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Extended Warranty

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cosmicspd3

New Member
So after like 14 months I'm at 35k miles. Powertrain goes to 60k miles. I have a ms3 so my main concern is the turbo seals and the engine failing because of a rod blowing or something similar. Mazda's MEPP warranty for powertain only covers the engine, tranny and axels with a rental car when its in the shop.

Well I went to my dealer, Polar, and they had 2 warranty companies. I forgot the names, but one was EasyCare. I'll post the specs up for the miles/money but it was 2100-2400 for 100k miles full coverage. But they werent "Mazda's" warranty.

Did anyone buy a ext. mazda warranty? Do I have to buy it at a dealer or can I call mazda up and get it? I know they want to check your mileage...

So I'm thinking do I save $2k in the bank and just have it for engine blowing fixing, or try and spring for a ext warranty and keep the car to 100k+ miles for sure.
 
dmention7

dmention7

Hater
In almost every case (and for sure in the long run), you're best off putting that cash in a bank account and hanging onto it for repairs, than buying an extended warranty.

If you plan on modding the car at all, definitely skip the extended warranty.
 
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LASERBLUE135

Active Member
From what I understand you are doing a lot of racing, autoX, etc. Those are hard miles. If you are going to keep the car somewhat stock (warranty companies don't really give a shit about mods, BUT that doesn't mean that won't be an issue as other that stock pieces can become an issue in repair situations.) I'd consider a warranty. Those companies fix ANYTHING/EVERYTHING most of the time.

HOWEVER again...be careful and read the fine print. There was a MSP owner who couldn't get a turbo covered because the fine print said "turbochargers and components are not covered". So when that happened they got a refund of the REMAINING warranty balance when they canceled, which is offered by most after-market warranty companies.

I had one once and it cost nearly exactly what my repairs cost. I don't think I'd do one again.
 
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cosmicspd3

New Member
Well I was considering putting $2k away just incase the motor goes. But Mazda's ext powertrain actually seems pretty decent. I just wanted to hear "broken rods are covered" and I would consider it. I wanted to make sure the rods and turbo seals are covered. Here it is

"MEPP Service Contracts - PowerCare
Includes the following items.

ENGINE
All internal, lubricated parts. Cylinder Block; Cylinder Head(s); Harmonic Balancer; Timing Chain, Timing Belt, Balance Shaft Belt, Gears, Pulleys, Guides and Tensioners; Oil Pump; Intake and Exhaust Manifold; Engine Mounts. The following parts are covered only if damaged by the failure of an internal, lubricated part: Cylinder Barrels, Timing Chain Cover, Valve Covers, Oil Pan and Rotor Housing.

MANUAL TRANSMISSION/TRANSFER CASE
All internal, lubricated parts. Flywheel; Transmission Mounts; Clutch Master and Slave Cylinder. The following parts are covered only if damaged by the failure of an internal, lubricated part: Transmission Case, Oil Pan and Transfer Case.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION/TRANSFER CASE
All internal, lubricated parts. Flex Plate; Vacuum Modulator; Transmission Mounts. Torque Converter if internally damaged. The following parts are covered only if damaged by the failure of an internal, lubricated part: Transmission Case, Oil Pan and Transfer Case.

DRIVE AXLE (FRONT/REAR)
All internal, lubricated parts. Drive Shafts; Axle Bearings; Drive Axles, Stub Axles, Tripod Joints; Universal Joints; Constant Velocity Joints and Boots; Locking Hub Assembly. Drive Axle Housing if damaged due to the failure of an internal, lubricated part.

SEALS AND GASKETS
Seals and Gaskets on all covered parts.

TAXES AND FLUIDS
State and local taxes, where applicable, and fluids as required as part of a covered repair. "

so I dont know if the rods would be considered an internal lubricated part. Polar was suppose to call me back but didnt today. I'll probably be calling Mazda soon to see if they have a price. I mean what you have to consider is that I need a loaner if the car is being repaired, I drive for work ...hence my mileage. The only mods I plan on having are the sri, rear mm, shifter bushings and forge bpv, I have been considering a turbo inlet but meh. The car is powerful enough I like handling more.
 
Jesse MS3GT

Jesse MS3GT

Querulous
Holy moly thats a lot of miles!

I concur with dmention, just save the money in a savings account for repairs. Or do what I did, buy a cheap POS car and use that for commuting to keep the mileage down. Saves you money on car insurance, too.
 
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WhiteSpy9

Guest
Saving the money for future repairs is likely the best option.
I opted for the extended warranty offered by Mazda when I bought the vehicle, knowing that there were some known issues with turbo and being a first generation of the speed3.
The turbo is defiantly covered and worded such in the warranty I purchased at the time of sale. At the time I was putting on 15k+ a year, now that I am putting on ~7k a year, I would not have opted for the warranty. I wanted the vehicle to be covered while it was still owned by the bank. Now that it will be paid off before 50k, I wish I didn't purchase it.
 
dmention7

dmention7

Hater
There's a nugget of truth to what JT says.... though, a blown motor is only one of many ways the car could end up requiring expensive repairs.
 
JohnnyT

JohnnyT

New Member
I wasn't implying throwing a GT40 in the mix, but building the block and running a stock-styled set-up will give you much more reliability. But then again, so will a Civic...so that's a whole other debate right there.
 
mndsm

mndsm

I'M OFFENDED!
Eh, that's why you have a backup car. Anyone that has ever bought a turbo car with the expectation that it's NOT gonna shit the bed sooner than an NA car is living in a dream world. I fully expect my motor to go, and am already planning accordingly. The last REAL warranty svc I could have needed is if the motor mount went, and it did that on Sunday... so the car is still well under warranty. Hell, my warranty will expire before the car reaches the mileage, and a good 2/3rds of it is done anyhow due to mods.
 
dmention7

dmention7

Hater
JohnnyT said:
I wasn't implying throwing a GT40 in the mix, but building the block and running a stock-styled set-up will give you much more reliability. But then again, so will a Civic...so that's a whole other debate right there.
Click to expand...
Well, I was mostly saying that even if you built the block, there are still motor mounts to fail, electronics that stop working, struts that leak... But spending your warranty money on building the block would at least ensure that you're never going to blow the bitch up.
 
mndsm

mndsm

I'M OFFENDED!
Parts are gonna break. That's why they invented upgrades. I don't think anyone here is 100% content with stock.
 
JohnnyT

JohnnyT

New Member
Well, that's outside the engine itself. Those parts can fail at anytime, and a reserve fund should always be set aside for unexpected repairs such as those you mentioned.

So..basically if I was you, I'd ditch the idea of an extended warranty. However, I'd be VERY surprised to see ANY of these DISI MZR's go past 100k with just scheduled maintenance, stock or otherwise.
 
mndsm

mndsm

I'M OFFENDED!
Depends on who's driving it. I've seen stock DSM's go well past 100k, and those damn things will throw rods like it's a festival.
 
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