Extended Warranty?

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psyflyjohn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
81
Location
San Diego, CA
When I purchased my Miev, I got Mitsubishi's extended warranty. I generally don't think they are a good idea. But here's my thinking: The car has many unique features, being technologicaly new. As it ages, some replacemnt parts ( like the main battery modulator board) may need replacement. I was imagining the price of the unique parts for this car as being high, since they probably won't be available aftermarket. The cost of the extended warranty could easily be made-up by one or two pricey repairs.

What do you think?
 
Personally, I believe that extended warranties (especially for cars) are always priced so as to make a ton of money for those who sell them, so that makes them of questionable value - Generally not a good bet for 95% of buyers

I have never bought one for any piece of electronics, because in my experience, high tech gizmos will either fail pretty quickly (usually within the standard warranty period . . . . even if it's only 90 days) . . . . or they will work forever - With only a single exception, that's been my personal experience. The motherboard did fail on our front loading washing machine about 6 weeks after the warranty expired

I think you need to have confidence in the company you buy them from - Will they actually pay for a needed repair?

That said, what you're really buying is peace of mind - If buying an extended warranty gives you that and you're confident it will be honored and you're happy with what you paid for it, not much else matters

Don
 
Actually, I think you can buy many of the parts for this car in the aftermarket. EVs and EV conversions have been around for a long time and most of these pieces are just off the shelf parts. If the MCU (Motor Control Unit) fails outside of warranty I bet you can get another one for less than what Mitsubishi will sell it to you for. It maybe made by Curtis or Zilla but it will still work.

The Innovative part of this car is not what makes it go, because that is all basic electronic theory. Mitsubishi claims four things that make this car 'innovative': the long wheelbase holding four adult passengers is one of them, the lightweight electric motor and transmission (only 150 lbs for both), the batteries and three way battery charging system. http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/special/ev/4innovations/index.html

Mitsubishi did everything they could to bring the price down. They claim they have over 40 years of EV development. I have a feeling a few of those parts can be found in their forklifts.

Yet, I feel if the extended warranty gives you the piece of mind that you need to feel comfortable in this car, then its priceless. So I'm just giving you some more information, we won't be left high and dry if Mitsubishi ever decides to pull the plug on the electric car.
 
A week ago one of my 2012's would not charge. I connected Canion and it showed that all 88 cells were the same voltage, ruling out a bad battery pack. When I connected the EVSE the fan would start on the battery pack as usual, and the EVSE would indicate charging, but would shut off after a few seconds. I connected another EVSE and had the same results, ruling out a bad EVSE. I suspected a bad On Board Charger. The local Mitsubishi dealer (Sport Mitsubishi in Orlando - I've had several great experiences with them) agreed, and replaced the On Board Charger (over $4,000 for the part, over $5,000 with labor) under warranty and we are back in business. I dropped the car off Monday afternoon, and picked it up Saturday morning, and they also performed the latest recall and installed new tires. I asked Sport Mitsubishi if they offered an extended warranty and was told that they did not. Our 5 year 60,000 mile power train warranty expires in May of this year for those of us who bought the i-MiEV when it was rolled out nationally in May of 2012. I repair electronics for a living now, so if the On Board Charger fails after the warranty expires I'll have a go at repairing it myself or I'll try to buy a used one because I'm not paying over $4,000 for a new one.
 
You got lucky and had great timing to get a new charger with 1 month to go under warranty. And great service too.

It seems odd to have an 8- or 10- year warranty on the battery pack and then have the chargers failing before the pack. i would think that the designers expected the charger to outlast the pack, but it may turn out to be the weakest link.

Makes for a useless vehicle if the pack can't be charged, and the charger replacement cost is greater than the value of the car.

psyflyjohn was really thinking ahead back in 2012, his thoughts and approach were spot on.
 
kiev said:
psyflyjohn was really thinking ahead back in 2012, his thoughts and approach were spot on.
He hasn't posted here in about a year - Wonder if he still owns the car . . . . and did the money he paid for the extended warranty ever benefit him at all . . . . other than the peace of mind?

Don
 
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