After many phone calls and a stint of just sitting in the service managers office until he returned, I’ve got it down to $607 and a free replaced tire. I feel like I still have a lot of “Karen” left in me but I actually need my truck at the ranch this week.
Stacey - congrats on getting the replacement DPF (and a tire!) for a much more reasonable price!
My last question is what next? Do I need/is it worth it to get an extended warranty on this vehicle? If so how? Recommendations? I feel like this might be karma for all the “we’d like to talk to you about your extended warranty” jokes I’ve made on social media.
If you read back thru previous posts on this topic, you'll find varying opinions and "camps" on ESPs (Extended Service Plans) or what are sometimes called "Extended Warranties" that can be purchased on top of your vehicle purchase.
Given my 2018 was the first model year for the 3.0L V6 Diesel, I did something I had never done before when purchasing a new vehicle = I purchased both extended warranty and extended maintenance plans for my F150 PSD
From some responses in the "Extended Warranty" threads in these forums, I can tell you that I'm definitely in the minority WRT extended warranties.
First let me explain what I purchased and then I will explain my reasoning behind this decision.
Ford ESPs are marketed under the "Ford Protect" brand:
My 2018 Platinum F150 PSD is my third F150 Platinum having owned a 2010 5.4L V8 and a 2015 5.0L V8 previously. For the 2010 and 2015 F150s, I balked at even entertaining the concept of an Extended Warranty, as I thought they were overpriced and unnecessary, and then Ford introduced the 2018 F150 PowerStroke Diesel.
While I had faith in the F150 chassis and loved the creature comforts of the F150 Platinum trim level, this was a new engine option for the F150 platform, although not a new/never-been-used-before engine as JLR used this V6 Lion engine in LandRover SUVs.
Stepping back and looking at everything "new" I was getting on my 2018 F150 PSD:
- New 3.0L V6 Turbocharged Diesel engine
- All of the EPA-mandated emission systems that come with modern-day diesel vehicles
- Ton of new options:
- Auto Start/Stop
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Auto-Lane Keeping
- Parking Assist
- Trailer back-up Assist
- etc
- My beloved creature comforts:
- 360 cameras
- Power massaging front seats
- Power-deployed running boards
- etc
and wanting to own this F150 for longer than 5 years, I looked at what could possibly break after 3yr/36K Bumper-to-Bumper warranty and decided that it was time to look into an Extended Warranty.
With help from members on this forum, I found there are much cheaper ways (See
Post #5 in
Powerstroke Warranty thread) to get the same product (Ford Protect ESPs) than when you are sitting in the F&I Manager's office signing your financing paper work to purchase a vehicle. Those forum members in the other "camp" are 100% correct: The price for Ford ESPs are exorbitantly expensive while in the F&I office, but that is intentional because it is easier to tuck $20-$40/month extra to a monthly payment for an ESP when you are selling a vehicle for $60K-$70K.
Not only did I purchase an Extended Warranty for 8yr/100K if anything breaks on my truck, I also purchased an extended maintenance plan that in effect pre-pays for all service according to the documented maintenance schedule. My reasoning is that I didn't want anyone else but Ford to wrench on my truck, so that there can be no one else to blame for any service voiding any part of the extended warranty; i.e. if there is ANYTHING wrong with my truck, I drop it off at my dealer and it is their responsibility to fix.
I have seen big $$$ numbers that scare me in posts already for trucks less than 3 years old:
- New engines
- New ($7-$8K) and used ($3500) transmissions
- Diesel Particulate Filters ($3000)
that make me feel better that I made the right decision. Add in the double EGR By-pass valve recalls and now our unicorn status due to Ford dropping this engine from the line-up, my decision is only further cemented.
Some may think this is crazy, but I call it "Peace of Mind" especially being a first model year of this new engine option.
Read up on the link I posted above for more details on Flood ESP who sells Ford protect plans online for prices closer to dealer cost than what is offered in the F&I office. I (and others) will tell you these prices are negotiable and I got both of my plans for roughly half of what it would have cost me during the F&I process = that is how much dealer markup there exists for tucking into a financing deal and why dealers love to add these in.
Please post back with your decision and what you went with if you do decide to go with an ESP.