- The Kia extended warranty comes in five coverage levels.
- Kia boasts high reliability ratings, so some drivers may skip the extra coverage.
- Compare the Kia extended warranty with reputable third-party coverage options.
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Kias are known for their long-lasting New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, but is a Kia extended warranty worth the investment after your factory warranty expires?
In this review, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of the Kia extended warranty, including coverage options, costs, and added benefits. We’ll also review Kia’s overall reliability and what factors to consider when purchasing an extended car warranty.
After thoroughly examining the industry, our research team ranked the best extended car warranty providers available in 2020, and you can read more about our top third-party picks for Kia extended warranty coverage later on in this article. To find the best deal on extended protection from top providers, click below.
| Best Overall | Best for Older Vehicles | Best Prices |
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| Endurance | CARCHEX | CarShield |
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| Get Quote | Get Quote | Get Quote |
| (877) 374-1840 | (866) 254-0205 | (800) 563-2761 |
Kia Extended Warranty Overview
The Kia extended warranty is an optional vehicle protection plan designed to keep you from paying for unexpected car repairs after your factory warranty expires. With a Kia extended warranty, your vehicle can be protected for up to 120,000 miles.
There are five Kia extended warranty options that you may be eligible for depending on your vehicle:
- Powertrain: Covers your engine, transmission, drive axle, and additional hybrid/plug-in electric vehicle components
- Silver: Covers all components in the Powertrain coverage plan, as well as your steering, brakes, air conditioning, electrical, and front suspension
- Gold: Covers all components in the Silver plan, as well as additional engine, transmission, drive axle, brake, air conditioning, steering, front suspension, electrical, and hybrid/plug-in parts
- Gold Plus: Covers all components in the Gold plan, as well as the engine cooling system and additional parts in each component category
- Platinum: Acts as an exclusionary bumper-to-bumper warranty that covers most parts, except for routine maintenance and wear-and-tear items
Each Kia extended warranty plan guarantees the use of genuine Kia parts and factory-trained technicians for any covered repair work. The manufacturer’s vehicle service contracts are also transferable to any subsequent drivers if you sell your Kia before coverage expires.
Additional Perks
Each of the five Kia extended warranty plans comes with a few additional benefits, including:
- Towing coverage: Covers $75 per incident for any towing expenses
- Rental car coverage: Covers up to $35 per day for a maximum of 10 days while your vehicle is in the shop
- Travel coverage: Covers up to $100 per day, up to $500 total, for food and lodging if your vehicle breaks down far from your home and you have to stay overnight while it’s being repaired
While these perks would be helpful in the event of a mechanical breakdown, they’re not as extensive as other manufacturers’ additional benefits, both in terms of coverage and cost limits.
What’s Not Covered Under the Kia Extended Warranty?
Any extended car warranty comes with certain exclusions, and the Kia extended warranty is no different. The manufacturer’s vehicle service contracts will not cover:
- Misuse or abuse
- Improper fluid use
- Environmental damages
- Negligence or improper maintenance
- Wear-and-tear parts like batteries and filters
- Routine maintenance services like oil changes and tire rotations
For covered repair work, Kia drivers can either take their vehicle to a local Kia dealer or to one of 6,000 authorized service centers in the U.S. and Canada.
It’s important to note that the manufacturer does not state its Kia extended warranty cancellation policy online. Many providers give drivers prorated warranty refunds, but it’s best to check with your dealership about this option.
Do You Need Kia Extended Warranty Coverage?
Are extended car warranties worth it for Kias? The answer depends on a few different factors, including your Kia’s reliability, your ability to pay out of pocket for unexpected vehicle repairs, how long you plan to own your Kia, and your existing coverage.
To determine a car brand’s reliability, we look to RepairPal, a site that analyzes customer reports to estimate common repairs and repair costs for 32 car brands. Below, we’ve outlined RepairPal’s findings on Kia’s reliability.
| RepairPal Factor | Kia Models | Average Across All Brands |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Reliability Rating | 4.0 out of 5.0 | — |
| Average Annual Repair Cost | $474 | $652 |
| Repair Frequency | 0.2 times per year | 0.4 times per year |
| Chance of a Severe Repair* | 10 percent | 12 percent |
*A severe repair, in this case, means it will cost at least three times the average annual repair cost.
Based on RepairPal’s data, an extended car warranty may not be necessary for Kia drivers. Most Kia models seem to be reliable, requiring few repairs. However, this doesn’t mean an unexpected mechanical or electrical repair is impossible.
You may also want to consider the coverage you already have for your car, like the Kia warranty for new vehicles and the certified pre-owned (CPO) Kia warranty.
The Kia factory warranty is one of the longest in the industry. New Kias come with bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage extending for 5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. New vehicles also come with powertrain warranty coverage for 10 years or 100,000 miles.
CPO Kias are also covered by a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. However, instead of a New Vehicle Limited Warranty, CPO Kias come with 1 year/12,000 miles of Platinum coverage.
If you don’t plan on owning your car for longer than these coverage limits, there’s little sense in investing in additional coverage.
Kia Extended Warranty Cost
Kia does not advertise the cost of its vehicle service contracts, but we were able to find customer reports of the manufacturer charging anywhere from $1,600 to $3,900 for a 10-year contract. The cost of your Kia extended warranty will depend on a few factors, including:
- Your vehicle type: Certain models may be more expensive to cover.
- Your vehicle age and mileage: The sooner you purchase coverage, the cheaper it will be.
- Your deductible: Usually, choosing a lower deductible leads to a higher overall coverage cost.
- Your coverage length and type: Longer, more comprehensive coverage plans are usually more costly.
Under the Kia extended warranty, all parts and labor are covered. Plans can be financed with your vehicle, but we typically don’t recommend doing this as you’ll end up paying interest on your protection plan.
Benefits of a Third-Party Kia Extended Warranty
Buying a Kia extended warranty from the dealership is just one way to get added peace of mind on the road after your factory warranty expires. You can also opt for third-party Kia protection. While there are pros and cons of extended car warranties from either provider, here are a few benefits of purchasing third-party coverage:
- Third-party providers offer longer coverage terms.
- There are additional coverage options for older, higher-mileage vehicles.
- You can purchase coverage at any time rather than before your New Vehicle Limited Warranty expires.
For drivers interested in a Kia extended warranty, we recommend Endurance and CARCHEX.
Endurance: Best Overall
Endurance works with customers directly, which makes the claims and quotes processes simple and efficient. The provider offers five coverage plans with term limits up to 15 years or 200,000 miles – almost double that of the Kia extended warranty. Endurance contracts are available in all U.S. states, except California.
For more information, read our full Endurance warranty review. Click below to receive a free, personalized quote from the provider.
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Best Overall
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Industry veteran that handles your plan directly, from quote to claim |
CARCHEX: Best for Older Vehicles
If you own an older, higher-mileage Kia vehicle, you may not be able to purchase a Kia extended warranty from the manufacturer. For drivers in this situation, we recommend reaching out to CARCHEX. Backed by industry experts like Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds.com, and CARFAX, CARCHEX has been a leader in the car warranty industry for over 20 years. The provider offers five coverage plans with term limits up to 10 years or 250,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Read our CARCHEX review for all the ins and outs of the provider’s coverage, and click below to receive a free, personalized CARCHEX quote.
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Best for Older Vehicles
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Top-rated provider with unmatched customer service and affordable coverage |
Original article: Is the Kia Extended Warranty Worth It? (2020)
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