The days of purely mechanical vehicles have long passed us by. Even today’s typical pick up truck is a technological wonder that would fit right in to the fictional future of the Demolition Man movie (from the 90s). There’s more technology crammed packed into today’s top-end F-150 (Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, Limited, Raptor) than a lot of today’s high-end German sedans. Likewise, the many computerized modules that controls a vehicles technology (from air bags to transmissions and everything in between) run on tens of millions lines of code, and as such, requires a more specialized set of equipment, diagnostic tooling and highly trained technicians to flush out and repair issues. Ensuring your vehicle runs at 100% for an extended period of your ownership becomes a question of value over time.
If you’re like me and are a bit of a statistics junky, you probably wonder about the ‘odds’ of things happening – from winning the lottery to finding that parking spot really close to the venue you’re visiting. So, let’s over-analyze some probabilities on your F-150 – first here are some indisputable facts to keep in mind:
- Ownership is approximately 6 to 8 years.
- It has 1000’s of mechanical parts.
- It has 1000’s of electronic components.
- Most operate in extreme environments (either hot all year around, or cold to very cold for half of the year).
Is it a fair assumption to say that the longer you own your F-150 the more probable it is that something is going to break or malfunction? Likewise, if you operate your vehicle in extreme environment conditions (the far South of USA where it’s always hot, or just about anywhere in Canada), you’re more likely to put additional stress on essential components?
Good, most of you probably agree with the above statements thus far.
So us Canadians (except for the majority of the population in fair weather BC), operate vehicles in extreme conditions for about two-thirds of the year (4 to 5 months in winter, and 2 to 3 months of extreme heat/humidity in Summer) and we own our vehicles for 6 to 8 years which are comprised of several thousand mechanical and electronic components. The reality is, the longer we own our vehicles the greater the likely hood of something failing.
So where’s the value in spending more on warranty? Let’s do some dude diligence! First, ask yourself two questions:
- How many KMs a year do I drive?
- How long do I plan on owning this vehicle?
My answer: I drive about 15,000 kms a year (I live close to work and don’t often travel very far in my vehicles), and I own my vehicles for about 8 years. That means I put about 120,000 kms on my vehicles before trading it in.
Next, some questions to answer about finding the right warranty to consider buying:
- If I bought an extended warranty, what level coverage do I want?
- What technology, gadgets, or complexities does my vehicle have?
My answer: Personally, if I bought an extended warranty I’d want just about everything covered that my vehicle is equipped with! That said, I drive a Lariat F-150, there’s a TON of popular electronics and gadgets in this thing! Likewise, there’s a lot of complex mechanics in this truck too! That being said, if you bought a XL or even an XLT model F-150, perhaps a slightly lower coverage (at a lower price) would be suffice, as there’s not as much complex mechanics and technology built into the vehicle. These are the things we need to consider.
So great, in answering the questions I established that I need the Premium Care warranty and need to protect myself over 8 years and 120,000 kms. I can now go shopping for a quote on competitive pricing for this warranty! Hoorah!
Did I mention that we price our Ford Extended Service Plans lower than just about every Ford dealer in Canada? : ) Explore this website and click that “Quote Request” button… they’re everywhere. : )