Who wouldn’t be terrified of the thump that comes from the engine, turning their trusty car in to a money pit. A warranty extension sounds good to you. Ah, finally peace of mind,” you think. Just pause and think about it for a bit! As with a bad blind dating experience, not every warranty delivers what it promises. Some people are left feeling more burned than a morning toast. Learn more now.

Extended warranties protect you in theory from having to pay for car repairs when the original warranty expires. Doesn’t that sound great? In reality, it’s more like trying Shakespeare at night.

Let’s have a chat about the ratings. Others might make you laugh, while others will raise your eyebrows to your hairline. Customers’ reviews are like an experience buffet. Sally might rave about how her warranty covers a broken transaxle, but Tom in Texas may complain that he wasted hours on customer support calls to only be told “That’s no covered.”

Finding out what you are signing up for really isn’t as easy as it seems. Hidden clauses lurk around every corner, waiting to bite. You’re about to start repairs when a small clause with a font size of 0.5 appears. It renders your coverage as useless as if it were merely flavored chocolate.

Jerry, my friend who is close to me, decided to purchase a warranty program for his ten-year-old pickup. While the sun was shining, it seemed like a great idea. The rain was coming in the form of an abrogated water pump. But the provider’s excuses were as numerous as a teenager who missed his curfew.

Let’s face it: You should always read all the small print in a contract before signing. Ask questions with a fervor that is out-of-date. Heck, keep asking until you feel like a detective. What’s covered? What’s not? Is it okay to bring your car to Gary or do you have to drive three-and-a half hours to Bob’s Super Deluxe Repair, which is only open Sundays?

Look up the company’s online reputation. What other drivers have to say? Does the company act fairly, or does it belong in an ’80s meme about used-car salesmen? The best way to learn is from other’s blunders. The key is to have knowledge.

Consider who to trust with reviews. Listening to your aunt’s next-door neighbor who swears a certain company was the one that let her return an air freshener because it had once been faulty? Do you read comprehensive, balanced reviews with more paragraphs than a Giraffe’s? Beware of reviews that seem to have been written by an old friend. Look at independent sources.

Remember Joe, your cousin who went ahead without researching the risks and ended up paying an outrageous amount for overpriced insurance. Extended warranties are as valuable as heirlooms, but they do not always provide protection.

If you do find that service provider who is worth your trust, you will not be buying just coverage, but you will also be investing in your own peace of heart. You can become Sherlock Holmes by reading, researching, and comparing car warranties. You might save yourself headaches and money from a major car breakdown.