fork out the cost of the repair. Yes they are reimbursed for the repair, but not 100% so they lose money with warranty repairs.

Answer 10

Most likely, as long as you follow your factory recommended maintainence, you won't need the warranty. Toyotas for the most part have good repair records. (Yaris and the latest-generation Avalon are exceptions) Hopefully, you won't need it, but crap happens.