Yeah, as has been mentioned, if you’re going to buy one make sure it’s manufacture sponsored. There are just so many horror stories out there on the generic ones.
We bought an extended warranty through the Ford dealership when we purchased a certified pre-owned (CPO) 2015 Taurus. Yes it was a lot more expensive than going through the credit union we obtained the car loan from, BUT there are no-questions-asked IF you ever need it. Yes, they will tell you horror stories about not covering this-or-that from "other" warranties and the cost of repairs to mentioned info/control/touchscreen electronics and how the warranty can pay for itself in ONE repair, which may be true. It also depends on how long you wish to keep a vehicle AND how many miles you drive in a year, which obviously, will use up the warranty. The one from Ford offers a loaner car for free, which can be very important if you absolutely depend on your vehicle for transportation to-and-from work or for your own business.
True story, I bought an extended warranty MANY years ago on a new Subaru wagon because I needed my vehicle to be dependable. My rear wiper motor went out and it was replaced using that extended warranty. The cost of parts and labor for the wiper motor replacement ALMOST made up what I paid for the extended warranty by itself.
If you are taking out a loan, it sometimes can be worked into that loan amount, but you will need to talk to your financial institution providing the loan about that.
Bottom line, should you buy an extended warranty for a vehicle? Depends on:
1) Can you afford it? OR should I just put that money away in an account to draw from for future repairs?
2) How dependable is the vehicle model and manufacturer you are driving in your eyes/opinion?
3) How dependent are you on your vehicle for transportation?
4) How much technology and electronics does the vehicle you drive have that might (WILL!) need future repairs and how much will it cost to do so IF:
a) I plan on keeping the vehicle for more than 5 years? OR
b) I drive more than 30,000 miles in a year?
This also brings up a good point about car insurance: With all this driver-assistance and safety devices/sensors technology, you would THINK that it would be less expensive to insure a vehicle with these features. IT DOES NOT!! While it may save the driver from having an accident, it does not prevent the idiot driver with no insurance from running into you and having to repair said vehicle with all its sensors. Good example: a side mirror with lane-departure sensors cost almost $800-$1,000 to replace, where one without may only cost $350 -$400. Has your side mirror been broken off in a mall parking lot while you were shopping?? Or your rear bumper with its back-up camera and sensors been run into parked in the same mall parking lot? So while a $1000-deductible will save you almost $400 a year in car insurance over a $500-deductible, it may be eaten up in one "technology" claim!!