Extended warranty

[holmz20]

Hi Guys,
I have read a lot of good info for hours on end about extended coverages. Personally I dont want to buy on on my 07 X5 3.0 which is equipped with all the options available , third row , nav, HUD, etc. My concern and worry is on the pneumatic air bag rear leveling suspension which is costly to change. Currently the beast has 67k miles, water pump got changed at 65k costing me $1200 for replacement.
I have looked at a lot of 3rd party warranties and cant find any that cover air bag suspension on them except for easycare Total plan. My car is sagging sometimes when left for two days in garage on passenger rear. With prices mentioned below which i got a couple of months ago, can anyone recommend a warranty that covers airbag suspension as well and had experience with?
I would hate to get coverage and then find out its not covered even though I read through all the fine prints.

easycare statedcare 250 deduct 5342
3yr 36k, 500 4432 ,
2 year 24k 3668 500 deduc, 4297

Any suggestions welcome. Price to do both sides rear suspension airbag replacement around $1200 installed. Figured pay $2000 more and just get coverage/piece of mind as well.

[holmz20]

Any help?

[snowsurfer]

Is it CPO'ed or did you buy it new?

[ard]

I guess I don't understand how insurers will let you buy insurance for a car that has a known defect just so you can get the problem fixed. (Actually this is called "fraud" here in America)

Most plans will not allow you to enter a car that is not covered by the MFG policy- OR require an inspection to enter the plan.

Are you sure you can get coverage on a car with 67k and outside the 50k plan???

[holmz20]

Not CPO'ed, bought it from a NON-BMW dealership 8 months ago.

[JCL]

Couple of points.

1) Most extended warranties, or service plans, or insurance policies, whatever they are called by the vendor, cover failure of a component. They don't usually cover wear and tear. Easycare make some comments about this on their website, saying that they are offering a service plan for specific components, and not a warranty, but it is worth checking out with them. The giveaway, to me, is that they exclude brake pads, shocks, etc, which are wear items. So they aren't really offering an all-inclusive maintenance contract. They do cover specific suspension bushings, which are wear items, so that is worth noting. What you have to determine from them is whether the mode of failure matters. Usually it does. That is to say, something that breaks because of a fault when it was originally manufactured may be covered, but the same component wouldn't necessarily be covered when that same component simply wears out over time. A single line in the fine print that refers to normal wear and tear would clarify that they don't cover such damage.

2) The total care policy specifically adds air suspension components, true. But it doesn't state that it covers the air bags, it simply covers the compressor and associated controls, and level sensor. No mention of the air bags themselves, which are a wear item. If I was betting, I would say they are not covered. Get it in writing from them if you go ahead with it.

3) Most policies don't cover pre-existing conditions. Although ard puts it rather bluntly, correctly calling it fraud, I would expect that if you took it in soon after they signed you up and they noted that the air bags showed signs of leaking for some time, that they would not cover them due to it being deemed a pre-existing condition.

If it was me, I would just get the air suspension fixed and not try to hide it inside a maintenance contract.

[holmz20]

Great points JCL, will research these points in detail with easycare. I have a feeling I might not get coverage at due to this whole realm of exceptions that can fall under wear and tear. Overall I am leaning towards just getting it fixed myself one side at a time.