ok. i know this is TOTALLY (well not totally totally) off topic but i'm asking b/c i own a 2k2 max.

anyways. my dad has a pathfinder and the warranty is about to expire. should we get the extended warranty? is it worth it?

i understand many people with maxima's and extended warranties have problems getting them fixed because the problems "are not covered" under the extended warranty.

since the pathfinder is part of the nissan family, and many .org members own both a maxima and pathfinder, i thought i'd ask.

let me know what you ladies and gentlemen think.

~eddie

 

There is no straight answer regarding extended warranties... if you didn't have any major issues within the 3 year warranty period, the chances are you probably won't have anything major in the next 3 years so an extended warranty could be a waste of money.

This link should help you decide if you need extended warranty or not. Usually dealers get a nice fat comission for extended warranties so its negotiable. Nissan offers what's called a Security+ Gold plan which pretty much covers everything that the original mfg. warranty covers. I personally wouldn't waste my money on extended warranty because this ain't no Chevy Blazer...

 

how much is the extended warranty package?

 

I have a 75K gold extended warranty package. What a waste. I started modding when I had 1K and threw a blower in recently. Guess no warranty now

 

a warranty is definitely a waste if you do major mods to your car that would void your warranty...if your dad drives stock, get it....it's an extra peace of mind, not to mention the fact that if 1 or 2 parts go, that could mean the cost of the warranty.....

just my $.02

 

I dunno, but I might have to disagree partially on this one.

In general, the Maxima is a very well-built car, so for the average driver, he/she may never run into problems as long as its maintained well.

I went over this issue too when my standard warranty was about to expire. But researching the reliability of the car along with examining how my car performed up to that point made me decide to pass on the extended warranty. Now I'm at over 60K miles and I still have no problems, and I don't expect to have any major issues as long as I can help it.

I know the Pathfinder is not a Maxima, but again, gauge it against what you know about the car and how good or bad it's been for you first. And then make your decision. That extended warranty doesn't come cheap either, especially if you get it after the initial purchase of the car, so you don't want to waste your money.

The worst thing that can happen is if you spend the big bucks to get the extended warranty, the car continues to perform well, and you drive a lot. Then you actually get to the end of that warranty even faster with no problems and, in the end, will have essentially lost that money. Extra peace of mind or not, that's a bit of a high price to pay for it.

 

Murphy's Law:

If you buy the warranty, you'll never need it.
If you don't, everything will go wrong.

Personal Experience:
I am just over 36K on a 2000 GXE and the ignition coil SEL came on. Kings Nissan replaced all 6 (under warranty), saving me >$400. The extended warranty I beleive cost me about $1k.

I think it was a worthwhile investment so far.

Brian