Opinions about Ford's ESP - Focaljet

**cameo** · 06-26-2006, 12:00 PM

Hi everyone,
I'm at the point where my original warranty is about to expire, so I've been looking into what Ford has to offer in terms of their ESP setup. I would like to purchase the best possible plan for my Focus, but $1,400(6 year/100k with Prem. coverage) is alot of loot. I was hoping that maybe if anyone has input, advice, and experiences with going the ESP route they could chime in. If you have purchased any of the various levels of care plans through Ford please share youre expriences, all would be greatly appreciated.
Also, if you have decided to skip extending your warranty, would you renew it if you had the option again?
Thanks, Ben

2003 SVT 3 Door w. EAP 33k miles

**OmniFocus** · 06-26-2006, 12:11 PM

I bought the 12k ESP for my 2000 ZX3, which brought the warranty to 48,000. (I now have 108k...)

For me, it paid for itself.... During the extended period, it covered fuel pump (pre-lifetime-recall), a wheel bearing replacement, and intermediate shaft carrier bearing replacement.

...but we're not all that lucky, really.

The price for the Ford ESP is negotiable...do NOT pay full retail if you choose to do it. The best bet is to find a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury friend that will sell it to you at minimum.

The biggest downside to my warranty work was the labor... I was never really all that pleased with any work done to my car by any of the Ford dealers... I feel that I'm a better, more careful mechanic than they are.

**Fordson** · 06-26-2006, 12:34 PM

He's right - that's what I did, and with 32 months/34k miles already on the car, I turned my 5/100 powertrain warranty into a 72/75k bumper-to-bumper with a $100 deductible. For $450. Find a dealer that believes in doing it with volume instead of margin. We have a guy here on FJ that does that with parts; there are people out there who do it with warranties.

Edit: PM sent.

**KonaZXIII** · 06-26-2006, 12:43 PM

My brother bought the ESP when he got his '02 ZX3. The biggest problem for him is that it only covers drive train. He had a few minor problems like his drivers side seat belt tensioner broke shortly after the factory warranty expired (he's 6' 4"), and his cowling under the front wipers warped and faded. When it took it in they said "You should have read the fine print sir, your ESP plan is for drive train only."
They conveniently failed to mention this when they pitched it to him at the dealer.

**Fordson** · 06-26-2006, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KonaZXIII

My brother bought the ESP when he got his '02 ZX3. The biggest problem for him is that it only covers drive train. He had a few minor problems like his drivers side seat belt tensioner broke shortly after the factory warranty expired (he's 6' 4"), and his cowling under the front wipers warped and faded. When it took it in they said "You should have read the fine print sir, your ESP plan is for drive train only."
They conveniently failed to mention this when they pitched it to him at the dealer.

There are differing levels of coverage.

**ax0n** · 06-26-2006, 12:58 PM

I bought the highest level of ESP when I got my 2000 ZX3. It was an extra $1000 rolled into my car loan through ford credit, and bought bumper-to-bumper coverage to 100,000 miles. I got a free rental car whenever anything needed to be done, including recalls and regular paid-for maintenance (oil changes or whatnot).

It was worth every penny just for the free car rentals during the 6 recalls

for the price it was nice to know it was there. I didn't have any major mechanical issues but there were a few things they covered that wouldn't be (DPFE Sensor, a second fuel pump post-recall, etc)

**BUR_ZX3** · 06-26-2006, 01:01 PM

I had it... cashed it in right at the expiration of the standard warranty..... just cuz I was about to add a blower, and really go all out, so there'd be no way they'd cover it then.

But yah the time I blew up my engine, it came in nice and handy!

**02_smurf** · 06-26-2006, 01:02 PM

I got one for up to 75k miles. It paid for a new steering rack, steering pump, a few o2 sensors, and quite a few other parts. It was around a grand IIRC rolled into my loan, but it paid for a lot of stuff.

**rpvitiello** · 06-26-2006, 06:53 PM

Can you afford to fix your car if your engine blows @ 36,001 miles? If you can, skip the warrantee. Take that $1700 you are about to spend on it and put it in a high yield savings account (one making 5% interest) Save the money and just pay to fix the car out of pocket. That way you don’t have to worry about if the thing that happened to go wrong is covered or not. These warrantees usually disclude anything that will likely wear out or break. You also won’t have to worry about being stuck taking the car to JUST for dealers. If you need to you can take it to any shop you feel comfortable dealing with.

These things are designed to be HIGHLY profitable for dealers, and wiggle around fixing anything likely to break. The likelihood of the power train going out before 100,000 miles is VERY low on a properly maintained car, all the other crap in it is more likely to break down.

Now this is not to say SOME people maid out better by having the warrantee, but in MOST cases it is not the most cost effective option. Things lean in your favor NOT to get one.

**Fordson** · 07-03-2006, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpvitiello

Can you afford to fix your car if your engine blows @ 36,001 miles? If you can, skip the warrantee. Take that $1700 you are about to spend on it and put it in a high yield savings account (one making 5% interest) Save the money and just pay to fix the car out of pocket. That way you don’t have to worry about if the thing that happened to go wrong is covered or not. These warrantees usually disclude anything that will likely wear out or break. You also won’t have to worry about being stuck taking the car to JUST for dealers. If you need to you can take it to any shop you feel comfortable dealing with.

These things are designed to be HIGHLY profitable for dealers, and wiggle around fixing anything likely to break. The likelihood of the power train going out before 100,000 miles is VERY low on a properly maintained car, all the other crap in it is more likely to break down.

Now this is not to say SOME people maid out better by having the warrantee, but in MOST cases it is not the most cost effective option. Things lean in your favor NOT to get one.

I will lay money that over the next 40 months/41 thousand miles, this thing will run up more than $450 in warranty work.

If not...it's only $450.

**slidemaster** · 07-03-2006, 12:35 PM

The 100k part is the most expensive. I did a 75k on my SVT and have never regreted it.

BTW I work for a Ford store and the comment about big profit is stupid. It should have about 300 total profit and if work gets done on Fords dollar its paid at a lower rate than customer pays. So many times the dealer does not make as much overall. But it does tend to keep happier customers and you can sell the warranty with the car for $50

Now i just looked and I can sell a 5x100 premium for 995. with $100 deductable. If you are interested I would refer you to my finance director

**BLOWNSTANG** · 07-03-2006, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slidemaster

Now i just looked and I can sell a 5x100 premium for 995. with $100 deductable. If you are interested I would refer you to my finance director

Thanks for checking into this. I'll do some thinking and check the finances and get back with you.

**ravenecw** · 06-27-2008, 08:48 PM

2008 Ford Focus here and debating on getting the warranty or not (7yr 60,000miles, $0 deductible)- any advice as I have a few quotes and i'm just not sure- or does anyone have a place to check for other quotes- i'm not sure what a going rate would be for a warranty like this (it has been a wide range for sure but i'm just wondering if anyone wants to give me a quote off of here or can point me somewhere else) thanks

**GapBoyPCS** · 06-28-2008, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravenecw

2008 Ford Focus here and debating on getting the warranty or not (7yr 60,000miles, $0 deductible)- any advice as I have a few quotes and i'm just not sure- or does anyone have a place to check for other quotes- i'm not sure what a going rate would be for a warranty like this (it has been a wide range for sure but i'm just wondering if anyone wants to give me a quote off of here or can point me somewhere else) thanks

It really depends on who is offering the extended warranty. From my experience for Ford ESP, you have to contact a few dealerships and find the best price. As long as they are offering the same Ford ESP package and deductible, then go with the lowest price.

If you're looking at a third-party warranty, then you need to do more digging (maybe on other forums or just a plain Google/search). Sometimes, there are subtle differences in what is exactly covered and/or how you go about repairs. If you have a good mechanic or dealership you trust, they may be able to give you some input as to which company is better.

**sporadic** · 06-28-2008, 05:20 PM

FYI, be aware of a "disappearing deductible".
This is a $50 deductible that is waved by the location purchased the ESP, but any other dealership will charge you $50 everytime you bring your car in.
If you are a decent mechanic with a garage and tools, I'd skip the ESP.
I did not opt for an ESP on my current Focus because I knew I'd play around with it.

**Virtual_Insanity** · 06-28-2008, 09:55 PM

When I had my 2006 Mustang GT the factory warranty was coming up soon so I did some searching and found Lombard Ford,Inc. who is a Ford dealership whose sells the Genuine Ford ESP plans online for a great price.

Link:https://www.fordwarrantys.com/index.cfm

I had since sold my Mustang GT so I canceled the extended warranty policy for a refund.

**Jared** · 06-28-2008, 10:59 PM

i didn't get it on my 00 focus and i should have cuz right at 36k miles it started having all sorts of issues that ended up costing more than the warranty. but your car could be totally fine. if you do go for it, get the plan that covers everything. not the drivetrain one. that's worthless.

**Honkeytonk Monkey** · 06-28-2008, 11:29 PM

I had the ESP on my ZX5, the one time I used it was for the clutch cylinder leaking, which was a $120 job to fix. It was a complete waste in my case. The Focus I drive now will be out of warranty in a month, it can stay that way.

**Zoomer69** · 06-29-2008, 02:01 AM

I had the ESP thrown in on my ZX5 purchase, and the only times I've attempted to use it, they always managed to find some stupid loophole that it didn't cover. Glad I didn't pay for it - it was useless.

**SVTEuro** · 06-29-2008, 07:35 AM

I have the ESP on my 04 svt. I am looking at a super charder or turbo. I asked my dealer about mods and was told that as long as they did it Iwas covered no questions.

**rpvitiello** · 06-29-2008, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoomer69

I had the ESP thrown in on my ZX5 purchase, and the only times I've attempted to use it, they always managed to find some stupid loophole that it didn't cover. Glad I didn't pay for it - it was useless.

well it was not free, they just included it instead of giving more of a discount on the car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVTEuro

I have the ESP on my 04 svt. I am looking at a super charder or turbo. I asked my dealer about mods and was told that as long as they did it Iwas covered no questions.

um the ford esp wont cover the aftermarket turbo itself, it just wont void the guarantee on the rest of the car unless the turbo itself causes the problem.

**rpvitiello** · 06-29-2008, 10:56 AM

**jordanr1987** · 08-30-2008, 07:37 PM

my esp is about to expire in 4000 kms
and i remember someone saying you can do a overhaul with the esp
what exactly is this?
i pay $100 and they fix a certain amount of things?

**bustonit** · 08-30-2008, 07:56 PM

I had the 100K top of the line ESP. It more than paid for itself.

06-26-2006, 12:00 PM	#1
cameo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 77	Opinions about Ford's ESP Hi everyone, I'm at the point where my original warranty is about to expire, so I've been looking into what Ford has to offer in terms of their ESP setup. I would like to purchase the best possible plan for my Focus, but $1,400(6 year/100k with Prem. coverage) is alot of loot. I was hoping that maybe if anyone has input, advice, and experiences with going the ESP route they could chime in. If you have purchased any of the various levels of care plans through Ford please share youre expriences, all would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you have decided to skip extending your warranty, would you renew it if you had the option again? Thanks, Ben 2003 SVT 3 Door w. EAP 33k miles

06-26-2006, 12:11 PM	#2
OmniFocus Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Mowin' down the cones. (CA) Posts: 25,677	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP I bought the 12k ESP for my 2000 ZX3, which brought the warranty to 48,000. (I now have 108k...) For me, it paid for itself.... During the extended period, it covered fuel pump (pre-lifetime-recall), a wheel bearing replacement, and intermediate shaft carrier bearing replacement. ...but we're not all that lucky, really. The price for the Ford ESP is negotiable...do NOT pay full retail if you choose to do it. The best bet is to find a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury friend that will sell it to you at minimum. The biggest downside to my warranty work was the labor... I was never really all that pleased with any work done to my car by any of the Ford dealers... I feel that I'm a better, more careful mechanic than they are. __________________ Vacuum Vulture Racing: We put the "rad" in scrub radius, and the "ack" in ackerman.

06-26-2006, 12:34 PM	#3
Fordson TEAM Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Western New York Posts: 769	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP He's right - that's what I did, and with 32 months/34k miles already on the car, I turned my 5/100 powertrain warranty into a 72/75k bumper-to-bumper with a $100 deductible. For $450. Find a dealer that believes in doing it with volume instead of margin. We have a guy here on FJ that does that with parts; there are people out there who do it with warranties. Edit: PM sent. __________________ 2003 SVT InfraRed 5-door, loaded New - 8/22/03, YRF0 - 10/9/03 Diablo Predator tune - 8/22/04 FS Cool-Flo, Focus Central TB, CFM HFC, Ford Racing STS, Centerline Storms with Eagle F1 GS-D3s, OEM Size Build date 4/29/03, #894 of 2173 Last edited by Fordson : 06-26-2006 at 12:42 PM.

06-26-2006, 12:43 PM	#4
KonaZXIII WHERE'S MY PAYCHECK?! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Orlander, Flureduh Posts: 8,085	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP My brother bought the ESP when he got his '02 ZX3. The biggest problem for him is that it only covers drive train. He had a few minor problems like his drivers side seat belt tensioner broke shortly after the factory warranty expired (he's 6' 4"), and his cowling under the front wipers warped and faded. When it took it in they said "You should have read the fine print sir, your ESP plan is for drive train only." They conveniently failed to mention this when they pitched it to him at the dealer. __________________ [FJ] focaljet - GUIDELINES - GALLERY - [FJ]WALLPAPER - STORE - SPONSORS - SEARCH - Any Questions? "In America, the only respectable form of socialism is socialism for the rich."-John Kenneth Galbraith

06-26-2006, 12:58 PM	#6
ax0n Devil's Advocate. Just to cheese you off. Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: In ur srvrz patchin ur krnlz Posts: 24,413	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP I bought the highest level of ESP when I got my 2000 ZX3. It was an extra $1000 rolled into my car loan through ford credit, and bought bumper-to-bumper coverage to 100,000 miles. I got a free rental car whenever anything needed to be done, including recalls and regular paid-for maintenance (oil changes or whatnot). It was worth every penny just for the free car rentals during the 6 recalls for the price it was nice to know it was there. I didn't have any major mechanical issues but there were a few things they covered that wouldn't be (DPFE Sensor, a second fuel pump post-recall, etc) __________________ Cars: ['00 ZX3] ['03 Explorer] Bikes: [DB Sorrento] [DB Outlook] [Trek 1200] [FocusHacks] : Ford Focus Tech & Maintenance Tips [KC Bike Commuting Blog]: Rants from the streets of KC [HiR Information Report (rss)] : Get your fill of Geek Humor, Security, and Unix

06-26-2006, 01:01 PM	#7
BUR_ZX3 [FJ] Addict Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: On the Set of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Posts: 35,096	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP I had it... cashed it in right at the expiration of the standard warranty..... just cuz I was about to add a blower, and really go all out, so there'd be no way they'd cover it then. But yah the time I blew up my engine, it came in nice and handy! __________________ FocusSport Presents Focus On The Beach 2008. FocusSport / Exedy / Xios / H&R / 3dCarbon / NASA / Massive Speed System / Microsoft Auto and MORE! Saturday, August 9, Santa Barbara http://www.focusonthebeach.com

06-26-2006, 01:02 PM	#8
02_smurf Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: With the wemenz: Em or mom Posts: 12,336	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP I got one for up to 75k miles. It paid for a new steering rack, steering pump, a few o2 sensors, and quite a few other parts. It was around a grand IIRC rolled into my loan, but it paid for a lot of stuff. __________________ "I couldn't even get on it, I stabbed myself in the vagina!" -Name withheld to protect the drunkeded

06-26-2006, 06:53 PM	#9
rpvitiello I can't stop typing...I can't stop typing...I can't stop typing...I can't stop typing... Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Stamford, CT, US (The NYC area) Posts: 6,204	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP Can you afford to fix your car if your engine blows @ 36,001 miles? If you can, skip the warrantee. Take that $1700 you are about to spend on it and put it in a high yield savings account (one making 5% interest) Save the money and just pay to fix the car out of pocket. That way you don’t have to worry about if the thing that happened to go wrong is covered or not. These warrantees usually disclude anything that will likely wear out or break. You also won’t have to worry about being stuck taking the car to JUST for dealers. If you need to you can take it to any shop you feel comfortable dealing with. These things are designed to be HIGHLY profitable for dealers, and wiggle around fixing anything likely to break. The likelihood of the power train going out before 100,000 miles is VERY low on a properly maintained car, all the other crap in it is more likely to break down. Now this is not to say SOME people maid out better by having the warrantee, but in MOST cases it is not the most cost effective option. Things lean in your favor NOT to get one. __________________ Welcome to CT, it’s almost like driving in Europe, narrow twisty roads, BMW, Mercedes, VW and any other euro style car everywhere. Just one thing ruins it… American drivers. Drive swift and safe, Not slow and stupid last rites

07-03-2006, 12:35 PM	#11
slidemaster [FJ] Specialist Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: steering backward through the mirror Posts: 7,713	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP The 100k part is the most expensive. I did a 75k on my SVT and have never regreted it. BTW I work for a Ford store and the comment about big profit is stupid. It should have about 300 total profit and if work gets done on Fords dollar its paid at a lower rate than customer pays. So many times the dealer does not make as much overall. But it does tend to keep happier customers and you can sell the warranty with the car for $50 Now i just looked and I can sell a 5x100 premium for 995. with $100 deductable. If you are interested I would refer you to my finance director __________________ Watch for "Road Trip" coming soon- check with your cable provider

06-27-2008, 08:48 PM	#13
ravenecw Newbie Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 4	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP 2008 Ford Focus here and debating on getting the warranty or not (7yr 60,000miles, $0 deductible)- any advice as I have a few quotes and i'm just not sure- or does anyone have a place to check for other quotes- i'm not sure what a going rate would be for a warranty like this (it has been a wide range for sure but i'm just wondering if anyone wants to give me a quote off of here or can point me somewhere else) thanks

06-28-2008, 05:20 PM	#15
sporadic TEAM Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Fairmont, WV Posts: 412	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP FYI, be aware of a "disappearing deductible". This is a $50 deductible that is waved by the location purchased the ESP, but any other dealership will charge you $50 everytime you bring your car in. If you are a decent mechanic with a garage and tools, I'd skip the ESP. I did not opt for an ESP on my current Focus because I knew I'd play around with it. __________________ mark 06 sonic blue focus zx5 ses turbo He's into that, that spiritual stuff. <><

06-28-2008, 09:55 PM	#16
Virtual_Insanity Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: (Jim) Boca Raton,Florida USA Posts: 9,931	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP When I had my 2006 Mustang GT the factory warranty was coming up soon so I did some searching and found Lombard Ford,Inc. who is a Ford dealership whose sells the Genuine Ford ESP plans online for a great price. Link:https://www.fordwarrantys.com/index.cfm I had since sold my Mustang GT so I canceled the extended warranty policy for a refund. __________________ Jim R. 2008 Chili Red MINI Cooper S- 6 Speed Auto Trans.,Dual Sunroofs,Window Tint,Clear Bra. 2006 Black Mustang GT Premium-Gone but not forgotten. 2004 Sonic Blue Mustang GT-Gone but not forgotten. 2002 Pitch Black SVT Focus-Gone but not forgotten.

06-28-2008, 10:59 PM	#17
Jared Moderator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Allentown, PA Posts: 15,718	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP i didn't get it on my 00 focus and i should have cuz right at 36k miles it started having all sorts of issues that ended up costing more than the warranty. but your car could be totally fine. if you do go for it, get the plan that covers everything. not the drivetrain one. that's worthless.

06-28-2008, 11:29 PM	#18
Honkeytonk Monkey Where is my @#$ antenna?! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Canadia Posts: 4,043	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP I had the ESP on my ZX5, the one time I used it was for the clutch cylinder leaking, which was a $120 job to fix. It was a complete waste in my case. The Focus I drive now will be out of warranty in a month, it can stay that way. __________________ 2003 LG ZX3

06-29-2008, 02:01 AM	#19
Zoomer69 Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 1,654	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP I had the ESP thrown in on my ZX5 purchase, and the only times I've attempted to use it, they always managed to find some stupid loophole that it didn't cover. Glad I didn't pay for it - it was useless. __________________ Flashing lights in your rearview mirror getting you down?? There's a solution to that: Stop being cop-bait! 8)

06-29-2008, 07:35 AM	#20
SVTEuro TEAM Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 159	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP I have the ESP on my 04 svt. I am looking at a super charder or turbo. I asked my dealer about mods and was told that as long as they did it Iwas covered no questions.

06-29-2008, 10:56 AM	#22
rpvitiello I can't stop typing...I can't stop typing...I can't stop typing...I can't stop typing... Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Stamford, CT, US (The NYC area) Posts: 6,204	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP . __________________ Welcome to CT, it’s almost like driving in Europe, narrow twisty roads, BMW, Mercedes, VW and any other euro style car everywhere. Just one thing ruins it… American drivers. Drive swift and safe, Not slow and stupid last rites

08-30-2008, 07:37 PM	#23
jordanr1987 Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 97	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP my esp is about to expire in 4000 kms and i remember someone saying you can do a overhaul with the esp what exactly is this? i pay $100 and they fix a certain amount of things?

08-30-2008, 07:56 PM	#24
bustonit Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The valley of the Giant Posts: 2,530	Re: Opinions about Ford's ESP I had the 100K top of the line ESP. It more than paid for itself. __________________ Check out the Group Buy forum to get a set of strut tower cap plugs for your 00-04 Focus. Only $5.75 shipped per set.