craig1410
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 06:52 PM |
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Toyota Extended Warranty - Worth it?
Hi,
Normally I wouldn't even bother asking the question as I'm not a big fan of extended warranties but this one didn't seem too bad and
I just wondered if anyone had taken this up themselves?
My Toyota Aygo is 3 years old at the end of May this year and has done 40k miles so far. It had a new water pump at the last service (known problem)
and had some clutch adjustment. I've replaced the front brake discs and pads myself as they were badly worn. Apart from that it has been fine
although I am aware that the clutch is a weak spot on these cars and expect it to fail at some point.
Extended warranty is £337 for 1 additional year and is unlimited mileage. The warranty covers everything except wear and tear items and from the
examples given, it doesn't look like they hide behind wear and tear to avoid paying up. For example it says it covers the mechanical or
electrical failure of: engine components, clutch kit, gearbox, suspension, braking system, cooling system, steering, air con, casings, fuel system,
electronic ignition etc etc. None of the things it excludes seem unreasonable.
Other benefits are Club Toyota membership with complementary breakdown cover equivalent to AA's top package, and MOT failure cover where any MOT
related parts will be paid for.
So, anyone taken one of these warranties or have any thoughts on whether it is a good deal or not?
Cheers,
Craig.
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adithorp
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 07:07 PM |
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It's a 3-4 year old Toyota. You'll be VERY unlucky if something fails that isn't "wear and tear". Keep your money in
your pocket. I'd have gone broke long ago if I had to rely on Toyotas breaking... Thank God for the French/Italians! 
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 07:07 PM |
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yeah but like you say they don't cover normal wear and tear so don't expect them to pay for a clutch even if it's known to wear out
early or you brake pads. They would cover say a seized calliper or a drive shaft that snapped. I doubt you'd spend £337 a year to keep a 4 year
old car going. My 20 year old one needs about £130 all up for fluids and filters for a full yearly service which I do myself.
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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craig1410
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 07:11 PM |
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Hi,
The clutch issue is two-fold. One is where the release bearing breaks up and the other is covered by a technical service bulletin where it is
acknowledged that the clutch wears prematurely due to a design fault. Many people have had this repaired by Toyota even without an extended
warranty.
It's things like gearbox, air con, fuel injection and ignition ECU's etc that are probably the most expensive things to go wrong. I agree
though that the Toyota Aygo should be a reliable car and seems to be pretty good so far. Normally I wouldn't even entertain an extended warranty
but the breakdown cover and MOT failure cover makes it more difficult to dismiss.
Cheers,
Craig.
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 07:25 PM |
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my folks have a corolla and avensis and apart from my mums brakes keeping rusting up due to her driving far too slow all the time they are as boring
and reliable as my Nissan. They are not like the fords and Vauxhalls , they just keep running. If it was a Vectra reaching like 100k I’d say get rid
of it!
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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britishtrident
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 07:50 PM |
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Toyota have reputation for being very honourable with warranties, replacing engines for piston slap on vehicles well out of warranty as long as there
was evidence of regular oil changes. Of course a lot depends if the warranty is offered by Toyota themselves or if they are just approving it.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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craig1410
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 07:53 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Toyota have reputation for being very honourable with warranties, replacing engines for piston slap on vehicles well out of warranty as long as there
was evidence of regular oil changes. Of course a lot depends if the warranty is offered by Toyota themselves or if they are just approving it.
Speaking of piston slap - I think my Aygo has piston slap and it seems to be considered "normal" due to the design of the engine. the
symptoms are a tappety rattle when engine is cold under moderate acceleration. Seems to be worst in the low to mid RPM range. Once the engine is hot
it seems fine.
How much of an issue is piston slap and do you think I should be pushing for it to be fixed before the warranty runs out? I presume the only way to
fix it is to replace the engine?
Cheers,
Craig.
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britishtrident
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 07:56 PM |
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One other thing with extended service intervals Toyota engines need good quality 5w/30 fully synthetic in the sump or they are prone to piston slap
or ring problems at over 70,000 miles.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 08:10 PM |
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Read this carefully.
If someone on this site worked for Toyota they couldn't really comment openly about the possible/probable future mechanical problems of your car
due to 'prenuptial' employment contracts.
BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY!!!
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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craig1410
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 08:17 PM |
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^^^^^ Not sure I like the sound of that! 
Message received loud and clear. Anyone out there know of any common (and expensive) faults likely to hit an 08 plate Toyota Aygo (other than Toyota
Employees bound by NDA's etc.) I though it was just brake discs, clutch and water pump that were the main problem. I wonder if my "piston
slap" isn't actually piston slap... I also wonder if there are any Toyota TSB's which cover my rattly engine. Maybe worth spending a
few £ to browse the TSB lists.
Thanks! 
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 08:52 PM |
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Its amazing how small Aygo short blocks are, I am sure if you tried you could get 8 surcharge units on a single 4'x4' pallet.
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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franky
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 09:27 PM |
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Aren't they the same as the the french c1 and the likes? Not a 'proper' toyota? A bit like how you should steer clear of a new
nissan with a derv engine as its french poo?
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Simon
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 09:32 PM |
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I took out an AA warranty (via my Renault shop) for my Espace as I'll be keeping it another couple of years - it was £450 for two years. As far
as I'm concerned it covers everything. See how much noise I make if it doesn't
ATB
Simon
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britishtrident
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| posted on 5/4/11 at 09:34 PM |
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Piston slap is usually most evident at idle for few minutes after cold start. Rattle under acceleration from low revs could be ignition timing fuel
octane related try running some Super unleaded to see the effect.
Reason why modern engines a prone to slap is that the cylinder bore centre line is no longer slightly offset from the crank centre line.
Traditionally the cylinder bore centreline was offset by a small distance from the crank centreline so that the sideways thrust of the piston always
occurred on one side of the piston, however this causes increased friction which has a cost in emissions, fuel consumption and power. Piston slap is
caused by the piston swapping the thrust from one side to the other.
[Edited on 5/4/11 by britishtrident]
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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craig1410
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| posted on 17/4/11 at 11:18 PM |
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Hi,
Just a quick update after my 40k mile service where I reported a few issues as follows:
1. Clutch slow to lock up (ie. stop slipping) when changing gear while going uphill under load.
2. Apparent piston slap when engine cold
3. ABS too sensitive on rough or bumpy ground. Activates and extends braking distance
Results:
1. Cable adjusted (Pedal certainly feels better but was adjusted last year too. Makes me wonder how much friction lining is left. Note that I am
change gear very smoothly with blips on downshift etc so clutch wear should not be an issue for me. Certainly not at 40k!)
3. The Aygo is very sensitive but nothing which can be done about it. If it causes me to crash into something or someone then we'll see what the
courts have to say...
2. Initially told by service manager that he was not aware of any issues matching this description and that I might find the car to be better
following the service. However, if I wasn't satisfied then they would be happy to arrange for the car to be left overnight and a cold start done
in the morning.
He then phoned me the following day to say that he had done some research and found evidence of this sort of problem at other garages across the UK.
(Full marks to the man!!) He recommended I book a cold start test and gave me a date which would allow them to do the test and do the MOT without
losing any MOT duration. He said that if they can verify the symptoms to be consistent with the known issue then they can order up a new short engine
and other parts which will take 2-3 days to replace. Assuming they do need to change the engine, they can check the clutch at the same time and if
there is evidence of manufacturing issues then they can also replace it at the same time. If it's just wear and tear then I will have the option
of replacing the clutch plate at a "parts only" price.
So, it looks like I might have made some progress so thanks to everyone who contributed! ;-)
Assuming I get a new short engine and clutch then I'll need to think very carefully before deciding what to do about the extended warranty. I
should get some sort of warranty for the repair itself which I think is 1 year on replacement parts usually. Given that the main culprits should be
dealt with is it still worth getting the warranty? Hmm...
Only downside of the service was the cost. £275 was a bit steep in my opinion but I made the mistake of booking it and turning up before I actually
asked what the cost was... doh! Oh well, next service is oil and filter only.
Cheers,
Craig.
[Edited on 17/4/2011 by craig1410]
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