ESP from FORD MOTOR COMPANY "QUESTIONS"

[TerryandPam Wallace]

My warranty will expire in April, 2007. I have several questions regarding Ford's ESP PremiumCARE / ESP ExtraCARE extended warranties.



1--Is it worth the money (up to 7 years/100,000 miles--$2547.00/$2129.00---maximums)



2--What repairs have any of you had under these warranties



3--Was Ford coorperative or was it a hassle to get repairs completed under these warranties



4--Which warranty (PremiumCARE / ExtraCARE) would you recommend



Any help you guys can give towards my decision making would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks.....Terry

 

[2]

I had the extra care, I had a sensor go and of coarse it wasn't covered by the extended warranty. Then I got rid of that truck, so I can't help you out anymore than that. Would I get it again? Nope, I will just pay for a repair if I need to. If the truck is going to cost me more than 2547.00 in the first 100,000 I will get rid of the truck.

 

[Mike Roncarati]

I had the ESP on my 2001, and had the dreaded 2-3 flare. Although the ESP covered transmission "all parts", they would not commit to covering it untill they tore down the tranny for $400.00 and found out the problem. I figured this would be thier "out" to screw me, so I had someone else do the work instead of take the expensive gamble, even though I knew it should be covered. I personally wouldn't spend money on the warranty, and as much as I love my Trac, it will be the LAST Ford I own.

 

[Casey B]

I have the premium ESP that was transferred to me when I bought my ST. I still have till March '07 on my '01 ST.



Repairs to date:

Timing Chain Replacement

Drive Shaft Replacement

Rear Axle bushings/bearings

Drivers side power mirror fix



Still to address again:

Transmission flare

Steering shudder (sitting still and slow speeds)

Timing chain rattles again



As far as I am concerned it was worth it. I didn't pay for the warranty myself, it was a bonus with the truck. Truthfully, the warranty was my deciding factor for buying the ST. Original owner paid around $2800 for it in '01.

 

[Josh Langel]

Any repair you get is already paid for ... hence the ESP isn't free ... but a gimmick. I wouldn't do it... too many people think "Oh, they'll replace it under warrenty," but what they fail to notice is the fine print, maximum amount, and of course, how much their PAYING for the service.



My $.02

 

[Johnny O]

Generally speaking, on new vehicles pretty much everything lasts a long time except the transmissions, which seem to be the weak spot on everything. If the warranty costs less than rebuilding the tranny, then it's a deal.

BTW, I got an $800 four year extended warranty on my jetski and naturally the engine expired a month after the warranty did. :angry:

 

[Gill Wong]

Terry,

In the past, I've never been in favor of extended warranties either (more con then pros). So far, with my '03 XLT 4x4 with 37,000 miles no major problems at all (knock on wood). However, just before the original 3yr/36,000 expired I opted for the ExtraCare (7yr/100,000)standard deductible for $1,820 (incl $210 on-line discount) from Lombard Ford. Just remember, piece of mind doesn't come cheap. I do plan on keeping my ST until the wheels fall off (figuratively speaking of course). Good luck with your decision.

 

[Fudged Undies]

I think the ESP all depends on the service your service department provides. If, under factory warranty, they find reasons not to look into something or not to repair something, my guess is the ESP will be a headache when needed. This tends to be dealer specific and often times service is better if you bought your vehicle at the same dealer, but shouldn't matter. After my first trip to the service dept. my trac came back with a CEL. Despite being at the dealer for a weak, they didn't deal with this and moreover had I not called they would have kept the trac til Monday. This was/is the biggest dealer in S. Florida that is well rated. I wasn't impressed.



I had the extended and got it refunded. The few things that have needed replacement, have been less than $100 parts so the extended would be wasted. I have done the repairs myself and really don't let anyone touch my trac for repairs so it wasn't worth it. If you're a weekend mechanic like many of us here, you'll do alright on your own. For the price you're listing, you could outright pay for a tranny re-build which is probably your biggest concern. If you keep up with regular maintenance it's unlikely you'll need any major repairs with the exception of the tranny issue which does seem to exist.



I wouldn't waste my money and probably won't in the future either.