Buy An Extended Warranty For My Car
The length of the warranty varies by manufacturer, but many offer bumper-to-bumper warranties for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Powertrain warranties may last for up to 60 months or 60,000 miles.
buy an extended warranty for my car
Each year, our research team collects hundreds of data points on warranty companies to rank the most reputable providers. We compare quotes and customer service through secret shopping, evaluate contract transparency, and analyze warranty coverage options. After our industrywide review, we found the best extended warranty companies to be:
This rating is based on types of extended warranty plans available, coverage terms, and added benefits like roadside assistance. A company scores high if it offers more than three plans and mileage limits over 150,000 miles. We also note if a company offers coverage for maintenance items like brake pads, because this is uncommon in the industry.
Transparency is an important quality to look for in extended warranty providers. Some companies make it easy to find sample contracts and read the fine print, while others make it difficult. Our transparency score takes into account sample contract accessibility as well as the presence of a money-back guarantee.
Our goal is to present a range of reputable extended car warranty providers for shoppers to compare. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. However, there are a number of extended car warranty companies that rise above the rest. We will review our top picks in this article.
Our team surveyed 1,000 extended warranty customers to learn what matters to consumers. When asked which factors are most important when purchasing an extended warranty, most respondents said coverage was the most important factor. Here are the top five things people look for when shopping for extended coverage:
These answers influenced how we weighted different categories of our methodology. We also asked customers if they were satisfied with their extended warranties or not. Overall, 65% were satisfied, while 13% were dissatisfied to some degree.
You can get extended warranties from manufacturers, like Honda and Ford, or from third-party companies like Endurance and CarShield. Manufacturer extended warranties offer factory-trained technicians and OEM parts, but they require you to visit a dealership for repairs and may not last as long as third-party options. Below are a few pros and cons of each.
Reputable extended car warranty company that offers six levels of coverage and has excellent customer reviews. It is our choice for Best Coverage and our top overall pick for extended warranty providers.
In the extended warranty industry, $50 a month is a great monthly payment. All the ForeverCar quotes our team received were around $50 per month for 36 months. Plans last three years regardless of mileage, so once the payment is over, the plan is over. Once your plan expires, you can reapply and start another contract if your car is still eligible.
With each of the plans, you can get benefits such as towing and rental car reimbursement. As for pricing, Olive is cheaper than many other top providers of vehicle service contracts. Our team reached out for quotes for different vehicles and received extended warranty rates that were consistently lower than other leading companies.
CarShield sells plans from multiple providers, including American Auto Shield, and operates as the liaison between the customer and a warranty company. It has several levels of coverage for new and used cars, but we especially like its protection for specialty vehicles and high-tech systems and components.
Protect My Car stands out because it has high customer satisfaction ratings, which is fairly unusual for the extended warranty industry. On the BBB, customers rate Protect My Car 4.1 out of 5.0, and on Trustpilot customers rate it 4.4 out of 5.0.
Protect My Car offers three plans: Supreme, Select, and Driveline. The Supreme plan is similar to a factory warranty, while the Driveline plan covers the powertrain plus a few more systems. Protect My Car can cover up to 200,000 miles, which makes it another good option for high-mileage vehicles.
Based on our research, autopom! tends to cost between $130 to $160 per month depending on the coverage level you choose. The total cost of an extended warranty from autopom! ranges from $4,700 to $5,800, which is slightly higher than the average range.
Based on our research, extended warranties lasting between three and six years cost anywhere from $1,600 to $4,500 on average. Bumper-to-bumper warranties tend to be more expensive, as they cover more components. Longer-lasting coverage also increases the contract price. Other factors that affect car warranty costs include:
A good price for a comprehensive extended car warranty is between $2,000 and $3,500 in total. Prices vary depending on the coverage and limitations you select. Many companies offer monthly payments that range from $80 to $125.
You can buy an extended warranty from a reputable third-party provider at almost any time after purchase. Manufacturers, on the other hand, usually require you to buy an extended warranty before the factory warranty expires. Some only allow you to buy one when you purchase the vehicle.
An extended warranty helps protect you by covering the cost of certain repairs if a mechanical or electrical component breaks down. Exactly which parts are covered depends on your contract. Typically, there are two types of coverage plan options: exclusionary coverage and named-component coverage.
After purchasing your contract, most warranty providers require you to go through a waiting period until you can use your coverage. This helps protect the provider from someone purchasing a warranty right after discovering an issue with their car. Most extended warranties require you to wait 30 days and 1,000 miles before making a claim for car repairs.
Reputable extended car warranty companies will allow you to cancel a warranty for a full refund within 30 days. They will also provide prorated refunds after that. You will need to contact the contract administrator and provide a written odometer statement to cancel the extended car warranty.
Based on our industry-wide best extended car warranty review, Endurance is the No. 1 provider. The company is a direct provider, meaning it handles all customer claims and contracts in-house. It offers six coverage plans for drivers with term limits up to 8 years or 200,000 miles.
When purchased from a dealership, an extended car warranty costs between $1,000 and $4,500. Aftermarket auto warranties from third parties usually cost between $1,000 and $3,500, making them a bit cheaper than dealer-backed car warranties.
An extended warranty can be worth it if your car has higher-than-average repair costs or you want to have a predictable budget month-to-month. If you already have money set aside for repairs or breakdowns, an extended warranty might not be worth it.
No. Extended warranties for cars and auto insurance cover different things. Car insurance is required by most states and pays for damages caused by collisions or other accidents, such as theft or fire. An extended car warranty provides coverage for mechanical breakdowns.
A manufacturer extended car warranty is a vehicle service contract purchased from an automaker, while a third-party extended warranty is purchased from an independent warranty company. Manufacturer coverage typically comes with benefits such as guaranteed use of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts and service by a factory-trained technician. Warranty companies generally have greater plan variety and benefits such as the flexibility to have your car serviced at the repair shop of your choice.
Manufacturers can void your car warranty due to improper maintenance, aftermarket modifications, misuse of the vehicle, or tampering with the odometer. Your warranty can also be voided because of a total loss or severe environmental damage.
Extended car warranty plans are typically transferable to new owners. Check with the provider for details before purchasing or selling a vehicle with a warranty, but the best extended car warranty companies will transfer coverage.
The best extended car warranty company is Carchex because it offers five levels of coverage, with multiple contract options ranging from 12 to 84 months. In addition to the specific components covered by each plan, all Carchex extended warranties include additional perks such as 24/7 roadside assistance, towing, rental car reimbursement, and trip interruption service.
However, drivers should exercise caution before purchasing an extended warranty from CarShield. According to the Better Business Bureau, there has been a pattern of customer complaints alleging poor customer service and a failure to cover repairs, among other things.
You should get quotes from at least three different extended warranty providers before purchasing a plan, just like you would if you were shopping for car insurance. Considering how many reputable companies there are on the market, you should be able to find a policy that meets your needs and fits within your budget.
Extended car warranties are worth it if a driver doesn't carry sufficient savings to pay for vehicle system repairs or is worried about their car's reliability. But for most drivers, extended car warranties go unused, so the potential benefits are not enough to justify the upfront cost.
A good time to consider the value of an extended warranty is when the manufacturer's warranty on your vehicle has expired or will expire soon. This typically happens after three years or 36,000 miles, depending on which comes first. If you plan on keeping your car beyond the manufacturer warranty's expiration, then purchasing an extended warranty might give you peace of mind moving forward.
An extended warranty might also be worth it if you're concerned about your ability to pay for major mechanical repairs in the future. Car repairs cost about $400 on average, which is less than the $1,500 average for an extended warranty. On the other hand, the least common and most catastrophic mechanical failures can often cost several thousands of dollars to repair. 041b061a72