Is there a Leaf specific warranty

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Deltaflyer21

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2017
Messages
14
Location
Ontario, Canada
My 2018 Leaf just came in today....YAY, my first electric car! When it came time to discuss extended warranty, the good folks there put a huge chart in front of me showing all the things the “bumper-to-bumper” warranty covered.

I was tempted to purchase as we will being owning our Leaf for a long time, but I pointed out to the dealer that more than half of the items on this extended warranty list weren’t even in the Leaf (e.g., fuel pump, transmission, etc.).

So I asked, is there an extended warranty package just for the Leaf? I would presume it could even be a little cheaper.

The dealer didn’t know if this was the case, and would check into it. Does anyone here know if Nissan has a Leaf specific extended warranty package in Canada ?
 
The Nissan 'Gold Preferred' plan is what many of us used to extend our warranties. It isn't Leaf - specific, but it does cover all systems except the battery, and possibly the drivetrain components already covered under the longer EV drivetrain warranty. If you look elsewhere, make sure the climate control and infotainment systems are covered.
 
Have you tried getting a quote from http://nissansrextendedservicecontracts.com/?

AFAIK, they're run by Nissan of Santa Rosa (CA), which supposedly has good (or better than typical F&I guy) deals. I got a quote for them on an extended warranty before the 3 year/36K basic warranty ran out on my current used Leaf. It costs a lot more to get a warranty once that's over...

edit: Crap, never mind. Above link will likely be useless for Canadians.
 
I got a reply from the dealer today. Apparently, there is a warranty with electric car language in it. They were able to offer an adjustment to the warranty. What do you all think?

5 years/100000kms, $1600 (includes roadside). With tax is about $1800.

Thoughts?
 
$1,600 is about 2 to 3 dealership garage fixes.. unless the parts are cheap. I think it sounds ok.

is it 5 yrs from the end of the car warranty or 5 yrs from now.. so you are getting about 2 yrs of real warranty.
 
DuncanCunningham said:
$1,600 is about 2 to 3 dealership garage fixes.. unless the parts are cheap. I think it sounds ok.

is it 5 yrs from the end of the car warranty or 5 yrs from now.. so you are getting about 2 yrs of real warranty.

It is 2 years of real warranty as the factory is 3/60000.
 
It depends on what the peace of mind is worth to you. I suggest that if you are leasing you roll the payment into the lease, so if the car is totaled you aren't paying for more of it than you used.
 
LeftieBiker said:
It depends on what the peace of mind is worth to you. I suggest that if you are leasing you roll the payment into the lease, so if the car is totaled you aren't paying for more of it than you used.

Good idea, but I should have mentioned at the beginning that this is a cash purchase.
 
Deltaflyer21 said:
5 years/100000kms, $1600 (includes roadside). With tax is about $1800.

Thoughts?
I cannot think of an instance where the OP did anything but ask for affirmation of their choice.

So, here it is:
ABSOLUTELY, do what you will do anyway. GREAT CHOICE !!
 
Please don't buy the warranty. You're only getting 2 years out of it. Any problems that you have will show up in the first 3 years and it will already be covered by the standard warranty. Trust me. You traction battery is covered even longer. And if something were to happen in years 3-5 just go to a reputable local mechanic. Yes, a leaf is an electric vehicle but most of the systems are like a traditional car. I doubt that whatever it is will cost you $1800. Also, the dealers do not do quality work. I've taken my cars in for recalls (only way I will take my cars to the dealer) recently and one car they overfilled the brake fluid and on the other they left two bolts loose on the actuator they replaced. The local guy who's been working on cars for years will take better care of your car when working on it.

Sure, there is a chance something major could happen after your standard warranty ends but your odds are really low. But again, most possible repairs will not cost you $1800. During years 5-8 more things will need repairs but that's why they don't offer a warranty during that period.
If everything I wrote still scares you then please buy the warranty. This is just my two cents.
 
leafdriving said:
Please don't buy the warranty. You're only getting 2 years out of it. Any problems that you have will show up in the first 3 years and it will already be covered by the standard warranty. Trust me. You traction battery is covered even longer. And if something were to happen in years 3-5 just go to a reputable local mechanic. Yes, a leaf is an electric vehicle but most of the systems are like a traditional car. I doubt that whatever it is will cost you $1800. Also, the dealers do not do quality work. I've taken my cars in for recalls (only way I will take my cars to the dealer) recently and one car they overfilled the brake fluid and on the other they left two bolts loose on the actuator they replaced. The local guy who's been working on cars for years will take better care of your car when working on it.

Sure, there is a chance something major could happen after your standard warranty ends but your odds are really low. But again, most possible repairs will not cost you $1800. During years 5-8 more things will need repairs but that's why they don't offer a warranty during that period.
If everything I wrote still scares you then please buy the warranty. This is just my two cents.

I see this as poor advice all around. Read the forums. Non-Warranty repairs on the Leaf can be anywhere from $500 to $3500, and possibly more. Yes, the extended warranty is expensive reassurance, and the majority of Leafs may never have any issues, but some of them will. Many of the Leaf major component repairs also require use of the Consult Tool, which is expensive and not purchased by many shops that are not Nissan Dealers. Other than the warranty replacement of the traction battery, my Leaf has been trouble-free, so far. I wasn't willing to take the gamble, so I bought an extended warranty just before the factory warranty expired. I paid around $1800 for a 96 month/96,000 mile/$0 deductible plan.
 
Insurance is a bet.

You bet you will have a problem with your car. The insurance company sets the odds. In their favor, of course.

The insurance company makes money. Oh, sometimes you win, but mostly the insurance company wins.

Over 65 cents on every dollar wagered.

Blackjack in Vegas takes about 1 cent out of every dollar wagered. Roulette takes 5.26 cents out of every dollar wagered (American, with double zero).

So why take such a bad bet?

Only if you can't afford the results of not taking the bet.

If you are just starting out, with high debt and no savings, a car repair could be a major crisis. Once you have savings that can cover problems like this and/or good credit with low debt, then this become a bet you can not only afford not to take, but can profit from not taking.
 
WetEV said:
Insurance is a bet.

You bet you will have a problem with your car. The insurance company sets the odds. In their favor, of course.

The insurance company makes money. Oh, sometimes you win, but mostly the insurance company wins.

Over 65 cents on every dollar wagered.

Blackjack in Vegas takes about 1 cent out of every dollar wagered. Roulette takes 5.26 cents out of every dollar wagered (American, with double zero).

So why take such a bad bet?

Only if you can't afford the results of not taking the bet.

If you are just starting out, with high debt and no savings, a car repair could be a major crisis. Once you have savings that can cover problems like this and/or good credit with low debt, then this become a bet you can not only afford not to take, but can profit from not taking.

These last few posts are very thoughtful and I have had many of these thoughts. Right now, I'm leaning towards not going with the warranty. The only reason why I might take a warranty, as you say, is that I'm placing a wager. In this case, the 2018 Leaf is a redesign. It is possible that issues would be greater than in previous models.

Thoughts?
 
Deltaflyer21 said:
I got a reply from the dealer today. Apparently, there is a warranty with electric car language in it. They were able to offer an adjustment to the warranty. What do you all think?

5 years/100000kms, $1600 (includes roadside). With tax is about $1800.

Thoughts?
By way of comparison, when we purchased our 2011 LEAF in March of 2012, we paid $1200 to extend the warranty to 8 years and 100,000 miles.

The main motivation was to cover the charger, DC-DC converter and the inverter for the drive motor. Some have had problems with their on-board charger, but I don't really know of anyone who has had problems with the DC-DC converter or the drive motor. Since then, I have learned that the heater and the parking brake system are also very expensive to repair or replace.

Will our warranty pay off? It hasn't yet, but we still have two years or 50,000 miles remaining.

Will your warranty pay off? Not if the drive electronics in your car are ALREADY covered for 5 years or 100,000 kms like the early LEAFs were. What does your warranty booklet that came with the car say?
 
It seems we are discussing two very different warranties.
OP is faced with paying $1600 to replace a 36 month/60K mile factory warranty with a 60/60. The $1800 purchases 2 years & 0 miles of coverage. Possibly helpful to someone driving 12K miles/year; totally useless to anyone driving 20K miles/year.
For the same price, Baustin added 60 months (bringing him to 7 years) and 36K miles.
For only $1200, RegGuheert added 36 months (bringing him to 8 years) and 40K miles. Both of the latter cover more of the potentially troublesome miles – without purchasing coverage beyond the likely itch for new car smell and technological advances.
 
baustin said:
leafdriving said:
Please don't buy the warranty. You're only getting 2 years out of it. Any problems that you have will show up in the first 3 years and it will already be covered by the standard warranty. Trust me. You traction battery is covered even longer. And if something were to happen in years 3-5 just go to a reputable local mechanic. Yes, a leaf is an electric vehicle but most of the systems are like a traditional car. I doubt that whatever it is will cost you $1800. Also, the dealers do not do quality work. I've taken my cars in for recalls (only way I will take my cars to the dealer) recently and one car they overfilled the brake fluid and on the other they left two bolts loose on the actuator they replaced. The local guy who's been working on cars for years will take better care of your car when working on it.

Sure, there is a chance something major could happen after your standard warranty ends but your odds are really low. But again, most possible repairs will not cost you $1800. During years 5-8 more things will need repairs but that's why they don't offer a warranty during that period.
If everything I wrote still scares you then please buy the warranty. This is just my two cents.

I see this as poor advice all around. Read the forums. Non-Warranty repairs on the Leaf can be anywhere from $500 to $3500, and possibly more. Yes, the extended warranty is expensive reassurance, and the majority of Leafs may never have any issues, but some of them will. Many of the Leaf major component repairs also require use of the Consult Tool, which is expensive and not purchased by many shops that are not Nissan Dealers. Other than the warranty replacement of the traction battery, my Leaf has been trouble-free, so far. I wasn't willing to take the gamble, so I bought an extended warranty just before the factory warranty expired. I paid around $1800 for a 96 month/96,000 mile/$0 deductible plan.
I see this as poor advice all around. Read the forums. Non-Warranty repairs on the Leaf can be anywhere from $500 to $3500, and possibly more.
Yes, I read the forums. And you know what most people do on forums? They talk about problems. Most people don't join forums and when they do they rarely write about how great everything is.

Yes, the extended warranty is expensive reassurance, and the majority of Leafs may never have any issues, but some of them will.
You're right that the extended warranty is expensive reassurance. It's no different from car insurance. You're probably fine with 300k coverage but 500k coverage makes you feel a little better. Just like insurance companies, the dealers know that the majority of people won't use the extended warranty. Everyone knows this is how they make money.

Other than the warranty replacement of the traction battery, my Leaf has been trouble-free, so far.
You said it yourself.

I wasn't willing to take the gamble, so I bought an extended warranty just before the factory warranty expired. I paid around $1800 for a 96 month/96,000 mile/$0 deductible plan.
Unlike you, the OP is adding only 2 years. Just as you said everything has been fine with your '13 until now- this is how long they would be paying $1800 for.

If you're the kinda person who thinks only the dealer can perform a $120 "full synthetic oil change + 1,376 point inspection" on your car then please buy the warranty. Seriously, why does the finance manager lick his lips when presenting you the extended warranty?

You're probably thinking that I'm a jerk who missed the point but please don't justify your purchase. If you think a car, even an "all-electric car with complex systems," requires a warranty, then maybe you shouldn't buy that car.
 
Deltaflyer21 said:
These last few posts are very thoughtful and I have had many of these thoughts. Right now, I'm leaning towards not going with the warranty. The only reason why I might take a warranty, as you say, is that I'm placing a wager. In this case, the 2018 Leaf is a redesign. It is possible that issues would be greater than in previous models.

Thoughts?
You bring up a very valid point about the '18 being a redesign. In general, I'd say it's true that first year redesigns have more issues than previous models. I've had personal experience with this. However, most of the issues usually show up in the first couple years and you will be covered under the standard warranty.

I'd suggest waiting it out and see how the car treats you after 2 years of ownership. You'll get an idea of how many issues you have had and whether the extended warranty will be useful. You should still have the option of purchasing the extended warranty before your standard 3 years are up. In fact, it's possible that they may even offer you a better deal then.
 
The 2018 Leaf is a "major refresh" more than a redesign. They have made enough changes to make possible problems a concern, but many systems are the same as in the Gen I Leaf.
 
baustin said:
I see this as poor advice all around. Read the forums. Non-Warranty repairs on the Leaf can be anywhere from $500 to $3500, and possibly more. Yes, the extended warranty is expensive reassurance, and the majority of Leafs may never have any issues, but some of them will. Many of the Leaf major component repairs also require use of the Consult Tool, which is expensive and not purchased by many shops that are not Nissan Dealers. Other than the warranty replacement of the traction battery, my Leaf has been trouble-free, so far. I wasn't willing to take the gamble, so I bought an extended warranty just before the factory warranty expired. I paid around $1800 for a 96 month/96,000 mile/$0 deductible plan.
You were not willing to gamble on a major repair, but you *were* willing to gamble that your $1800 (or whatever the cost of warranty) would have value.

You are gambling either way; the question here is whether you know how to compute odds.

I think most of us know from casual arithmetic that product warranties are a killer deal ... for the warranty company. That people buy them anyway is typically due to inability to pay for a repair out of pocket. The rest is just rationalization and muddled nonsense phrases like "peace of mind."

Back in 2004 I bought my first Prius. The technology was new and unproven. Like Reg I wondered about insuring the inverter with a warranty against the $6,000 repair cost. I decided to take a wait and see approach, and when few repairs occurred in the community by the time the OEM warranty was set to lapse I discarded the idea of buying insurance. The following years were most instructive: used inverters could be bought for a few hundred dollars off Ebay because the demand was so low. As it turns out, a later generation Prius *did* develop a relatively widespread inverter failure rate, but Toyota responded with a 15 yr/unlimited warranty for all affected owners.
 
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