first $100 of repairs?

pickledchang · 03-23-2008, 11:37 PM

ive been reading over the warranty, and trying to figure out how to interpret the requirement to pay the first $100 of repairs. does this mean if my check engine light comes on, it is going to cost me $100 just to even have the dealer look at it??? or is it only going to cost me the first $100 of the repair if something is actually broken? everyone that has been having trouble with the shift linkage, are you paying $100 to have this issue corrected?

i cant really find very clear info on this. do any of you current smart owners know the answer to this? this issue could possibly be the one to turn me away from the smart. a product is only as good as its warranty.

BandSofC · 03-24-2008, 02:40 AM

That's only the extended warranty. I don't think anyone is there yet.

pickledchang · 03-24-2008, 08:23 PM

so it is true, that once you reach the extended warranty at 2yr/24,0000 miles, you will be paying $100 just for even a check engine light or the power windows malfunctioning?

spdickey · 03-24-2008, 08:57 PM

Its a $100 deductible on the extended warranty. If the total repair is $65, $65 is all you pay. If the repair is $1065, you pay $100.

pickledchang · 03-24-2008, 09:02 PM

but by "repair", does that include things like diagnostics? as in, you bring the car in to find out nothing is wrong (or told nothing is wrong, we've all heard that from a dealership) and get charged just to have a check engine light cleared or be told "we couldn't determine the cause of the noise coming from the engine"?

JRyan · 03-24-2008, 09:11 PM

This is pretty standard, they will charge you for their time and material, whether they find anything wrong does not matter.

This is not any different for the smart, I have a Jeep too, I fully expect my dealer to charge me for the diagnosis if it is out of warranty.

nex1 · 03-24-2008, 09:29 PM

My old saturn dealership would waive the diag. fee if I had the repair completed. It was something in the neighborhood of like $75 or something (standard diagonistic). The diag. fee is going to vary depending where you take the car...

pickledchang · 03-25-2008, 03:03 AM

cancled my reservation... the warranty is one of the most important things for me, and the smarts doesnt compare to a lot of other vehicles out there. sure the smart looks great, but it wont suit my needs any better than some vehicles out there with even better warranties and maintenance records. if a car is under warranty, especially if its one you paid extra for, ill be damned if i am paying any 'deductibles' for something that may not even be wrong.

rgaus · 03-25-2008, 07:41 AM

Sorry you feel that way, pickledchang. This car's greatest benefit cannot be seen until owned. Though each buyer comes with his own set of needs and requirements, the smart is the rare vehicle that delivers the unexpected to most owners. Wish you could have experienced that before you decided, but under the current circumstances, I guess that's tough to do. Good luck to you on finding a better vehicle to suit your needs. Wish you could have stuck with the smart.

Ron Gaus, asmartcar.com

**jwight** · 03-25-2008, 07:51 AM

Many, many comments here on the warranty issue. Still a big stumbling block for many buyers and something smart and PAG could have avoided. From a strictly dollars and cents standpoint, the smart warranty doesn't compare, IMHO, to cars like the Hyundai or even GM offerings. But that's old news; right now the smart is riding the crest of an emotional buying wave. Two years from now - could be another story.