RollingStones

Sorry for yet another post about cars.

We're waiting for our new Ford Explorer to arrive for a lease agreeement through IAS.
At the moment I'm driving around in a Nissan Sentra, it's like driving a little dodgem car around after an SUV. Poor thing has been hammered by a few big ol' pot holes out here in the 'burbs of Pennsylvania. I can't wait for our Explorer now.

Anyway, my question is about the options being offered by Ford and I'd like to get your opinion. Are they necessary, useful or overkill?

Ford Premium maintenance

The Auto Appearance package

The Road Hazard Tire and Wheel Plan

and finally, the Lojack Tracker

Are people familiar with these? Essentially they will be tacked onto the price of the monthly lease if I agree to go ahead, but the cost is not insubtsantial.

Thank you

Pulaski

Personally we turned down all the additional add-ons when we bought a car recently (it was a Honda not a Ford).

Maybe something like the servicing is worth considering for a vehicle you are leasing, but even then it probably ties you to one dealer or franchise chain, so what happens if you move?

Maybe the roads are bad enough in PA to make the wheel and tire hazard plan worth considering, but ask yourself how many tires can you buy @$200 with what they're going to charge you? In short, don't be pressured into buying something you don't think you need unless they can explain to your satisfaction why it is a good idea.

And I hate to say it, but take anything everything you are told with a pinch, or two, of salt. When we picked up our Honda the fiance and paperwork guy tried to sell us six different warrant upgrades and service plans, including some sort of mechanical warranty upgrade that would cover, among other things, the clutch, "because the clutch will need to be replaced after about 60,000 miles". I told him that our existing Accord had 325,000 miles on the orginal clutch and it was still going strong, and that I was comfortable with the risk we took without that additional warranty! The paperwork guy didn't have much response, but appeared surprised.

Nutmegger

It usually shuts them up when I go, "Wait a minute, you think everything is going to wear out that fast? Perhaps I need to go back to the drawing board on what car manufacturer to choose ..."

Rete

No

No

No

Depends on the stats of theft of your type of vehicle, where it is housed and where you live.

Very familiar and my opinion next to each. I've paid for all those in the past and it has been a waste of money. But then I never did or would lease a car but owned it outright.

tom169

Ha, good one! Although I would suggest going back to the drawing board when choosing any sort of lease...

lansbury

With LoJack you need to know how many of the police departments in your area have the receiving equipment in their patrol vehicles. If they are not equipped it isn't worth having. That info should still be on the LoJack web site.

I had it fitted on my first Jeep, the insurance discount made it almost a freebie over the time I had the vehicle. My second Jeep has built in GPS and is connected to Jeep by cell phone, so they can track the vehicle and I can see where it is on a cell phone app.

Jack8602

I always take out extended warranty. usually ignore the other crap. I like peace of mind in case something big fails.

It cost me $2k on my VW when i bought it last year.

A couple months back i had to have the whole A/C removed and replaced due to a fault. Without the extended warranty it would have cost me $3.5k in parts and labor.

Pulaski

That was how we felt as he went through how expensive it would be to repair everything.

Ecto17

We just picked up an Explorer and Escape through IAS and firstly IAS were fab and everything in the first month has gone just as they said (return of car rental costs etc). For what it is worth we didn't go for any of the extras.

Owen778

I would only, maybe, take the appearance package on that list. Not sure which model you're looking at, but it's possible that it includes the upgrade from cloth to leather seats.

lansbury

Why would you take an extended warranty on a lease vehicle? Would not the lease run out within the life of the factory warranty.

DebbieBullen

Hi,

We've just leased through International Auto Source (IAS) Ford Explorer (Sport), didn't take any of those additional options, were in MA.

Note to self though... when in the school queue don't get close to the curb... 3 days in and I curbed a wheel, $175 to have it put right!...My bad. Thankful my husband wasn't mad

Great car!! 😃

Jack8602

To cover everything that the standard warranty doesn't.

edit: Sorry, maybe i mean enhanced warranty, as opposed to extended.

lansbury

OK that makes sense. I wondered what I was missing as an extended warranty on a lease didn't seem necessary.

Pulaski

It depends how tight your finances are as to whether it makes sense, because add-on warranties are priced such that the average owner of the product, whether it is a car, a boat, or a fridge is pretty much guaranteed to lose. The flip side being that given that the manufacturer of the product knows the reliability of what they manufacturer, they know how much to charge for an additional warranty to cover the costs of "average" repairs. You'd have to be unlucky with your purchase to come out ahead by buying an add-on warranty.

I have never bought any sort of add-on warranty for vehicles or appliances, and only know of one instance when I would have been able to claim if I had bought one. I know I am several thousand dollars ahead, not including the add-on warranties offered by Honda for our new Accord. Given the reliability of the Accord we already have, we were totally comfortable turning down add on warranties.