I bought the Yeti from new on 6 February 2012 so it is a couple of weeks from the end of its manufacturer warranty. I have had it MOTed and serviced and a couple of faults rectified under warranty. Furthermore, I bought it on a 42 month finance plan, which will end in July. We have decided to pay the balloon payment and keep the car (the balloon payment is significantly lower than the market value for a matching car), hence I am looking to see if there is any advice for coming off of warranty, with a long term view?

The car has been pretty reliable and we have invested in a towbar for it - it has had a new gearbox recently, plus the handbrake guides and both horns just replaced. I am not aware of any other niggles.

I am tempted by an extended warranty, although I am also tempted to just pocket the money and pay if anything breaks. The 2.0 CR TDi seems to be relatively reliable across the VAG range (and I am relatively handy with a spanner).

Is there anything else you can suggest I should investigate before I am cast adrift from HMS Skoda and left to fend for myself? Service plan? Or use an indie? I never consider resale value because I do not want to compromise my life for the sake of some future event that may or may not happen, or to satisfy a future owner. I will gladly "take a hit" on resale value by using a reputable VAG independent, if it was better value/better service/convenient.

This will be the first time in 10 years that we will have a car not under OEM warranty. 

...The car has been pretty reliable ... it has had a new gearbox recently, ...

 

I would equate new gearbox in first few years as implying "average reliability", where reliability means lack of failures whether they are service-time or on the side of the road. And it isn't even a DSG?

Fresh oil as regular as possible would be my advice. Oil is the life blood of the engine and turbo.

 

Avoid long life / variable servicing unless covering high annual mileage.

Oil-related stuff I am all over (22 years in oil company product development/support/training).

Yes, the new 'box was a major issue, but it wasn't actually the gearbox at fault; it was collateral damage from a failed clutch/flywheel. Either way, I have a new clutch and gearbox (and new horns, which were, I suspect, the victim of the gearbox replacement activity). And as of today, a beautifully free and smooth handbrake action.

I'm mindful of anecdotal evedence of 'goodwill' gestures out of warranty if FSH has been maintained (although there's no way of banking on this).

I park, say, $A10K in an interest bearing account/investment as a 'banker' against problems and forget about both 'til/if it happens.

I'm a bit of a fatalist.