Longjack

Just took delivery on 2013 RDX Base and been offered 7yr/70K ext. warranty for basically $1200 which they say is bumper to bumper, just like the initial,4yr/50K warranty.
We drive about 10k miles per year, so it's a a 3 year extension for $400 per yr.
Have never owned an Acura, but our past Volvo's could get expensive after the initial warranty expired, but have never had an ext. warranty as a lot of places such as Consumer Reports advise against them.
Would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

Dorsey

I would not purchase the extended warranty as I have found Acura's to be very reliable. Like all such warranties, it is basically an insurance policy with the "bet" being that you will or will not spend more than $1200 on covered repairs in years 5 through 7. You did not say if it is an Acura or a third-party warranty but I am particularly leery of third party warranties as those companies can be difficult to deal with and/or go out of biz and leave you without coverage.

AmberB

In addition to Dorsey's advise, I'll add that as your warranty time/mileage nears it's expiration they will begin to hammer your mailbox with additional offers for extended warranty protection. if the car shows it's unreliable at that point it may make sense to consider one, in the mean time keep your money in the bank.

Longjack

Thank you for the response....failed to mention it is an Acura warranty and wondered that since it was transferable, if that added any value if we were to sell/trade the vehicle after year 4?
Thanks again for the input.

fleuger99

As others have mentioned, take that $1200 and put it in the bank. If you ever need it then you have it, Acura being reliable it is unlikely you will. If you never do, you still have $1200 in the bank versus their bank

I doubt the extended warranty will add more value than the $1200 you're spending on it.

bertoid

Actually $1200 for an extended warranty is not bad. Check out cars.com. They estimate the cost of repairs in year five to be $1206. If that is the case, the $1200 cost for the 7 year warranty is a deal. Just another point of view.

AmberB

Umm, is that repairs for broken stuff, or maintenance which the warranty won't cover?

CoachRick

Hmmm...FIRST post is shilling for 'extended warranty' sales? Are you really going to pay FIVE YEARS in advance for a possible repair?...on a vehicle with Acura's rep for longevity ?

Dorsey

Those poor dummies at Acura - selling a 3 year warranty for less than the average cost of repairs in the 1st year. My guess is that Acura has predicted the statistical failure rate with time of every covered part or at least has an historical basis for cost of repairs on similar models they produce. Based on how hard the F&I guys try to sell these it is obviously a profit center for the dealer and Acura.

bertoid

Hey, I'm just the messenger. Cars.com has no interest in selling Acura extended warranties. Their estimate of repair costs in year five ($1206) may not be that far off. By comparison, the BMW X3 has estimated repair costs of $2016 in year 5. I have owned three German cars in my life, and that may even be a bit low for repair costs in year 5.

CoachRick

Huh...having owned a dozen Euro cars (4 German), I'd expect the repair cost on the BMW to be quite a bit higher than the RDX...in year 5, 6, 7, etc. Doesn't make buying an Acura extended warranty a slick deal. How many times do we hear about extended warranties being offered at half price? I'm guessing the calculated 'cost' of one of these warranties is on the order of 10%, maybe even less. The commission to the F&I guy likely costs more than the projected payout.

konardx

$1200 for extended warranty? I just bought the Kona Coffee RDX and I can't believe I overpaid the extended warranty. The dealer quoted me $2500 and I paid $1700 for it. I should have spent more time on this forum before walking in the dealer.

CoachRick

Some of us are sad you bought it at all. Personally, I'd see about getting it cancelled(but that's just me).

weather

Extended warranties are always tough to handle. Part of me LOVES the peace of mind that an extended warranty offers, however, I also know that given some car companies, they are not really worth it. That being said, despite having the statistics on your side, there is guarantee that your particular vehicle will not experience a catastrophic failure and make good use of the warranty. And the same is true for the less reliable brand....you may never need it on your particular vehicle. We all have the fear of the dreaded large repair cost....For me, I am fortunate that I can afford should I get unlucky so I don't need to roll it into the payment to make the cost more bearable.

So because I am fortunate to spend the money if I need it, I don't mind risking it and it it plays in my favor, great, if not I'll just fork out the cash. If the repair bill is way crazy expensive, I'll just cut my losses and buy a new one

konardx....If you like the peace of mind, don't worry about the money you spent...enjoy sleeping knowing that you are covered. You still got a decent price and money is not everything. Some have received better deals on their RDX than I did and it doesn't bother me. There will always be some getting better deals and some will be getting worse.

NBP04TL4ME

If you are having second thoughts and/or paid too much you can get a 100% refund in the first 60 days or a prorated refund after 60 days.
You can also go back to the dealer and see if they will refund the difference between what the warranty should be and what you paid - assuming you want to keep it.
I personally have purchased two extended warranties on Acura's and am 50/50. I made out like a bandit on our MDX with multiple transmission repairs and a few other misc items. On my TLS, I haven't used the warranty at all.

RDXChic

iTrader: (1)

I paid $1,600 for a 8 year / 100,000 mile extended warranty with a $0 deductible. I had received quotes online for the extended warranty for more, but the dealership was willing to work with me to keep me in the showroom.

I know that some feel the extended warranty is not needed, but I would rather have the coverage. I used my prior extended warranty on my Forester 2x in the 10 years I owned the car. The warranty paid for itself the first time it was used.

CoachRick

Having considered the Outback when switching from the XC60 to the RDX, my feeling is an extended warranty on a Subaru is more likely to be needed and appreciated vs an Acura. IF I thought I would keep the vehicle long enough to use the extended warranty, I would still wait until the vehicle got closer to factory warranty expiration and THEN consider the cost of the extended warranty. Paying FOUR full years in advance for something that MIGHT be used just doesn't sit well with me. Now, my '88 Mercury Sable took full advantage of the money I paid for that extended warranty...BUT the factory warranties back then were usually 12/12, NOT four years & 50-60k miles.

MAYBE in that 7th, 8th, 10th year, you get to cash in. But, realistically, do you expect a $1500-2000 failure in the first couple of years after the factory warranty expires?(Provided you keep the vehicle that long...$1500+ could make a nice addition to the down payment on a trade after 4-5 years).

NBP04TL4ME

I believe (not positive) the extended warranties get more expensive the closer you get to the new car warranty expiration.

GRDX

Actually for Acura and Honda extended warranties, if purchased before the car reached 6,000 miles on the odometer and still within the warranty timeframe (four years for Acura and three years for Honda) you can purchase the extended warranty for a NEW vehicle, same price as if purchased with the vehicle (unless they raise the prices afterwards of course). After 6,000 miles and while the original warranty still applies you can only purchase a USED vehicle extended warranty from Acura whether it is purchased at 6,001 miles or just before the original warranty will expire the price will be the same (unless they raise the price while you waited of course).

CoachRick

Depending on the vendor, some of the warranties do go up in price based on the age and mileage of the vehicle. However, say you have only 40K trouble-free miles at the end of the factory warranty time period. Would you drop $1500+ for 2,3,4 more years of warranty coverage?

Or another approach...you were in sales for two years and your 24 month old Acura now has 75K miles on it.(all highway, trouble free)...do you now spend the $1500 for an extended warranty?...or do you leave that money in the bank and 'self-insure' for the next couple of years...

NBP04TL4ME

I hear what you are saying, but $1500 isn't a ton of insurance nowadays. As mentioned above, we made out very well without MDX warranty. One visit to the dealer would have been over $5K out of pocket.
Warrantys have been and continue to be a heavily debated topic.

CoachRick

That's a good point. I think plenty of people buy an extended warranty and circumstances change before the vehicle is ever out of factory warranty. Back in the old days, I put 135k miles on my Audi GT in 4 years(and I had another car for two of those!). That would have been one heck of an extended warranty!

konardx

Great feedbacks guys and girls. I am going to cancel this extended warranty thing. What do you guys think about full scheduled maintenance for 4 years for $1200 considering how expensive it is for oil changes and stuffs at the dealer.

CoachRick

They need to offer a significant discount(at least 25%, IMO) or throw in some goodies for you to pay that far in advance just for services. I did pay for dealer services for the term of my lease; but I figured it was a decent discount and I was going to have them perform the maintenance any way. It was much less than $1200 but is for 3/36k miles; so 5 or 6 check ups during the lease.

balancesheet

I have GEICO mechanical breakdown coverage that covers the car for 7 years or 100,000 miles. It is about $100 a year so $700 total. I have never used it but it works like factory warranty from what I have read.

DeMAN

The bad part about purchasing a warranty when the car is new is that both warranty run concurrent.


7yr/70k miles = 3yr/20k miles because the original warranty takes care of the first 4yr/50k miles

8yr/100k miles = 4yr/50k miles because the original warranty takes care of the first 4yr/50k miles



It would be nice if extended warranty kicked in after OEM warranties but they dont. So buyer beware . This by the way goes for any car company

DeMAN

Well not exactly;

Your 7yr/70K ext. warranty run conncurent with the OEM warranty. (4yr/50K warranty)

So you are cover for an additional 3yr/20K miles. (Dont take my word, ask your salesperson)

Same for this warranty altough it sounds much better than the first;

4yr/50K ext. warranty but you are covered under the OEM for the first 4yr/50K.

This one may sound better, but it depend on when it was purchased and if it also cuncurrent to the OEM 4yr/50K.

I'm on my second Acura and has never had an issue with OEM warranty work. You should use it.

You will have 3 years or 50,000 miles.

Granted, the Dealers will almost always used you Ex. warranty if you purchased one, so any refund that may have been promised upfront (for non use of the extended warranty) you will never see. This is because the dealers used you extended warranty when your OEM warranty would have covered it anyway for the first 4yr/50K miles. Things very seldom happen in the second half (> 4 years).

All of this is an FYI.

mindanalyzer

Hi
In my particular case I bought my 13 RDX (with tech) from Rick Case Acura in Fort Lauderdale FL. They included (for free) an extension (valid nationwide) to my original powertrain warranty up to 10 years or 100k miles with a $200 deductible. I think they do this for all their sales but I am not sure about that.

What do you guys think?

GRDX

I don't consider it as "free".
That warranty cost the dealer "X" amount of dollars.
Therefore you were unable to negotiate the same "X" amount of dollars less on the deal.
Makes little difference, however, if the deal you got was the best for your area and/or you actually want the warranty.

NBP04TL4ME

Congrats on getting the extended powertrain warranty, but based on what you have said (typed) you don't have a comprehensive bumper to bumper warranty. Please also keep in mind you have a $200 deductible.
Again anything for free is good, but just want you to be aware of what you have gotten.

keithchow11

Man, I paid $3500 for 8 yrs/120K bumper to bumper on my '14 RDX. I think seriously considering to cancel it. I am 1 week away from 30 days since I made the purchase can I get a full refund?

I do like peace of mind with extended warranty, but definitely regret paying $3500 upfront.
I am considering these options:
1) go back to dealership and bargain for a better deal on the extended warranty.
2) drop the dealers extended warranty and get the Geico Mech. Breakdown coverage.

I also purchased the "Acura Care" 4yrs/60K maintenance package for $1250. Feel like I got ripped off as well. Any comment or suggestions?

This is my first encounter with Acura and I really need some advise.

Thanks!

hadokenuh

Yes, you got ripped off on the warranty. It should be in the $1500 range, give or take. For the maintenance package, you need to know what it's covered. I usually don't purchase this kind of thing in advance because

1. It usually doesn't save me much money
2. I have to go to the dealer every time
3. I may sell the car sooner than that
4. I like to keep the cash in the bank

keithchow11

can i get a no cost cancellation on my extended ripped off warranty? I haven't make my first loan payment yet.

The Acura Care maintenance package includes:
Synthetic oil change w/ filter
Tire rotation
Transmission fluid replace
Transfer case fluid replace
Replace spark plugs
Power steering fluid replace
Brake fluid replace
Basically covers all service reminder comes up on Acura minder.

Does anyone know the cost of these typical maintenance items at Acura dealership located in Houston, TX? I want to get an idea that will help me make the decision to keep maintenance package or not.

Thanks

hadokenuh

So Sterling McCall Acura charges $40 for an oil change but they use Honda blend synthetic oil, not synthetic. You'll need to double check to make sure if your dealer uses synthetic according to the maint' plan (I doubt it). You'll need about 8 changes to 60K, so that's 320$

Tire rotation: you can buy a lifetime package from Discount Tire for $60. Otherwise, $40 each time at dealership. Waste of money if you ask me.

Transmission fluid: roughly $150

Transfer case fluid: roughly $50 (for my friends's MDX). I don't know about the RDX because I have a FWD TL. Does it even have a transfer case???

Spark plugs: I don't think you need to replace them until like 90K or something according to the manual

Brake Fluid: roughly $150

PS Fluid: roughly $120

So total $850. So it will cost you that much IF you service it at the dealership. If you do it yourself, it'll cost you about $300 for parts. Or pay some Indy to do it for you, still cheaper.

keithchow11

hadokenuh, I assumes u resides in Houston, TX. which dealership do you recommend doing maintenance? I bought my RDX at Sterling McCall Acura off 59

keithchow11

hadokenuh, I assumes u resides in Houston, TX. which dealership do you recommend doing maintenance? I bought my RDX at Sterling McCall Acura off 59

hadokenuh

I've heard Sterling McCall remodeled their service center not too long ago. My friend goes there and has had no problem with them. I got my Acura about 2 months ago but plan to bring it to John Eagle on I-10W for service.

Type X

The Honda care is great, if you don't use it you can cancel it and get the $ back and if you are INTO it ... say you had the car 5.5years and 62k on it they'll prorate the $ back to you.

There are probably 1000's of cars traded in that never fill out the claim form for the $ back but its great either way. If you use it ... you're covered & if you DONT use it you get it back!

wildeklave

good advice on the warranty info. As a potential buyer let me understand what it is:
for $1700-$3500 you get a plan from Honda / Acura that extends the warranty and includes regular service like oil changes and tire rotations?

From experience with my prior cars I tend to put on a lot of miles (over 100k in less than 6-7 years) and I have had things break down shortly after the manufacturers warranty ran out (60-65k range). The things that broke did not effect driving but convenience items like air bags not working. The items were not must fixes but if I desired to sell the car privately I would need to disclose them. My cars were not luxury cars and all had over 75,000 miles when things went wrong so it is not like the value was super high on them but if I buy an RDX (my plan in 2014) I would want piece of mind for more than 60k miles since it is possible I can achieve that in 3-4 years. At least if it is an 8 year 120k extended warranty including oil changes then I should be good for 6-8 years. I get synthetic oil on my current vehicle and it runs me around $75 each time with tire rotations another $20. That is a good $300-$400 a year. If the policy covers 5 years of this it will pay for itself in less than 5 years.

keithchow11

Wildekalve, extended warranty that was offered to me was a bumper to bumper 8yrs/120K for $3500. It does not include any wear and tear items like tires, belts, wipers, etc.

oil and other fluid changes are on a separate offer called "Acura Care" aka Maintenance package. I paid $1250.

I am going back to the dealership this Saturday and cancel the extended warranty unless they are willing to lower the price to around $1200. I might just cancel the maintenance package as well depending on how it goes.