New breed of ill people: "warranty hypochondriacs"
More driving customers are turning into anal, warranty hypochondriacs, bringing in their car at the sign of the first little squeak (which sometimes only they can hear) especially as car makers become more generous with warranties according to this Wall Street Journal story (subscription required):
On top of incentives like 0% financing, car makers are finding another way to sweeten the deals: longer and more comprehensive warranties. Hyundai launched the trend with a 10-year warranty, and rivals are now racing to follow suit. In July, DaimlerChrysler introduced seven-year, 70,000-mile powertrain warranties, four years longer than before. And Ford just lengthened the warranty for its new Ford Focus from three years to five years.
...Overall, the cost of providing warranties is actually declining for many car makers because of improvements in vehicle quality. For General Motors and Ford Motor, the average warranty cost per vehicle is roughly $1,000, down from $1,600 in the early 1990s, according to estimates by J&L Warranty Pros. But plush amenities like roadside assistance and free maintenance are undercutting those savings for car makers. Extending warranty length also raises the costs: Analysts estimate DaimlerChrysler will spend an additional $400 for each vehicle on its new seven-year warranty.