So I'm pretty dead set on a 2011-2013 135 with the DCT transmission. My local indie shop says they are pretty stout and they rarely see any trouble with them, and most of the time that is the "mechatronics" seal leaking which does require pulling the transmission to replace.
Are there any quality/dependable aftermarket warranties? For a "Oh berkeley just in case" type of issue?
Fidelity sells a good warranty and appears to be a company that isn't going to fail anytime soon...
No comment on warranty options, but I'm just going to throw this out there, a quick check on car-part.com suggests used transmission for those cars is reasonably priced. I'm not sure it would be terribly expensive to replace even if things did go poorly.
I'll look up the one I had on the X-Terra when I get home tonight.
They were pretty great when the transfer case ate itself followed by the the differential somehow dumping all it's lubricant into and out of the axle which, for some reason, necessitated an total replacement a week later.
Ask your local garage of interest if they have any business experience working with any of these guys. From what my fav consumer advocate says, third party warranties are virtually worthless, but maybe there is an exception or two out there. If you can buy a BMW extended warranty, that’d be a much safer bet.
I used to deal with them regularly and there are literally hundreds of different companies, many underwritten by large companies, so it may be hard to find lots of info on many of them just because of the sheer number of them and most people dont know who theres is through.
I dealt with them everyday for 10 years and most are worthless but occasionally you get some really good ones, and i still couldnt remember a name of a good one for you.
I could probably count on one hand the number of times i saw two people with the same company.
About the only one id ever buy is through carmax, because you see alot of people all having great things to say
I had a aftermarket warranty on a Caravan that more than paid for itself. I also had one one my E150 that I broke even on.
Toyman01 said:I had a aftermarket warranty on a Caravan that more than paid for itself. I also had one one my E150 that I broke even on.
Who were the providers?
In reply to einy :
I wish I remembered. That was 15 years ago. They were bought through the dealership when we purchased the cars.
Currently the intermediary party on a CarMax warranty equipped Dart with DDCT problems. They so far have been accommodating even with a complete inability to understand anything about the car or transmission. It's clear they would prefer a CarMax location to be working on it but they aren't being unusually difficult.
If I recall correctly BMW service contract mandates repair at a dealer. Depending on what you intend to modify this may become a problem.
Problem is you have to buy a car from carmax to get their warranty. Their warranty isn't expensive either. Even for cars like modern AMG's and v12's that most 3rd party warranty companies will cover.
I talked to my local indie shop and he said in reality the DCT shouldn't be anything to worry about, and he also backed up Snrub in that used good condition DCTs are affordable.
He said they have a couple of different 3rd party companies they've had customers use to good effect, he said he was going to look up the companies and get back to me.
As for a BMW extended warranty, the prices I've read online are heart attack inducing. $4k for a 2 year warranty? Probably better to keep that in the bank and over maintain the car and hope nothing happens.
I try to keep reminding myself that the forums are filled with mostly bad experiences, the other 95% that haven't had a problem don't feel the need to get online, make an account and talk about how awesome it is. And then many on the forums are "special" that beat on cars, don't maintain them, and have possibly questionable mods and tuning........or all 3.
I'd be curious if the price is right. I love my benz but just don't want to worry about something large even if I can afford to fix it myself.
I've heard the CarMax warranties have started to creep up in price and shorter terms. But that's the only one I've had experience with.
the value of the warranty lies in its terms and cost. if it's a powertrain warranty for $2k it really isn't worth it. If its a bumper to bumper for $600, it's worth it.
Some warranties will only cover up to the cost of the policy originally. so check the warranty paperwork carefully before buying.
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