Auto & Bike Blog: Should You Get a Cadillac Extended Warranty?

Cadillac offers two extended warranty options.
The automaker has below-average reliability ratings, so an extended auto warranty may be a good idea.
Third-party providers offer longer-lasting and more affordable alternatives to Cadillac’s extended warranty.

Affiliate disclosure: Automoblog and its partners may be compensated when you purchase the products below.

While Cadillac lets drivers enjoy class and performance from a stateside manufacturer, the cars aren’t known for stellar reliability. Cadillac vehicles are covered for four years or 50,000 miles under the bumper-to-bumper limited warranty, but you may want to buy a Cadillac extended warranty to cover repairs later on.

In this article, we’ll discuss Cadillac’s two extended warranty plans in detail, including coverage, cost, exclusions, and more. We’ll also take a look at extended car warranty options from reputable third-party providers. Top-rated warranty companies can offer different advantages beyond what Cadillac offers, and it’s a good idea to know all of your options.

We’ve reviewed the best extended car warranty providers to help you find the plan that works best for you. Compare free quotes from top companies below.

Top Extended Warranty Companies

We reviewed the best extended auto warranty providers, and here are our top picks.

Best Overall	Best for Older Vehicles	Best Prices

Endurance	CARCHEX	CarShield

Get Quote	Get Quote	Get Quote
(877) 374-1840	(866) 254-0205	(800) 563-2761

Cadillac Extended Warranty Overview

Cadillac offers two choices for extended car warranty coverage: the Extended Limited Warranty and the Platinum Protection Plan. Both options cover expensive repairs after the manufacturer’s warranty expires, but they come with different coverages and terms. Each warranty option also has separate eligibility requirements.

Cadillac Extended Limited Warranty

The first option you have is the Cadillac Extended Limited Warranty. This option extends the vehicle’s original bumper-to-bumper warranty to six years or 70,000 miles, whichever comes first. With this extension, the bumper-to-bumper warranty now matches the Cadillac powertrain warranty. All covered components remain the same.

The Extended Limited Warranty is backed by General Motors (GM), Cadillac’s parent company. You can only purchase this plan when you purchase a new Cadillac. This means you can roll the price into your auto loan, but you don’t have much time to decide if you want to get the extended warranty in the first place. We also don’t usually recommend financing your coverage plan, as you’ll pay interest on both the car and the contract.

Cadillac Platinum Protection Plan

The other option for a Cadillac extended warranty is the Platinum Protection Plan offered through AMT Warranty Corporation, a third-party provider. This coverage plan is available for 2011 vehicles or newer and with less than 80,000 miles on the odometer.

You can choose between the following term lengths, which begin when you purchase the plan:

2 years/24,000 miles
3 years/36,000 miles
4 years/48,000 miles
5 years/60,000 miles

Let’s say your vehicle has 50,000 miles and you choose a 48,000-mile plan. Your coverage would expire at 98,000 miles. The longest term available with the Cadillac extended warranty is 140,000 miles.

The Platinum Protection Plan is an exclusionary extended warranty, so it covers most mechanical and electrical components except for a list of exclusions. These covered parts include, but are not excluded to:

Engine
Brakes
Steering
Electrical
Drive axle
Transmission
Turbocharger
Transfer case
Air conditioning

The Platinum Protection Plan is similar to Cadillac’s factory warranty, but it doesn’t cover quite as many parts.

Cadillac Extended Warranty Advantages & Disadvantages

Cadillac offers two choices for coverage, which is an advantage when you consider many other brands only offer one extended warranty option.

At the same time, there are some limitations with Cadillac’s options. For example, your car is only eligible for a protection plan if it has fewer than 80,000 miles. The Extended Limited Warranty is only available at the time of the new vehicle’s purchase. Also, 140,000 miles is the maximum amount of coverage available, which may not be enough if you take care of your vehicle and plan on driving it for a long time.

With both Cadillac extended warranty options, you need to bring your vehicle to a dealership for repairs. However, this includes any GM-brand dealership, such as Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC. AMT does note if a dealership is not accessible, Platinum Protection Plan contract holders can have repairs performed at a licensed repair facility with prior authorization.

The Cadillac Platinum Protection Plan is also fully transferable to secondary owners. You can cancel a plan within 60 days for a full refund, but be aware the Extended Limited Warranty is not cancellable.

Additional Perks

The Cadillac Platinum Protection Plan comes with the following perks:

Towing
Road services
Trip interruption
Rental car coverage
Lockout and lost key services

Rental car coverage and trip interruption are only applicable for a covered repair. Compared to other providers, this list of benefits is standard.

What Cadillac’s Extended Warranty Doesn’t Cover

The Cadillac extended warranty doesn’t cover everything. Remember, the point of a warranty is to cover defective materials or workmanship. Most extended warranty plans will not cover wear and tear.

Here are a few more exclusions:

Trim items
Exhaust components
Routine maintenance
Tires, wheels, and rims
Damage from accidents or the environment
Damage from lack of maintenance or misuse

Unfortunately, the Cadillac Extended Limited Warranty is not available for vehicles sold in California, Florida, Maine, or Minnesota. The Platinum Protection Plan is not offered in California, Florida, Iowa, and Maryland.

Cadillac Reliability

Many Cadillac owners love driving their vehicles. But reliability is an issue with Cadillacs, and you may find yourself putting in quite an investment after the car leaves the dealership.

The 2020 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study^SM, which counted problems in three-year-old vehicles, ranks Cadillac slightly above the industry average. But as time goes on, Cadillac drivers tend to encounter more problems. RepairPal gives Cadillac a 3.0 out of 5.0-star rating, ranking the manufacturer 26th out of 32 car brands.

According to RepairPal, Cadillac owners pay about $783 per year on average for repairs and maintenance. Of course, individual repair costs can be hard to predict. Here are a few commonly reported Cadillac repairs and their costs:

Cadillac Model	Repair or Replacement	Repair Cost
Cadillac DTS	Oil pan gasket replacement	$1,043 to $1,287
Cadillac Escalade	Ignition switch replacement	$99 to $128
Cadillac SRX	Headlight bulb replacement	$228 to $291
Cadillac DeVille	Window regulator replacement	$935 to $977

So, how does Cadillac’s reliability stack up within the luxury car industry? Cadillac is between Lexus, which is known for reliability, and European brands like Audi, which have higher ownership costs. Since Cadillac vehicles are made in the U.S., parts are relatively easy to source, and competent repair shops are easy to find.

Is a Cadillac Extended Warranty Worth It?

Considering Cadillac reliability issues, it may be worthwhile to purchase an extended vehicle service contract. While it won’t cover every repair, an extended auto warranty can help you keep a predictable budget and pay for fewer out-of-pocket repairs.

Cadillac Factory & CPO Warranties

Cadillac owners should also consider their existing coverage. Cadillac’s factory bumper-to-bumper warranty lasts for four years or 50,000 miles. The company’s powertrain warranty on new vehicles lasts for six years or 70,000 miles. Both coverages are slightly above industry standards.

On certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles, Cadillac provides an extra year of bumper-to-bumper coverage after the original warranty expires. This coverage does not have a mileage limit.

Cadillac Extended Warranty Cost

Cadillac’s Platinum Protection Plan online shopping tool makes it easy to see what you’d pay for an extended car warranty. Here’s a sample quote for a 2016 Cadillac CTS with 30,000 to 60,000 miles:

Platinum Protection Plan Length	Pay-in-Full Price	Monthly Price
2 years/24,000 miles	$2,560.25	$185.42 for 14 months with a $99.12 down payment
3 years/36,000 miles	$3,501.70	$170.80 for 21 months with a $99.20 down payment
4 years/48,000 miles	$4,247.45	$208.19 for 21 months with a $99.01 down payment
5 years/60,000 miles	$4,425.10	$217.09 for 21 months with a $99.11 down payment

So, how much should an extended car warranty cost? Cadillac’s prices above are slightly higher than prices we’ve seen for similar coverage. Based on our data, the average extended warranty costs $2,601, with a yearly average cost of $636. These prices were for contracts ranging from three to seven years. We also found that the average monthly payment is about $95.

Other Options for Extended Car Warranty Coverage

There are a few advantages to purchasing an extended car warranty from a third-party provider. For example, leading providers can cover vehicles up to 200,000 or even 250,000 miles. These term lengths are much longer than Cadillac’s extended warranty. And, while Cadillac requires you to go to a GM-brand dealership for repairs, third-party providers allow you to go to any licensed repair facility for service.

Reputable extended car warranty companies also provide coverage for older vehicles. These flexible eligibility requirements mean you protect a vehicle with more than 80,000 miles, which Cadillac won’t cover. The cost of an extended warranty is usually lower when you look at companies beyond Cadillac, too.

Simply put, you have more flexibility when you shop for extended warranties from third-party providers. The best way to find a good deal is to compare multiple options. Start by comparing free, no-obligation quotes from leading extended warranty providers below.

Top Extended Warranty Companies

We reviewed the best extended auto warranty providers, and here are our top picks.