tbilisi79

That is exactly what I wanted.
Between work, our 2 year old daughter and chores I really do not have time to waste on trouble shooting car problems . With warranty I just drop off the car, get a loaner and I'm at work in 10 minutes. Dealer is on the way to work too. I can change the bulb if I have to, filters, but changing oil and water pumps or things if that nature I'm done with, have done it way to many times to want to do it again.
I'm not sure what the argument is about warranty. I did a lot of reading on this forum about these cars before I bought it and I knew that control arm bushings will be a problem sooner or later, knew that actuator could be a problem as well. I also knew I would be buying a bigger house sometime soon and did not need any extra expenses down the road .
So far getting warranty was a great decision.
Without warranty I would do the aftermarket control arms at an Indy shop, but most likely I'd just sell the car and get something newer .

Miss my car already. Rx 350 is nice and all, wife loves driving it, wants one now . It does go over Nyc bumps like a champ.

Doublebase

The "argument" is about are warranties a good investment. You wrote, you think every luxury car should have an extended warranty. Some, including myself, don't believe that to be true.

I think it sounds like the warranty is working out for you...it is giving you piece of mind, and you have fixed some things on your car (major things). So good for you.

On the other hand there are plenty of people on here that are doing more than fine without making that initial $3,000 dollar investment in an extended warranty. I don't know what that warranty covers, I don't know if there's a deductible, I don't know how long it covers and I don't know how much trouble it is to get them to do repairs. But I do know that if you find a reasonable and reliable independent repair facility, you will never come close to paying dealer prices on things like brake and suspension work.

And most of us bought the Lexus LS460 because it is reliable - that was heavily factored in the purchase decision - if not then some of us would have bought twin turbo BMW's. I know I drove one of those...amazing amazing ride, but after a little research I found that I'd be spending hundreds, to thousands, every other month to keep it on the road.

tbilisi79

I agree to a point.
I also really wanted an s550 sport, or a 750i. But warranty or not I just didn't want to spend time or any money fixing those cars. I'm not even gonna mention the depreciation factor .
Any car can be fixed as long as you throw money at it. I wanted to have the most reliable car with minimum expenses for the duration of ownership.
I'm gonna keep the car for 2 more years, so a 3 year 36k mile warranty with no deductibles fit me perfectly.

I'm also a bit of a nut. I like everything in perfect working order. How many people even know of the passenger side lumbar is broken and how many of those care to get it fixed I wonder.

My gs430 came with a broken recirculating arm for the climate control. Dealer wanted good money to get it fixed. I did not have warranty on that car so I spent a few hours fixing it myself. Wasnt fun, but I got it fixed.


Different options for different people.
I post my car repairs here so people could see that they have options and decide what works for them and what doesn't .
Many thanks to all the people here posting lots of write ups and information.

SW17LS

An extended warranty is basically "repair insurance". Everybody decides what risk tolerance they have, and can afford. If you can put your hands on several thousand dollars on short notice, then you don't really need an extended warranty, you can have higher deductibles on your other insurances, etc.

If you can't do that and you drive one of these cars, then an extended warranty makes sense.

We tend to hear stories about people with repairs and making the most of their warranty, because most people don't talk about a car that doesn't need repairs. It gives us a false sense of value when it comes to the warranty. Just remember, Lexus makes money on every warranty they sell at the price they sell it for...and moreover...the dealer also makes money on top of that. Its about spreading risk, for everyone who gets value out of their warranty, there are probably 50 people who don't. Thats how all insurance works.

So when deciding to purchase a warranty, just understand that you are far more likely not to get value out of it than to get value out of it, and make the decision about your own financial situation not trying to "save on repairs".

Gbp

I agree that an extended car warranty is likely a sub-optimal financial decision and thus likely not a good investment. Still some people (I'm one of them) place a value on intangibles such as peace of mind and convenience, not to mention other perks like free loaner cars, a trip interruption benefit, free car washes, etc. For those people, an extended car warranty might make sense.

For my CPO car, I plan on using the dealer for any warranty-related work (and have done so). For non-warranty repairs and maintenance, I plan to use my local independent mechanic.

Ascari_2

You guys keep talking about the control arms as if that's the only thing that ever breaks on these cars. I've already had two front air socks replaced along with the steering column. Granted this was all done while I was within the original warranty, there is no reason why these things couldn't have gone bad now. Ebay parts (which I would shy away from) or not, and a Lexus dealer or an independent mechanic, I highly doubt that I would be able to get all that replaced for under $3000 and get a hassle-free loaner at any time.

R Z

The debate for warranty or no warranty is not one to be resolved. It's a matter of personal preference and whether or not a person feels the need for security and peace of mind. If that's the case, then a warranty is absolutely necessary. On the other hand, those who like to take risks, it makes sense not to get a warranty. Either way is not wrong.

This is no different an argument over many other types of insurance plans. For instance, we have a homeowner insurance plan. Why? Because for us paying money to ensure home repairs is important. To some it's not anything needed in this inflationary world of premium payments.

Insurance for cars, homes, life, etc is subject to the individual.

Devh

I can tell you what I hated about a CPO warranty from my own experience from owning a previous BMW that is very much in line with the OP and that is worry. Worry that the warranty will not cover certain repairs. I would spend half the night doing internet searches trying to find out if my CPO covers wheel bearings or belt tensioners and then get varied information that it does and that it doesn't. Then I would have to fight with the dealer because they don't cover the belt but they cover the tensioner but tried to charged me twice for the labor. I do not want to fight with those that are trained in being confidence men and women for the dealership as that whole situation is repugnant. Then I would hear of friends and family getting taken and feeling good about it. I want out after the factory warranty because I know where I stand and it opens up a lot more cost effective options that makes me feel good that I saved a fortune. I don't want to be in a situation where I need a company to grant me a repair or give me good will when I paid for it.

Doublebase

Lol! Yeah when you said that the lumbar was broken I thought...ok how does this guy even know or care if the passenger side lumbar is bad? I knew when I read that that you were pretty meticulous about your car.

I agree, it seems to have worked out for you, and it's given you that piece of mind feeling. I'm obviously a bit different, but I think it's an argument that could be split right down the middle...which is probably a good sign.

dlbuckls10

To purchased an extended warranty or not is a personal choice. For some it may be a waste of money or others like myself money well spent, and many others who regret they didn't purchased one. The finance manager suggested it and I almost turned it down because Lexus reliability is remarkable. I thought about all the electronics on the '10 460L what could go wrong and the problems associated with it. I could have easily paid for the repairs myself, but no one like spending their own money on expensive repairs especially if they are still making payments. No regrets on the extended platinum warranty I purchased. Each to their own.

7milesout

I'm in agreement with this mindset 100%.

BT3100

My 08' 460 is the 5th Lexus I've owned and when you add Toyota branded cars and trucks that takes the total to 9. This car is no where even close to the other 8 in terms of reliability.
I have 10K miles left on the CPO warranty and I dread the day it will expire. I would have never thought I would have ever considered buying an extended warranty. After the past year with this car buying an extended warranty almost seems like a no brainer.
Sad...

RayLS

I agree.
I have peace of mind knowing the expensive repairs such as CA bushings and brake actuators are covered under warranty. And not worry about the shop's competence on a high end car. Just drop off the car and get a free loaner for how long it takes them to fix the car.
8 front CA replaced so far and I still have 5+ yrs / 57K mi (CPO + extended warranty).
I think I'm in good shape.
No regrets on purchasing the extended Platinum warranty.

tbilisi79

Car is ready, going to pick it up after work .
They changed the brake actuator and lumbar.

Also corporate called, since this is my third Lexus, they are willing to pay for a new headlight and a new window seal as long as I pay for labor. I will get this done during the next visit since I wanted to have the car back for the weekend, Going to MA for a weekend. Rx is nice but I like my LS more .

Will report back on the front end later this eve.

SW17LS

Great! Glad it worked out. Just FYI The new headlight isn't going to match the old headlight most likely...