The extended warranty is just an insurance policy for auto repairs. The vendors have actuarial staff who are experts at setting the price (insurance premium) to assure that the premium covers the average price of covered repairs, commission for the salesman, vendor profit, plus a fudge factor for unexpected costs. So the average extended warranty buyer will pay much more for the policy than the actual value of the coverage. It may be a good deal for buyers who subject the car to severe/abusive usage (which voids the warranty) if they can do this without detection by the vendor. The vendors control the cost by limited coverage, denial of the problem, and cheap/used replacement parts etc. I have received about 500 offers for extended coverage on my 2008 Pontiac Vibe (50K miles) since new. My experience is that if anyone is this eager to sell a product it is a bad deal. Glad I didn't jump since this extremely reliable car has never required a repair. When I declined the coverage for my new CTD the loan officer almost started crying. These policies are a bad deal for the average buyers who take care of their cars.