redmr2

Hi all,

I'm a 2002 SC430 owner whos car is about to expire its
CPO warranty. It has 51K miles on it and has been
bulletproof as far as reliability goes. The car is
completely stock (even the wheels). The only significant
problems I'm had since I've owned it has been a
problem with the convertible roof (I think it was a
problem with one of the pneumatic pistons) which was
repaired under warranty. Otherwise it's been regularly
maintained without any issues. I'd really appreciate
some help with 2 issues . . .

(1) Due to the age of the car I was told that I could not
extend the warranty any further through the Lexus
warranty program (platinum/gold etc.). When I
discussed this with the dealership where I purchased the
car (Charles Barker Lexus in Virginia), the sales
associate recommended Fidelity Warranty Services
(I googled them, but had a hard time getting a good handle on them)
which they sold through the dealership. He stated
that it's bumper-to-bumper (including the roof and navigation)
with a $75 deductible, and did not require pre-authorization
for warranty related repairs if done through a dealership.
This product was offered to owners that could no longer be
warrantied with Lexus. Has anyone here heard of this
warranty company ? Their rates are comparable to
re-upping with a Lexus warranty (~$2200 for 3 yrs/50K mi.),
and I'm primarily concerned with covering myself in case
of failure of the convertible roof or navigation/audio system.

(2) I have one more schedule routine service while still
under CPO warranty remaining. Any recommendations
on things to have looked at/ replaced or evaluated ?

I'd appreciate any recommendations or comments ...Thanks

Harold57

There are a couple of things you should check out to see if they need service prior to the warranty expiration.
1. Do the trunk lid pistons still hold the lid up? These pistons typically die after about 4 years.
2. Do you have any speakers that are buzzing, popping or crackling? This is another common failure where the speaker cone pulls away from the frame. You can repair them, but since the warranty covers them, you might as well have them replace them with new ones for free.
Those are probably the most common problems that I've seen and I've experienced them both also.

redmr2

Thanks for the reply . . . I haven't noticed any issues with the trunk lid so far, but I'll re-check that -- very closely -- prior to my visit. I may have heard the occasional popping from one (not sure which) of my front speakers, didn't think much of it at the time (top down and all) but I'll get that taken care of, for sure . . .

TooCoolSC

Thanks for posting information about Fidelity warranty company. I'm in the same situation and will be looking forward to seeing if anyone knows anything about the company. The fact that someone from Lexus recommended them is somewhat assuring.

Yes

i googled them. and came up with this.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/auto_.../fidelity.html

Solman

I'm not sure if this would work for you, but if you can get this it is an unbelievable deal. I bought an 02 SC 430 (24K mi) last year in June and financed it through my teachers credit union. I found out a month later that they credit union) offered mechanical insurance, so I checked it out. I paid $1350 for 100K mi/7 year with zero deductable for platinum which covers almost everything. They have a list of items (maintenance for the most part) and if it NOT on the list they cover it. They covered the pan gasket ($200) and the dealer said it went very smoothly-got the car back in a couple of hours. I will now see how it goes to replace speaker (rattle) and CD wont eject. both are speciofically mentioned as covered. The policy is called members choice, offered by virginia surety as is backed by Cuna. Hard to believe my 02 will be covered until 2015. No doubt in my mind it wont hit 100k miles. It now has 28k miles on it-you can do the math. Those of you who belong to a credit union might want to check it out. GOOD LUCK!

redmr2

Thanks for all the comments. Based on reviewing the link provided by Jason702 (thanks Jason) it seems that paying $2000+ for an extended warranty from Fidelity Warranty would be like burning money. So --- thanks to Solman --- I'll speak the credit union where I financed the car, and see if they offer the same policy that was mentioned. If not . . . any other ideas ?? I figure worst case scenario I just bank the $$ until one of the more pricey components fail, but would still feel more comfy with an extended warranty . . . meanwhile, last warranty covered maintenance visit tomorrow, sigh . . .

TooCoolSC

The guy I bought my car from recommended this company, and in a search of the best auto warranty companies, they popped up again. Warranty Direct....

http://www.safecarguide.com/gui/war/warrantysurvey.htm

tromly

Most credit unions will offer a warranty when they finance a car and the prices are great. For $1350 you received a great deal, thanks for sharing this info.

Solman

Well I will find out how good my credit union warranty is when I take my 430 in, in about 2 hours. My cd changer does not eject all cds and i have one speaker rattle. will report back.

Solman

Just got the SC back from Lexus. They ordered a new radio/CD changer and the front left speaker. Cost is $1200 with the old parts in trade. Credit union authorized repairs with a credit card. I am now up $200+ in the first year of a 7 year warranty. Unbeliveable. It is true you have to finance through the CU--I did. Then I took out the warranty and paid off the car after I sold my old car (and after I received my warranty). Anyone in the market might want to keep this in mind. It appears it is equal to a lexus warranty and is much less expensive. I found from the warranty paperwork that I gave to the lexus dealer that I actually paid $1230 for 7 year/75K miles. Miles wont effect me at 5-6K miles per year.