Parts and labour warranty on a used car.

Fruitcake

I bought a used hand car for my son that came with a three months parts and labour warranty on major components. This warranty is about to run out so I would like to buy another to cover the next twelve months.
My son is not mechanically savvy enough to attempt repairs himself, and is on a low wage so would find major repairs difficult to fund.

I could go with the existing company but they have a poor rating where most people that have left feedback say the company nearly always says the fault is due to wear and tear, not mechanical failure, and refuse to pay out.

Does anyone know or have experience of a decent company that deals with warranties for second hand cars?

I know it's a gamble and I wouldn't do it for one of my own vehicles, and I am half tempted to put the money a warranty would cost aside in case of a major component failure.
He has fully comp insurance with breakdown, recover, and replacement key cover, so I'm not worried about an accident repair or getting the car home after an accident or breakdown, it's just the worry that if say the cogbox failed or the engine blew, he wouldn't have the funds to fix it.

Thanks
Fruity

AdrianC

Fruitcake wrote: »

I bought a used hand car for my son that came with a three months parts and labour warranty on major components. This warranty is about to run out so I would like to buy another to cover the next twelve months.
My son is not mechanically savvy enough to attempt repairs himself, and is on a low wage so would find major repairs difficult to fund.

I could go with the existing company but they have a poor rating where most people that have left feedback say the company nearly always says the fault is due to wear and tear, not mechanical failure, and refuse to pay out.

Well, of course, and they're being unrealistic to expect otherwise. No used car warranty will cover wear and tear. They will only ever cover the same as any other warranty - premature failure of parts.

You also need to read the warranty documentation to see what parts are and aren't covered, and the maximum amount paid - both per claim and in total.

I know it's a gable and I wouldn't do it for one of my own vehicles, and I am half tempted to put the money a warranty would cost aside in case of a major component failure.

Any aftermarket warranty is a numbers game - will your car be considerably less reliable and more expensive than the average?

The warranty provider do it because they want to make a profit, right?
And...
Profit = Money received (premiums) - Money paid (admin expenses, marketing, staff costs, tax, commission - oh, yes, and claims paid)

Arklight

Take the money you are planning to throw away on 3rd party warranty insurance, and put it towards a Haynes manual and ensuring the car gets serviced properly every year.

EssexExile

These warranties often list what they cover, which means everything else isn't, which is most of the car.

I was in a Honda dealership service department behind a chap who'd brought in his secondhand car with a list of things he wanted fixing. As he listed them the man in the uniform kept saying "not covered, not covered, not mechanical so it's not covered, not covered...."

tacpot12

I would encourage your son to save his money, rather than buying a warranty, for the reasons mentioned.

He needs to get into the habit of saving for repairs, and all the other expenses of running a car, e.g. tax and insurance. He will need to find a good local mechanic that he can pay to do any repairs that need doing. He should look at servicing the car himself.

Servicing a car is a simple job, accomplished with a very few tools. Doing it yourself will save money (which can be used for repairs you can't do or to replace the car when it is beyond repair). It also avoids being overcharged for service items such as oil, spark plugs and air filters.

Fruitcake

Thank you all, I appreciate the comments and the suggestions are exactly what I do for my own cars. The problem my son has is that at the moment he simply can't afford any major repairs. He is trying to save but has had a run of expensive bad luck. I bought him a car after his previous one suffered major engine failure out of money left to me when my Mum died.
There is a couple of hundred quid left; enough to buy a warranty but not enough to pay for a major mechanical failure such as big end or internal gearbox failure. I hope that in a twelve month he will be back on his feet and in a position to cover anything major.

Like I said, I know it's a gamble and may be a waste of money, but in my son's case I think it might be worth it.

AdrianC

Perhaps if he was driving cheap, disposable cars? That puts a maximum effective bill on any failure. If it does, throw it away, spend a few hundred quid on a replacement.

Meanwhile, he can earn to do basic preventative maintenance.

deanos

there is a AA breakdown warranty but you must a) be a AA member and b) have a breakdown they attend

read the terms to see if its suitable

https://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/breakdown-repair-cover

Fruitcake

deanos wrote: »

there is a AA breakdown warranty but you must a) be a AA member and b) have a breakdown they attend

read the terms to see if its suitable

https://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/breakdown-repair-cover

Thanks. He has full breakdown cover with the RAC so I will have a look to see if they do something similar.

LandyAndy

Maybe if you told us what the car was? Then we could tell you why the warranty was a waste of money.

Three year old Toyota. Warranty pointless because it will be reliable.

Fifteen year old Renault. Warranty pointless because it will all be wear and tear.

foxy-stoat

Your son needs to save for services and repairs if he wants to own and drive a car.

A warranty wont cover him for anything much, if at all,

What car did you buy him, age, mileage, owners, previous service history?