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"Lifetime" Extended Warranty"???

48K views 105 replies 38 participants last post by  BadLuck 
#1 ·
I'm in the process of buying a 2011 Grand Cherokee Summit. I'm also the original owner of a 1998 Grand Cherokee "Limited" with 185k on the clock. I obviously keep my vehicles a long time......if not FOREVER haha.

Knowing this, my dealer mentioned a "Forever / Lifetime Bumper to Bumper" Warranty being offered by Chrysler for $2,500.00, which will cover virtually EVERYTHING for the ENTIRE TIME I OWN THE VEHICLE, no matter how long it is.

Almost seems too goo to be true, but he assured me that if I own the vehicle in twelve years, with 200k miles on it, and the tranny goes, it would be covered!

Anyone hear of this, or better yet, purchase it with their vehicle? I'd love to hear any further details anyone can share.
 
#3 ·
Visit: http://www.chryslerwarrantys.com/

You can buy the official Chrysler lifetime warranty for less than your dealer is offering.
Yes and no, a lot depends on the state. For example, FL has fixed pricing on these plans by the Insurance commission, dealer CAN NOT discount the plans as they are considered insurance and as such are covered by the insurance commission.

In FL lifetime coverage breaks down like this:

$0 deductible = $3357
$50 deductible = $2844
$100 deductible = $2153
 
#7 ·
I'm in CT and keep my vehicles well past the Factory Warranty, so if this is for real, would be a "no-brainer" for me. It just seems to good to be true. I'm wondering what "small print" I might be missing? :confused:
 
#8 ·
I purchased it for around $1900 through chryslerwarrantys.com. I too keep my vehicles for 12+ years and 200,000+ miles. The only "small print" if you could call it that is that if the cost of repair is more than the book value of the vehicle then they pay you for the vehicle and there is no more warranty repair after that. So if in twelve years the vehicle's book value is $3000, and you need a new engine for $4000, then they pay you the $3000 and that is the end of the "lifetime" warranty.
 
#9 ·
Hollywood,

It is a no brainer if you plan on keeping your vehicle. I purchased the Lifetime Max Care Warranty for my 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie truck and am glad I did. As one of the other posters mentioned, get your dealer to match the Chryslerwarranty.com price or buy it through them. I was able to get my dealer to match it. My wife and I are going to be buying a JGC 4X4 Hemi Overland this year and we'll be buying that too. In fact, it's one of the many reasons we're going to buying another Chrysler product.

As for the "small print" here's what you need to know. Everything is covered except normal wear and tear like tires, brake pads etc. Every 5 years within 60 days before your in-service date (precise window based on the day you purchased the vehicle) you MUST take your vehicle in for a free engine inspection that your dealer will perform. They do this to catch any problems early. Also, you are REQUIRED to maintain your vehicle according to the maintenance schedule the vehicle comes with. Now I've talked to my dealership and I do all the oil changes when the EVIC light comes on but I only do the major milestone services (etc. 30K service that changes out the plugs on the HEMI among other things). The dealer is fine with that.

Lastly, there's no catch but when the point in time comes when your JGC repair cost exceeds the NADA RETAIL (not TRADE IN), then they will just give you the NADA RETAIL price in cash and the warranty is now over but you also get to keep the vehicle. Pretty damn good deal if you ask me and it should be well over 15 years before that happens.

Jason
 
#10 ·
Yep, I thought it was a no brainer as well, if you plan on keeping it a while.

I've never seen a lifetime warranty like this, but for 1900, I am guranteed to make good use of it.

A bunch of us here bought the same.

NB
 
#11 ·
Thanks guys for all the help. Made me make up my mind to definitely go for it. So just to clarify, as long as the repairs don't exceed the Book Value of the Vehicle, they'll keep fixing it for free, forever?
 
#13 ·
Wow $1900 for lifetime bumper-to-bumper with $100 deduct? That's a no-brainer!
The key thing with these kinds of warranties is to be thorough with maintenance. Always take the lower-mileage/extreme duty schedule for fluid changes, for example. That leaves them no "out" later on down the line when you have a claim. That of course, means you need to be very organized and keep hard copies of all maintenance-related receipts (and scans too just in case) and a maintenance log book. The lifetime warranty does have one hitch that I don't like and that is I cannot transfer it. At least with the mileage-limited warranties you can perform a one-time transfer.
 
#14 · (Edited)
One thing to note, you have 36 months or 36000 miles to purchase this warranty. After the first 12 months the price starts to go. You do not have to purchase it at the time of vehicle purchase OR from your selling dealer. Also, if you live in Florida the dealer CAN NOT discount this. It's not them, it's the state that makes the rules. You may want to check with your state to see if they regulate extended warranties through the insurance commission. If they do there may be rules in place that handcuff the dealers.

BTW, if you are someone who keeps a car for more than 5 years this plan is a NO BRAINER!

Oh, that isn't a Chrysler site, it's a Bothun Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep in Eau Claire, WI so you can go to any dealership and purchase this plan up until 3 years or 36000 miles.

One more thing, you can purchase online directly through Jeep but hold onto your wallet, Lifetime coverage on an Overland 4X4 is $3,286.00!!!!! https://www.jeep.com/en/service_contracts/purchase_online/?disable_ssl_redirect=true/#
 
#15 ·
I just bought an Overland V6 4x2 and decided not to buy the extended coverage. I traded in a 2003 4runner with 120k miles. Never had a problem with it. Those of you buying the warranty, are you having that many problems with your jeeps? I figured if i have to spend $2800 repairing it after the 3yr base warranty, I'm going to trade it and get something else. I did check online pricing and was able to get the 5/100 for $1650. The only concern I have is it is a new model with no track record and it has lots of electronics. May change my mind but i'm passing for now.
 
#16 ·
Its just a pretty good price for peace of mind. And 1700 was the bottom line price the dealer had in the computer for their invoice of the lifetime maxcare warranty. Ive seen it myself. The dealer started at over 3k for the same thing.
 
#18 ·
To clarify, if a SINGLE repair costs more than the NADA retail value of the vehicle, they will give you the NADA retail value, and end the service contract.

So if in 12 years it's worth $2,500, you can still bring it in for ten (or however many) $1,500 repairs. If the tranny goes, and the repair is $3,500, then the NADA Retail value clause kicks in.

It's a very good deal for those who will keep the car for a long time, or rack up lots of miles.

The wheel and tire coverage upgrade is only $180 for 4 years/60,000 miles at chryslerwarranties.com. I had one tire damaged, it was replaced with a new one, non-prorated. They paid 100% of the cost of the tire, balance, and installation. You're covered for up to 4 tires and wheels.
 
#19 ·
I bought this warranty today. My dealer tried to rip me off and charge 4k for the lifetime coverage. Thanks to the Jeep garage forum I knew about Bothun Jeep site. We pulled up the site and he matched their price. Don't think he liked that but oh well...
 
#23 ·
I would get in writing that when something wears out they will replace say at 150K miles when a water pump wears out, look at the fine print.

There is a difference between a worn out part and something defective?


"The Lifetime Powertrain Limited Warranty covers the cost of all parts and labor needed to repair a powertrain component listed below that is defective in workmanship and materials. There is no coverage for towing in the event of disablement."
 
#26 ·
I recently purchased the 5/100,000 max care warranty. Has anyone noticed under front/rear suspension it makes no mention of air suspension(ref QL). I called warranty care CS to ask about QL. After conferring with a supervisor who could not answer my question they suggested I contact my dealer about this matter. What would he know about it? Maybe someone on the forum has the answer.
 
#27 · (Edited)
This question has been looked at in depth here before,

The MAX CARE policy is EXCLUSIONARY, that means if it's not SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED, it's covered.

The ADDED CARE and POWERTRAIN CARE are INCLUSIONARY, meaning if it's not SPECIFICALLY INCLUDED, it's not covered.

To add to this confusion, there are "sample lists" for the MAX CARE to illustrate how many thousands of parts are covered. This list is not complete, and just because something isn't on it does not indicate it isn't covered.

YES AIR SUSPENSION IS COVERED.

The only items not covered are bodywork, glass, soft trim, wear items (pads, rotors, plugs, filters, fluids, NON LED bulbs, belts, body(but not glass) seals, accident damage, worn out shocks..but leaking shocks are covered.

Also, before the forum lawyers chime in with "well, they'll just say my transmission wore out!", they won't. Wear items are clearly defined as above.

I have significant personal experience with MAX CARE. I do my own maintainance, and every time I saw the slightest seepage(not even a leak), I had it repaired without a problem. For instance, nobobdy would pay to have a rear main seal replaced for barely noticeable seepage, but I had it taken care of without a hitch.

The plan on my 02 WJ paid for itself 5 times over, and with 100,000 on a Jeep(!), had not a single thing in need of repair, thanks to the extended warranty.

I've had repairs while vacationing in Canada (broken header @93k) without a problem, and was given a WK as a loaner.

One last note. Dealers are paid at the normal warranty rate from Chrysler for contract repairs (this is not an "insurance policy"). My father in law brought in his 04 WJ after I noticed rear main seepage, and they refused to repair it, saying it was too minor given the cost of repair. We didn't bother fighting them, even though no amount of seepage is considered within acceptable limits. We took it to another local dealer, who, like my dealer, was more than happy to do ANY work under the extended warranty, since that was a money maker for them. In fact, I would often come back to find that they had found and repaired issues I hadn't even noticed ("your alternater was making a squeeking noise, so we replaced it").

So the point is, just like some dealers will pout and refuse to price match on the extended warranty and make NO money rather than a small profit, some foolish dealers behave as though repairing under the service contract is coming out of their pocket. Unless their repair bays are always filled by people paying full retail for repairs, this is a very foolish way to run a business. The dealer I mentioned above went out of business last year, BTW.

This is a newly designed vehicle with many complex systems. A single out of warranty HVAC repair could cost as much as the $1700 warranty (Look up the broken blend door issue on the WJ. $30 part requiring $1500 in labor to replace). I'll bet the lifetime warranty program will not be available for new vehicles within a few years. It's going to be a money loser for Chrysler.

PS: I was never asked for maintianance logs, even when having differential repairs (noise) done at high mileage. That said, I've been told that repairs over $5,000 require pre-approval from Chrysler, who would probobly want to see some evidence of maintainance if there's a suspicion that neglect could be the cause. This is almost certainly going to be limited to engine and perhaps transmission replacement.

PPS: Certain coverages in the lifetime warranty are not "lifetime". Roadside assistance, paid rentals during repairs, and trip interruption all expire at 7 years/100k.
 
#29 ·
No. We've dug into this one too. Canucks are screwed when it comes to the extended warranty :( Lifetime isn't available, and you're at the mercy of the dealer for pricing on the lesser plans.

That said, the Lifetime Maxcare bought in the US is valid at all dealers in Canada and Mexico, so the irony is we have better coverage in Canada than Canadians can get.
 
#30 · (Edited)
I showed my dealer the quote from the Chrysler Warranties web site and told him I would buy from him if he met the price, which he did. The dealer wants any/all business even if the margins are not great to show the revenue. Despite the demand and great ratings, the dealers I have worked with are being very reasonable to move vehicles for Chrysler.

Given all the electronics and mechanical stuff on this vehicle I was very concerned about reliability. I had my '93 Grand Cherokee for 17.5 years and plan to keep this amazing vehicle for at least as long. I considered buying a Lexus for reliability reasons, but the new GX sucked to it was no longer an option. And then the navigation system on my 2006 Lexus IS 350 died four months out of warranty so my illusion that I would be safe with a Lexus was blown up. Now that I have my lifetime warranty (for less than it cost to replace the nav system on the Lexus) I am very comfortable having all the bells-and-whistles (Quadra-Lift, SelecTerrain, Adaptive Cruise Control, etc.).

Friends are in awe of the 2011 Overland, and the low cost of a lifetime bumper-to-bumper warranty.
 
#31 ·
Does someone have a link for the Lifetime Max Care policy?
 
#33 ·
thanks!
 
#35 · (Edited)
If you click maximum care (in the box on the left, under the box that says instant quotes on chryslerwarrantys.com) it will list the following. Along with other info about the plan.



Maximum Care is an exclusionary extended warranty, often referred to as a "Bumper-to-Bumper warranty" and as such if it's not excluded, it's covered. The only parts and labor not covered are:

-Maintenance services and items used in such services.
-Glass, plastic lenses.
-Body and paint items, including soft trim.
-Wear items such as manual clutch assembly, brake pads, shoes, rotors, drums and belts are not covered at any time.
-Snow plows, winches and trailer hitches
 
#36 ·
FYI,
I just picked up my Overland (with a Hemi). Bought the lifetime Max care extended warranty with a $100 deductible. Negotiated with the dealer and paid $1800. List price was $3100. He showed me his cost $$s I felt I got a great deal and could not pass it up.
 
#37 ·
Sounds like an incredible price on the Maxcare! Congrats :thumbsup:

Did you do the TL program @ 1% below invoice?

Just curious if they charged you any DOC / Dealer Conveyance Fees?
 
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