Extended Warranty Considerations

[ScubaDadMiami]

I am getting ready to take a 4,000+ mile trip, and I am trying to be prepared for issues that always seem to happen.

 

For my first line of defense, I purchased the extended warranty from Ford for 7 years/125,000 miles. I also purchased the TireCare extended warranty for 7 years. I have roadside protection included in my GEICO auto insurance policy. Last, I have AAA.

 

I called Ford with some questions about the tires, and I gave various scenarios to see what would happen in the case of damage to the tires while on this trip. I learned that the policy covers up to 100 miles of towing. (It does not matter if you require more than one tow; the total just needs not to exceed 100 miles, per the person that spoke to me.) While this sounds like it should not be an issue, my last break down (another vehicle) happened late on a Saturday, in a small town that had everything closed on Sundays. (Also, not all Ford dealerships have service departments open on weekends or Sundays. So, I had to wait in a motel for two days to get service done on that vehicle.) I do not want a repeat of that experience. Based upon this, I spent an extra $11 for upgrading my AAA policy to Premier, which covers 200 miles of towing, should I need it.

 

Second, I also discussed scenarios where there would be a problem in locating the tire for my C-MAX. I found out that the TireCare warranty does not mean that we can only go to Ford dealers for tire issues. We can go to any "licensed" facility, which also means any Michelin dealer. That adds some more options to the mix.

 

Last, I am carrying a tire plug kit with me. Some AAA places will plug a tire,on the spot, for an additional fee.

 

I did not elect to purchase a spare tire. I hope it all works out.

[DaveofDurham]

Scuba - I think you have dotted all your i's, crossed all your t's and checked your p's and q's.  Look forward to seeing some great photos and commentary like you posted for last year's NC mountain excursion.