[20165]

I recently purchased a 2020 SL Armanda and am trying to make up my mind on whether or not to buy the extended warranty. I drive about 2k per month, mostly highway to work and will never tow anything with it, but i also know very little about cars and Nissan reliability seems to be hit and miss according to what i have been reading. Although this is assembled in Japan which makes me a little more confident in the build quality.
The reason im seriously thinking about it is i have a whopping 2k miles on it and have had 3 issues with the electronics. One where the radio just reset itself out of the blue, presets, phones, etc. Second was just a random error saying system error, contact the dealer, third, the front sensor kept going off whenever i went under 10mph even though there was nothing in front of me. Cleared up once i shut it off and restarted it.
Nothing earth shattering and im sure the dealership will replace the head unit or computer at some point during the initial 36k mile warranty, but i also cant help to think its a sign that i should be buying the extended warranty.
Thoughts?

 

[OBXPatrol]

You'll be out of bumper-to-bumper in 18 months.
That still makes for a very "new" vehicle that could start developing some issues.

I had an SRS system issue a few thousand miles ago, luckily SRS system falls under the powertrain warranty since it's safety. I'd have to look back at my other thread but I want to say the repairs would have been around $3k. This happened just under 60k miles, outside of that the repair wouldn't be covered under traditional warranty.

I've been lucky on the BCI side, but I'm also in an SV. I keep a brake switch in the glovebox anyway.
I do look at the dash and think about how ridiculously expensive that entire system would be to replace or troubleshoot.

I'm just over 60k now and I'm very happy that I have an extended, completely comprehensive, warranty until 120k. Yes for all of the electronics, but also because I'm in an '18 and out of powertrain warranty. The 5.6 seems to be hit-or-miss for developing the engine knock associated with piston skirt slap on the #7 and sometimes #5 cylinders. I do figure that if it was going to present itself, it would have already started knocking. Currently Nissan says the '20+ are not affected, but there are plenty of Titan owners on their 2nd and 3rd engine replacement, some '20 Titans have already developed a knock. I will not be surprised when Nissan updates the TSB again to include '20, originally it was just '17, then'18, then updated to include '19......you see where that's going.

 

[20165]

thanks for the reply and sounds like between the electronics and piston slap, probably makes sense to buy the warranty. I do like how it drives and would like to keep it to 120k miles +. Now i just have to find a dealer that sells a true nissan warranty vs. the 3rd party ones that i have been quoted at 2 different dealerships...

 

[OBXPatrol]

It looks like there is not a Nissan option for extended on a new vehicle.
There is an option for a premium CPO "wrap" option, but that only applies to the CPO vehicles.
Maybe you will find a dealer that will write one on a new vehicle for you.

 

[20165]

No, there is, i just have to find a dealer willing to sell it. I called nissan and they said i can buy it anytime before the 36k mile original warranty expires, but they also said that a lot of dealers try selling their own so i have to be careful to make sure its the actual nissan backed warranty. i found one in California that seems to be selling the nissan backed one. Keeping my fingers crossed...

 

[nolimits76]

I don't see the need to rush into an extended warranty. You have a new vehicle, and your deal is already done. But in fairness I am not a fan of extended warranties. However, this is a personal decision and you have to decide what is best for you and your family.

Here's a few thoughts to chew on and decide for yourself:

1. Do you know or care about the present value of a dollar? The basic concept of finance is that a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow because I can take that dollar, invest it and watch it grow. Now think about the warranty. You spend thousands today and don't get to "enjoy" any of the rewards or benefits for several years and thousands of miles down the road when the factory and/or powertrain warranties expire. So the warranty has a future value, not a present value. To understand it's present value, we have to discount it back using the time period we think it will take, interest we could make on a yearly basis, etc.

Let's pretend the car dealer wants $2k for the warranty. And you can invest in a mutual fund and yield 10% interest gain (probably aggressive, but doable) and you will have a minimum 3 years to invest (if you didn't buy the warranty). The future value is $2k, which is the price of the warranty. When discounted back, the present value is $1,503.

2. Will you actually use the extended warranty? Granted, you drive quite a few miles per year, so there is a decent shot you will with the ASSUMPTION you keep the vehicle longer than the average bear. Many people sell or trade vehicles within the 3-5 year period which either the factory and/or powertrain warranty would still be in effect. Also, if during the factory warranty period, you determine you have a complete dud my guess is you are going to try and dump that thing as fast as possible while minimizing your depreciation losses.

3. If #2 checks out for you, then why not eliminate the concerns of #1 and buy some extended coverage as you near the end of your factory warranty? By then you will know your vehicle much better and be able to make a more informed decision.

4. The extended warranty only has value if you utilize it and the repairs equal or exceed the cost of the warranty. Funny how dealerships work. The sales guys say it's the best vehicle in the world and never breaks down. The finance guys become negative Nancy's and tell you how the smallest repair will be $3k. What I know to be truth is if I take $2k and invest then I will always have a few coins in the event I have a repair. This is called self-insuring and the benefit is if nothing happens I have a few extra thousand to spend elsewhere as I see fit.

 

[OBXPatrol]

I agree with waiting until the factory warranty has almost run out to make a decision on dumping the vehicle or sticking with it for the long haul and bucking up for an extended warranty.

I also agree with self-insuring...to a point. Vehicle repair costs, parts, and labor will also appreciate year over year. You would also be gambling that the investment would in fact create a return.

The ultimate gamble will be if the 5.6 developed a cylinder knock at 65k and you're in for the full dollar amount of a short block replacement.

In almost all situations in life I prefer piece of mind. I sleep better. If I was in a financial position that I didn't much care about repair costs, then I wouldn't care about warranty. Everyone's situation will dictate how they feel about life insurance, health insurance, and on a very miniscule level...vehicle warranty.

 

[20165]

Thank you for the responses and all very valid points. I think my main deciding factors are 2 fold, first i like the piece of mind that i dont have to worry about every little noise i hear or have to baby it. Also, should mentioned this in the original post, i know nothing about cars so if the dealership tells me the flux capacitor needs to be replaced, i say sure, lets do it...
I did find out yesterday the extended warranty is only about $1700 so way less than i was expecting. 60 month, 120k miles

 

[nolimits76]

If you're going to buy, make sure it's an authentic Nissan warranty and not a 3rd party. Also, based on the 60 month/120k coverage period, it looks like this is probably the Gold Preferred if indeed it's a Nissan plan. The PDF below lists all the nitty gritty of what is included. Also the screen cap highlights the available terms for new and pre-owned vehicles.

FWIW, the present value of $1,700 with 3 years and 10% is $1,277. If you reduce the interest to 8% for the same 3 years, present value increases a little to $1,350.

Not sure if the $1,700 is their ask or you negotiated to that value, but if it's their initial ask I'd definitely be trying to negotiate down a little. It doesn't matter if you think it's a decent value. There is likely some room for them to move for you.

For some additional ammo on negotiation, the Nissan warranty page indicates warranties are available on 12 & 18 month terms at 0% consumer financing with no qualification terms. That makes me think their standard pricing has some sort of interest built into the sale price. Sort of like cell phones. You "technically" don't pay interest, but you pay retail price of whatever each manufacturer deems.

Nissan Vehicle Extended Protection Plans | Nissan USA

Enjoy worry-free driving with Nissan Extended Protection Plans. Choose the Nissan Extended Service Plan that meets your needs and lifestyle.

www.nissanusa.com

https://www.nissanusa.com/content/dam/Nissan/us/owners/files/EPP/component-coverage-guide.pdf

 

[Topless86]

As someone who was in the car business for over 35 years (20 years as the GM/CFO of a Toyota dealership) and married to a now retired Nissan NNA employee who spent 37 year working in all sides of the service parts and labor side, I can only give you my opinion. RUN AWAY!
Aftermarket warranties are a BOON to the dealer, who usually makes more off the sale of a warranty than he does off the sale of the car. 90% of people who buy them never use them, or if they do, find their service issue is not covered, or has such a high deductible that it costs more than paying out of pocket.
That said, if you really want to worry that you will have a major out of pocket expense after the factory warranty runs out, take the money you would spend on one and put it in a Tbill or interest bearing account. Or buy some decent stock. If something happens, use that to pay for it.
I used to go on a really nice 2 week vacation with the spiffs we made off aftermarket warranties.

I recently purchased a 2020 SL Armanda and am trying to make up my mind on whether or not to buy the extended warranty. I drive about 2k per month, mostly highway to work and will never tow anything with it, but i also know very little about cars and Nissan reliability seems to be hit and miss according to what i have been reading. Although this is assembled in Japan which makes me a little more confident in the build quality.
The reason im seriously thinking about it is i have a whopping 2k miles on it and have had 3 issues with the electronics. One where the radio just reset itself out of the blue, presets, phones, etc. Second was just a random error saying system error, contact the dealer, third, the front sensor kept going off whenever i went under 10mph even though there was nothing in front of me. Cleared up once i shut it off and restarted it.
Nothing earth shattering and im sure the dealership will replace the head unit or computer at some point during the initial 36k mile warranty, but i also cant help to think its a sign that i should be buying the extended warranty.
Thoughts?

 

[Muddy Moose Armada 2019]

I recently purchased a 2020 SL Armanda and am trying to make up my mind on whether or not to buy the extended warranty. I drive about 2k per month, mostly highway to work and will never tow anything with it, but i also know very little about cars and Nissan reliability seems to be hit and miss according to what i have been reading. Although this is assembled in Japan which makes me a little more confident in the build quality.
The reason im seriously thinking about it is i have a whopping 2k miles on it and have had 3 issues with the electronics. One where the radio just reset itself out of the blue, presets, phones, etc. Second was just a random error saying system error, contact the dealer, third, the front sensor kept going off whenever i went under 10mph even though there was nothing in front of me. Cleared up once i shut it off and restarted it.
Nothing earth shattering and im sure the dealership will replace the head unit or computer at some point during the initial 36k mile warranty, but i also cant help to think its a sign that i should be buying the extended warranty.
Thoughts?

PURCHASE IT!!!!!! I have a 2019 Platinum. Bought a 7yr-150K miles bumper to bumper warranty. We drive a lot also. My previous armada hit me for $4k one repair!!!! The warranty cost is cheaper than that!!! Built it into my payment. Just a nice sense of security!

 

[OBXPatrol]

I was 1700 miles away from being out of warranty on a repair that would have cost me over $3k out of pocket.

I would say on this exact vehicle with the known issues of BCI, cylinder scoring, high dollar electronics, high tech trans/t-case, it's really not a bad bet. If nothing more, it's piece of mind.

Do your homework. Read the fine print. It's just like any other insurance, you can't expect anything in return that's not explicitly covered.

 

[Muddy Moose Armada 2019]

I was 1700 miles away from being out of warranty on a repair that would have cost me over $3k out of pocket.

I would say on this exact vehicle with the known issues of BCI, cylinder scoring, high dollar electronics, high tech trans/t-case, it's really not a bad bet. If nothing more, it's piece of mind.

Do your homework. Read the fine print. It's just like any other insurance, you can't expect anything in return that's not explicitly covered.

I remember sitting there looking at all the TV’s sensors from front to back technology everywhere thinking Omg if these things fail down the road how the hell do yah pay that bill! And in the end it moved my payment slightly higher. Nothing substantial. But peace of mind is nice

 

[USMCEagle]

I recently purchased a 2020 SL Armanda and am trying to make up my mind on whether or not to buy the extended warranty. I drive about 2k per month, mostly highway to work and will never tow anything with it, but i also know very little about cars and Nissan reliability seems to be hit and miss according to what i have been reading. Although this is assembled in Japan which makes me a little more confident in the build quality.
The reason im seriously thinking about it is i have a whopping 2k miles on it and have had 3 issues with the electronics. One where the radio just reset itself out of the blue, presets, phones, etc. Second was just a random error saying system error, contact the dealer, third, the front sensor kept going off whenever i went under 10mph even though there was nothing in front of me. Cleared up once i shut it off and restarted it.
Nothing earth shattering and im sure the dealership will replace the head unit or computer at some point during the initial 36k mile warranty, but i also cant help to think its a sign that i should be buying the extended warranty.
Thoughts?

Hi,
The decision is completely up to you, but... I purchased an extended warranty from the dealership, just for the piece of mind. The best purchase I could have made. I will do it with my next whatever I buy.
With all the sensors and computers on board all you need is one to go out and the warranty pays for itself.
Best Wishes.

 

[OBXPatrol]

I've also had great luck with warranties. Fidelity put a trans in my 2008 Tacoma, no questions asked, very rare failure for the 6 speed manual. Toyota dealer said it was toast, 2nd and 3rd gear showed excessive wear. Fidelity authorized the total replacement in less than 30 minutes. $50 deductible. Warranty paid for itself.

Last 2 vehicles I've had CPO warranties. Armada I recently went with Fidelity again, at 59k.

I'm sure the thousands of Tundra and Titan owners outside of warranty wished they had an extended warranty. Tundra owners deal with the cam tower leak at any mileage, Titan owners deal with the same cylinder scoring the Armadas do. It's not a matter of the "wrong" vehicle, every modern vehicle is a gamble.

A 10 or 20 year old truck is no comparison to the repair expenses of a 1-5 year old vehicle. Modern=more tech, more sensors, more items prone to failure.

 

[athan56]

I recently purchased a 2020 SL Armanda and am trying to make up my mind on whether or not to buy the extended warranty. I drive about 2k per month, mostly highway to work and will never tow anything with it, but i also know very little about cars and Nissan reliability seems to be hit and miss according to what i have been reading. Although this is assembled in Japan which makes me a little more confident in the build quality.
The reason im seriously thinking about it is i have a whopping 2k miles on it and have had 3 issues with the electronics. One where the radio just reset itself out of the blue, presets, phones, etc. Second was just a random error saying system error, contact the dealer, third, the front sensor kept going off whenever i went under 10mph even though there was nothing in front of me. Cleared up once i shut it off and restarted it.
Nothing earth shattering and im sure the dealership will replace the head unit or computer at some point during the initial 36k mile warranty, but i also cant help to think its a sign that i should be buying the extended warranty.
Thoughts?

We bought a certified 2017 SL with 21000 miles on it in June of this year. At the purchase desk, we were offered a 7 year 105000 mile coverage, bumper to bumper, with no deductible from Zurich warranties. The offered that to me for 2300 dollars, and I took it. My thought was that the Armada is a very complex vehicle electronically, and since we will be towing and have with ours, that it would be prudent. Just extra piece of mind. Well on August day, the A/C would not blow cold. Off to the dealer I went. The diagnosis was a leaking high pressure line in the system. The result, Zurich got a bill for 1300 dollars in parts and labor to repair the Armada. I am glad we bought that service contract. We love the Armada, but things to go wrong, and just this morning my radio reset all of our presets as well while we were sleeping! Good luck on your new rig. They are cool.

 

[Brian S.]

I recently purchased a 2020 SL Armanda and am trying to make up my mind on whether or not to buy the extended warranty. I drive about 2k per month, mostly highway to work and will never tow anything with it, but i also know very little about cars and Nissan reliability seems to be hit and miss according to what i have been reading. Although this is assembled in Japan which makes me a little more confident in the build quality.
The reason im seriously thinking about it is i have a whopping 2k miles on it and have had 3 issues with the electronics. One where the radio just reset itself out of the blue, presets, phones, etc. Second was just a random error saying system error, contact the dealer, third, the front sensor kept going off whenever i went under 10mph even though there was nothing in front of me. Cleared up once i shut it off and restarted it.
Nothing earth shattering and im sure the dealership will replace the head unit or computer at some point during the initial 36k mile warranty, but i also cant help to think its a sign that i should be buying the extended warranty.
Thoughts?

I also purchased a 2019 SL. I did not purchase an extended warranty at purchase time. I use this vehicle for towing about 5,ooo miles a year and local deriving. After towing the first few trips I became concerned about the Tranny,. due to constantly shifting on any small grades. I monitor the temperature and what gear is in using a smart phone and software available. I then purchased a package from the dealer at the same cost presented at purchase time, with 8500 miles on the car. It is good at any Nissan dealer. Now I do not need to worry.

 

[marctronixx]

Removed offensive dialog and banned the member who was causing unnecessary mischief.

Please keep this thread on topic and refrain from disrespecting each other.

Thanks gents.

 

[20165]

Thank you Moderator. My original post took quite the turn...
I appreciate everyone's feedback, great advise and really helped in my decision.
thanks again

 

[Patrolman45]

Highly recommend the extended warranty as I did, just for your peace of mind considering things could go wrong. Stick with Nissan's extended if possible. Great rigs btw, good choice.