#ExtendedWarranty

New vehicles are pretty darn complicated these days. Besides all the exterior cameras, the fancy infotainment screens, and the distance-pacing cruise control systems, there are the less obvious areas where the average new car of today is vastly more sophisticated than the new car of yesteryear. Engines are built to tighter tolerances than ever before, and are more highly strung and precisely controlled to meet ever-tightening emissions requirements. Transmissions are more complex, with more ratios – unless your new ride has a CVT, which is arguably an even more sophisticated piece of tech. Even vehicle bodies have gotten more advanced, with aluminum alloy growing more prevalent and the introduction of ever-more sophisticated exterior lighting assemblies.

When you buy a new vehicle, you’re paying for a lot more than just steel, glass, plastic, tires and an engine.

The McLaren Extended Warranty can now be renewed up to the car’s 12th birthday.

Plenty of dealer options are worthwhile, but you might as well light that cash on fire with some others. Here’s a list of five dealer options to avoid at all costs.

Owners of Nissan’s 2005-2010 Pathfinders, Frontiers and Xteras are experiencing failures to their automatic transmissions because radiator coolant is leaking into the system. The radiator cooler tanks are rupturing, which forces the coolant into the transmission through the transmission cooler lines. Nissan has offered an extended warranty for the radiators, but the coverage only applies to vehicles with fewer than 80,000 miles.

If you’re buying a new hybrid, should you consider purchasing an extended service agreement (usually marketed as an “extended warranty”) as well?