DaveB and Mustang5L5 are absolutely right. The belt job is stupid easy.

My AC belt started to go (only one rib broke, the rest of the belt was still holding)
so I replaced it.
Since the AC one is behind the accessory belt, you have to take them both off.

$20 belt and 30 mins DIY labor... yeah, I'll take that over a $200-300 service bill any day!!!

 

I was in the same boat as you since I just picked up my car. I recently bought a jack, jack stands and some tools and now I don't think the warranty is necessary.

The FSM, DIY videos, this forum will take care of the car. Depending on your location, you might even find someone willing to lend a hand.

Like others have suggested, I'd put the money you were going to spend or part of it in a savings account. I think it would be better spent that way.

But if you do the warranty route, I'd double check what he advised you to do. Most warranties only come into effect after your car has been checked over. Otherwise what's to stop anyone from getting an extended warranty when they have a costly repair. It just doesn't seem like it would make much sense from Infinti's perspective.

 

I had a 3 year extended warranty and I pulled 3k easy in repairs. Back then the rental was free and gas was on the honor system.

They only denied one claim which was bad smelling cats, I changed gas station like they said and it really did go away.

 

^Didn't you have an engine replaced?

 

Nope I had radiator, valve covers, bose radio, compression rods, random valve and a few other things.

 

^So was that $3000 in kandyland made-up dealership jackrate dollars?
DIY would have been less, or even taking it to a shop, shouldn't have been THAT much.

 

Piece of mind knowing that a car I paid 18k for was covered for 3 years was my main concern. Hindsight we know nothing major happened but you cant know that when you buy it. Maybe I broke even but I didnt have to touch the car and there was never down time or me paying someone to find my EVAP leak.

 

Consumer Research (not always the most empirically based) clearly states that most warranties or not worth it since most repairs cost so much less. I bought a short one only b/c I didn't know anything about Infiniti and wanted some insurance", but over the years I've done my own work for 10% of the price of any warranty. I've done my own brakes, plug replacements, throttle body and 02 sensor cleaning, all fluid changes, belts, tire rotations,, etc. My sense is that if I, a 113lbs female can do this just by watching Bythebay videos or other videos on car repair, most anyone can do this.

Warranty companies offer these b/c their actuarial data indicates huge, huge profits, like health insurance companies (but this is a different matter). From their perspective it's an absolute winning game in the end, with limited gambles on their part-- they basically prey on your anxieties and fears, which they stoke thru their commercials.

I think it's a gamble either way, I opted out and saved >$2500 in 3 years, but could have just as easily lost out if I had suffered a blown engine or bad tranny.

 

Ok so...... chick who works on her own car = Automatic Hawtness points

 

^ Yes but the things you posted are not warranty related. Like you said its insurance and sometimes you need it and sometimes you dont.

 

^^^ You're right-- my point was not so much that what I did has been warranty related as much as it was to say that many (not all) of the things that a warranty would cover (compression rods, radio/AC unit, valve cover, suspension and steering system, AC evaporator, etc.) one can do at home with the right tools, patience and time.

 

Your right, I just like modding with time and patience, not repairs lol

 

And that's the double truth Ruth.

 

I do wish my car was still under bumper to bumper though. Walking into the dealer, handing over the keys and taking a loaner is just the best.

Somedays, as much as I like doing routine maintainence....I just don't want to work on my cars. Don't get me wrong, my hobby is cars. I have a project mustang I am always working on, but you whats nice? If I don't feel like working on it, it can sit for two or three weeks with the engine all apart until I feel like getting back to it.

Since the g35 is my daily driver, if anything fails, I need it fixed asap. Sometimes that stress isn't worth it. Granted my car has been reliable, but there will be a point when I will trade it in for a new car with oem warranty just because I need garanteed transportation just to make my living.

Hardest part is deciding if I want a new(er) g37x or an m45x

 

The only reason my warranty paid for itself is because I had 2 different seat issues during the warranty time (which expired on 23 september). Of course, I too wonder if their price was jacked up to higher than they would have quoted without a warranty.