CarMax advice, understanding MaxCare warranty (and others)
 

I just picked up a 2016 F-Type R with 34k miles from Carmax, and have 7 days to return it no questions asked. I LOVE it, and don't actually intend on returning it, but regardless..

I took it to a certified mechanic for a PPI, and they found a number of things.
- Left front caliper brake hose is improperly installed, very twisted
- Fault code F0420, Catalytic Converter Bank 1 (this is especially concerning because it was smog checked, no? But there's no CEL.)
- Major rust underneath the car, some cracks, but not on anything important (mechanic says its probably snow that caused it)
- When stopped, turning the steering wheel results in loud clunking sounds, mechanic believes it could be a loose bushing on the steering column
- Rear rotors are lipped, brake pads are new but rotors should have been replaced
Pics: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8zvmhnzsi...RGByvISma?dl=0

CarMax stated their 90-day limited warranty will cover anything that's not cosmetic, and the service person on the phone said all of this should be covered. I have a hard time believing that given all the exclusions that I've seen on extended warranties. Unfortunately, I'm not able to bring the car into the CarMax for servicing until my morning appointment on the 7th (final) day of the return window.

I was hoping some knowledgable people here might be able to tell me if any of these are major concerns? I know I have Jag's normal warranty until September 2020, but I'm unclear on which of these things would actually be covered. I've gone through exclusions lists from Mercury and Carmax's MaxCare, and they state they don't cover catalytic converters for example.

The mechanic suggested I get an extended warranty through someone, which is something I was already considering and now leaning towards more because of the above issues. MaxCare and Mercury are both ~3k for the coverage I would want ($100 deductible). But the exclusion lists worry me.. (example: they don't cover items that are addressed at major service intervals, they don't cover rotors, they don't cover cats).

Only got a couple of days left to figure this out, if anyone has any input I'd really appreciate it!

Congrats on your cat. Can't speak to the specifics of those mechanical concerns - but I would want to take it ideally to a Jag dealership, or reputable indy, and ask about the costs of those repairs and if they are major. Also, while folks on the service phone can sometimes be helpful, I would not trust verbatim a verbal 'should be covered'. If you can't bring it into a servicer until the 7th day, I think this inherently a bit of a gamble.

On your side I suppose is definitely the factory warranty from new - which I believe is the most comprehensive. I would really try to get absolutely everything covered under that. After that, CPO I think is close but not quite as comprehensive. Those quotes for third party warranty, while they may be reasonable, are expensive - I waited months to go the CPO route - and paid 1200 extra for a 7th year of coverage.

I would recommend setting aside the initial bliss with the car, and ask yourself whether you want to gamble a bit and either be paying for third party coverage or for expenses out of pocket. If it was me - and I also saw your post about its smog check - I would probably err on the side of caution and return it, and wait for a CPO model to come along. But I know how challenging it is to find these R models at a more reasonable price. Just MHO

Unless it was a screaming deal, I would wait until I found a low mileage car from a state without salt on the roads and that doesn't exhibit the other curiousities.

Congrats, and welcome. Besides the incompetent brake job, you are describing issues that others have had on these cars (cats/o2 sensors/undercarriage rust). Doesn't mean its a lemon. Just guessing here, but was the car a lease return? Not a bad thing, but in that situation I like to assume the previous owner didn't care since it was a lease, so he drove it in snow/salt, ran it through car washes, etc.

Brake job done cheaply is common with lease returns. Not an expensive fix, and many of us have gone to upgraded brake components anyways.
Undercarriage rust - can be prepped and then apply Por 15 to stop the rust, but that is a time investment. Are you going to drive it in inclement weather? Garage the vehicle? If so, rust should be less of an issue.
How is the paint? Are there swirls and fine scratches in certain light? If not too severe, it can be corrected, but done too many times and the paint gets too thin.
Steering clunk I am not familiar with, but if the alignment is good (car doesn't pull/tire wear is even) I'd be inclined to agree with your mechanic's opinion - and that is likely something Jaguar would take care of for you.

Overall - at the right price I'd keep the car, as others have said it should still have 1+ year of factory warranty coverage, I'd hang my hat on that more than Carmax.....

Most of us have had good results with our F-types, I'm not hearing of anything here that would make me rush to take this one back.

If you still have warranty dont go to carmax. They dont know the car. Take it to a dealer. That cat is covered for 8/80 under fed emmissions. Wouldnt worry about the rotors at this point because you would have paid for them in the price of the car anyway if they were changed.

On the steering clunk, if it’s at low speeds and sharp turning, then I wouldn’t worry about it. Others have discussed that some tires can skip a bit in these conditions, maybe depending on the surface.

I've purchased a number of cars from Carmax. One time I returned the car because of similar type issues. The items that would not be covered by factory warranty, they went ahead and repaired for me at no cost and the warranty items I took in to have done. With the car most likely still being under warranty, that would be my approach if everything else meets your expectations. Carmax is normally good about taking care of these types of things, knowing you could just cancel the deal. I would never personally purchase a Jaguar that was not CPO, but that is just me. Other cars (Honda, Chevy, Nissan, wouldn't think twice about buying at a place like this.

As for the rust. Have it professionally evaluated. There are ways to clean this up. Chemicals to remove rust and then properly prepped and coated to prevent this in the future.

Agree with eeeeek, I'm not loving the rust photos; I expect winter driving also. Check the paint for chips and damage along the lower panels. My XF I drove in winter had paint chips all along lower areas. I personally would find a different car. Not sure what you are paying but would be concerned.

Lease return, yep. :)

Yeah.. brakes I'm not so worried about, seems like a quick fix.

The mechanic seemed to think the rust wasn't majorly concerning given it's location, but is just something to be aware of and definitely something to protect from getting worse. It'll be garaged 90% of the time, and in Los Angeles... no snow. Near the ocean sometimes though.

Paint has some swirling, nothing stuck out to me as crazy though.

Price was quite good compared to most R's.. I've been looking for ~six months, and they are not easy to find. This one had a reasonable amount of miles, one owner, no major issues, no accidents, etc.

Most of the car is aluminum, so don’t know how important some rust is.

All of that looked like surface rust on those brackets and supports. Removing the rust and resurfacing with a rust neutralizing paint should resolve the issue if the car is no longer exposed to salted roads.

IMHO I’d return it and tell them you will buy it again from them if it’s fixed. Then you don’t have the trouble of having to deal with their issues. Also if the previous owner wasn’t great at doing PM, it may also be a sign you don’t want it.

Best of luck.

I live up North, they judiciously salt roads here, and consequently rust is usual occurrence here (and hence I don't drive my F-type in the winter). This rust is not a big deal, but it is ugly and will be expensive to fix if you want a show-quality car underbody.

If you got a deal and want a car to just drive, treat this with an oil based drip anti-rust spray (NEVER use tar-based black spray) and forget about it. It will take another decade of daily winter driving before it eats through something if you soak it with oil once or twice.

I would not waste money on an aftermarket warranty. I have heard more horror stories than success ones. The cats should be covered under the manufacturer's warranty as Brutal stated. That is what I would be must concerned about. As far as the rust goes, maybe Jaguar would cover it too but unlikely since it is chassis components rather than actual body panels. You might have to spend a weekend cleaning it up and coating like SinF suggested.