Too many questions for my liking....
On another forum, a member has the extended Nissan warranty. He has a gearbox problem. Nissan are telling him that he has to pay for it, then they will consider the case before making a decision on either (a) reimbursing him or (b) telling him that he has to wear the cost himself. Sounds a little off colour to me...
Obviously everyone has their own perspective on these things, but for me - I've had no reason yet to claim warranty on my vehicle. Yes, I have the shudder/rattle in the clutch master cylinder check valve but hey...if that's as bad as it gets I can live with that.
When I think back through the last few vehicles I've owned, I've had few reasons to claim warranty work. I had an NF Hyundai Sonata. Lovely vehicle. Claimed the ambient temp sensor because it was inaccurate. Nitpicking I know

Claimed nothing on the 2 years so far I've had my Merc. Claimed a faulty low fuel light on a Hyundai Terracan I owned some years ago. Due to poor workmanship in the workshop, that resulted in two pieces of follow-up work, however that is not the fault of the manufacturer, and I would not regard them as truly warranty claims as such.
Aussie - with regard to your paint - the law is crystal clear on that matter. It was brough to their attention BEFORE the expiration of your original warranty. They MUST BY LAW (we're talking Trade Practices Act) honour the claim if the claim is proven. An extended warranty won't help you in that regard.
But anyway...I tend to buy my vehicles new and am quite picky. That being said, as shown above I've rarely had reason to claim warranty over the last several years. Maybe I've just been lucky, or maybe my stringent maintenance routines and mechanical kindnes pay off. Who knows. Either way, it would be a cold day downstairs before I would spend my hard earned money on an extended warranty.