[FRiSson]

Originally Posted by fistpoint

Not worth it only if the car doesn't need repairs. Hondas and Toyotas for example. This is neither. If what you say is true(it IS most of the time), then Mitsubishi wouldn't offer warranties on the 3000GT VR-4. Thankfully my mom did get not one, but two extended warranties for that car(2nd after first expired). She used the shit outta both and they paid off by a factor of 4 or more.

For me the standard warranty will last 26 months before it's up(17500m a year). Anything after that is on me. That is a totally pathetic amount of time or mileage. Even a Vette or Viper should be trouble free for 36k, lol. Any repair that would be considered costly is going to happen after that time for any vehicle that isn't a complete piece of shit IMO.

I've never owned a Subaru so I have no idea what to expect other than hoping it's the same as from my Hondas over the last 20 years, which is that they require oil and filter changes only, that's about it. Does Subaru make cars as good as Honda and Toyota? I don't know, but I'm hoping so, even at an 85% level I'd be thrilled.

I'm going to find out what prices the warranties are, if I can get one for $800 or less(and be a 7y/100k)...I "might" actually get one for the first time since 1992. I figure any major repair is going to cost at least that much, so you're only gambling against one single repair at that price. The last warranty I looked at was back in 2003 for my Acura. They wanted $1600, hell no! Had I bought one for any price actually, it wouldn't have been used. Money well saved. So, $800 maybe, $1400+ I'll take the gamble and not get one.

Also this is the first model year and we already have what I consider more than a fair share of silly little issues that should have never made it out of the factory door.

odd drive belt squeaks
thump under the passenger side
CEL's going off for idle issues
panel fitting issues(this one is already fixed, supposedly)
seatbelt issues(either breaking the strap, or rubbing the driver)
NAV systems that lose signal
...I'm sure there is a couple more

Suppose any of those things manifest themselves after only a scant 26 months...cha-ching, empty the wallet at 90 an hour plus parts...and shop book times at least 2x what the repair actually took them to do.
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edited to add: you guys who replied above me are making me feel a little better with your success stories, but this is still a 1st year model and we'd have to act quickly to have stuff fixed under warranty, especially us high mileage users. 26 months!

I am not sure that you understand what I meant by "statistically not worth it." It means that you are more likely not to need the full value of the warrantee than that you will need it. In statistics a single sample is not relevant, it is the average of the group that matters. As far as Mitsubishi goes, it has the lowest quality of all the Japanese automakers that sell in the US. It is much more likely that you will get full use out of a Mitsubishi extended warrantee than a Subaru one. You do mention that the FR-S is a first year car. That is a bit of a "wild card". Based on past performance, first year cars usually have more problems than later year cars. However, it is likely that the FR-S being a "halo" car that a majority of these problems will be handled by direct warrantee or by "hidden" coverage that Toyota will offer even after the original warrantee has expired. Toyota knows that any problems reported on the vehicle will appear on forums like this one. Their best defense is to cover the issue with a free fix rather than face unhappy and vocal customers venting on forums.