- Extended auto warranties can help you better predict the costs of owning a car and bring financial peace of mind.
- Not all extended warranty providers are trustworthy, so it’s important to know how to pick a reputable extended car warranty company and avoid scams.
- Endurance topped our list of the most reputable extended car warranty companies for 2021.
Affiliate disclosure: Automoblog and its partners may be compensated when you purchase the products below.
An extended car warranty should bring you peace of mind – predictable prices, a helpline when your car breaks down, and hassle-free visits to auto repair shops. But not all extended warranty companies are created equal, and only the most reputable extended car warranty companies are worth your time and money.
We’ve compared some of the best extended car warranty companies in the industry and found the six most reliable ones. It’s a good idea to check costs from a few companies to compare your options before purchasing, and this list will help you narrow down the providers you can trust.
| Best Overall | Best for Used Cars | Low-Cost Plans |
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| Endurance | CARCHEX | Select Auto Protect |
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| Get Quote | Get Quote | Get Quote |
| (866) 990-3410 | (866) 950-7122 | (860) 294-4933 |
Our Picks for the Most Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
Extended warranties can help you save money in the event of a mechanical breakdown. However, it can be difficult to know which companies to trust with your hard-earned money.
Our team has reviewed numerous warranty providers and compiled a list of the most reputable extended car warranty companies.
| Reputable Extended Car Warranty Company | Industry Standing Score | Overall Score | Award | Years in Business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endurance |  |
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Best Overall | 15 | Get Quote |
| CARCHEX |  |
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Best for Used Cars | 22 | Get Quote |
| autopom! |  |
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Best Customer Service | 11 | Get Quote |
| CarShield | |
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Most Affordable | 16 | Get Quote |
| Protect My Car | |
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Best Maintenance Benefits | 15 | Get Quote |
#1 Endurance: Best Overall
Endurance stands out from the competition as a direct supplier. When you purchase an extended auto warranty through Endurance, it is the only company you’ll deal with. While other providers may outsource their service teams or underwriting, Endurance administers its warranty to drivers directly. This means there are no middlemen in your claims process or other customer service interactions.
After 15 years in business, Endurance knows about extended warranties. Its customers seem to approve of its coverage, too, as it boasts an “Excellent” rating on Trustpilot. That puts it at the top of its class among the most reputable extended car warranty companies in the industry.
Although it currently has a C rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) due to prior aggressive marketing tactics, the company has a 3.4 out of 5.0-star customer rating with over 1,100 Endurance warranty reviews. The company’s strong track record with customer service, its first-year customer perks, and a variety of plan options make it a solid choice for those who value a direct provider.
Endurance has six coverage levels to choose from:
- Supreme: This is Endurance’s highest level of coverage. The Supreme plan is exclusionary, which means it covers all vehicle parts except for a list of exclusions stated in your contract. Exclusions include wear-and-tear items like bulbs, fuses, wiper blades, brake pads, and brake shoes. It’s most similar to a manufacturer’s warranty.
- Superior: The Superior plan offers stated-component coverage for hundreds of specified parts. It includes your car’s most vital components like the engine and transmission, as well as high-tech parts like the navigation system.
- Select Premier: This plan is designed for high-mileage vehicles (over 150,000 miles). It includes powertrain coverage, as well as air conditioning and electrical parts.
- Secure Plus: This warranty covers most powertrain parts, as well as air conditioning, steering, electrical components, and more.
- Secure: Endurance’s most basic level of coverage, the Secure plan only covers powertrain components like the engine, transmission, and drive axles.
- Advantage: The EnduranceAdvantageTM plan provides coverage for all types of vehicles, including modified cars and salvaged or rebuilt vehicles. In addition to component coverage, Advantage plans include scheduled maintenance for things like oil changes and tire rotations. With the Advantage plan, you can choose from three levels of component coverage: Prime, Plus, and Preferred. The coverage in these levels roughly corresponds to the Secure Plus, Superior, and Supreme plans, respectively.
Each plan comes with 24/7 roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and trip interruption coverage. Drivers also get access to Endurance Elite Benefits, which come free for one year and include:
- Key fob repair or replacement up to $500
- Repair or replacement of up to two tires per year (up to $125 per tire)
- Up to $500 per covered collision ($1,000 limit)
- Up to $1,000 toward a new vehicle if your car is totaled
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Best Overall
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Industry veteran that handles your plan directly, from quote to claim |
#2 CARCHEX: Best for Used Cars
Driving an older car doesn’t have to cut extended warranties out of the picture. Even if your car’s factory warranty is in the rearview mirror, CARCHEX might be able to help you get coverage.
In our CARCHEX review, the company earned the title of Best for Used Cars because it offers the highest-mileage warranty of all the companies we compared. With coverage for cars with up to 250,000 miles, there’s a good chance that your older or used car could qualify for coverage under a CARCHEX plan. The company’s vehicle protection plans are available in all 50 states, which can’t be said about most other extended car warranty providers.
When it comes to business practices, CARCHEX ticks all the boxes. It is accredited by the BBB with an A+ rating, and it has been in business for 22 years, making it the oldest company on our list. Industry giants like Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds.com, and CARFAX endorse CARCHEX, too. With its background and generous mileage limits, we feel confident that you can trust CARCHEX as one of the most reputable extended car warranty companies.
Coverage options with CARCHEX include:
- Titanium: This is the highest level of coverage offered by CARCHEX. The Titanium plan is similar to a bumper-to-bumper factory warranty and covers most vehicle parts, with some exceptions that will be listed in your contract.
- Platinum: This plan covers hundreds of components, including all major vehicle systems. It’s a slight step below the Titanium plan.
- Gold: The Gold plan is designed to provide comprehensive coverage for high-mileage vehicles (over 60,000 miles). It covers most major systems.
- Silver: A step above the lower-tier Bronze plan, this covers your vehicle’s powertrain components as well as the air conditioning and select electrical components.
- Bronze: This is the most basic and affordable level of CARCHEX coverage. It covers only powertrain components such as the engine, transmission, drive axles, and transfer case.
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Best for Used Cars
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Top-rated provider with excellent protection for high-mileage vehicles |
#3 autopom!: Best Customer Service
An extended warranty can be a hassle if you don’t get a great customer service team to support you during the claims process. Fortunately, autopom! is known for its amazing customer service representatives who advocate for customers who feel their car repair claims were unjustly rejected.
The success of this approach shows in autopom! reviews on Trustpilot and the BBB, on which autopom! also has an A+ rating and accreditation. Even though autopom! has only been around for 11 years, it has proven in that time to be a reputable extended car warranty company.
With autopom!, there are four levels of coverage:
- Exclusionary: This plan covers virtually all mechanical and electrical components in your vehicle. There is a short list of exclusions for items such as wiper blades, upholstery, brake pads, bumpers, trim, and bulbs.
- High-Level: This plan covers a wide range of parts, such as the powertrain, steering, suspension, braking, air conditioning, cooling, fuel, and electrical systems.
- Mid-Level: This plan covers many vehicle parts, including the powertrain, steering, braking, air conditioning, and electrical system.
- Powertrain Plus: The most affordable and basic level of coverage, this plan covers vital components such as the engine, transmission, drive axle, and air conditioning.
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Best Customer Service
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Trusted provider with unmatched customer service and affordable coverage |
#4 Olive: Best Online Warranty
Olive.com is a newcomer to the extended warranty industry and began by offering California drivers mechanical breakdown insurance in 2021. Even though it’s brand new, the company’s fresh approach and unique perks place it among the industry’s most reputable extended car warranty companies already.
There are a couple things that set Olive apart. First, the company’s website is user-friendly, presenting clear information about warranty plans and how to sign up for one. But the main advantage Olive has over its competitors is its subscription-based billing system. This system allows customers to cancel their warranty plans at any time.
And while Olive is new, its underwriter, QBE, is an established global insurer and warranty provider that holds an A financial strength rating from AM Best. Olive also has accreditation and an A+ rating from the BBB. Customers on Google give it an impressive 4.6 out of 5.0 stars.
Here are the three levels of coverage Olive offers:
- Complete Care: Olive’s highest level of coverage offers comprehensive, exclusionary coverage for your vehicle. It’s similar to bumper-to-bumper coverage.
- Powertrain Plus: This plan covers the same major systems as the powertrain plan along with many additional stated components, such as the fuel pump.
- Powertrain: Olive’s most basic coverage plan protects your car’s most important – and most expensive – major systems.
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Best Online Warranty
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Subscription-based billing allows you to easily cancel your coverage whenever you need to. |
#5 Carshield: Most Affordable
Car owners look to extended car warranties as a way to cut down on costly repair bills and add predictability to their monthly budgets. We found in our CarShield review that the company is one of the most affordable options on the market.
CarShield doesn’t skimp on extended car warranty plans just because it has low prices. There are six levels of coverage to choose from, such as bumper-to-bumper warranty and powertrain plans, high-tech coverage, and specialty protection for all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles.
While CarShield’s BBB grade is low, many companies choose to not address complaints or pay for accreditation on the site. The company has thousands of reviews on Trustpilot and Google, with 4.0 out of 5.0 stars on the former and 4.1 out of 5.0 stars on the latter.
CarShield coverage levels include:
- Diamond: This plan is most similar to a manufacturer’s bumper-to-bumper warranty. It covers the majority of vehicle parts, with typical exclusions for wear-and-tear components such as wiper blades, brake pads, fuses, and bulbs.
- Platinum: This plan protects your vehicle’s engine, transmission, air conditioning, electrical system, starter, water pump, fuel pump, and more. It is designed for vehicles too old to qualify for Diamond coverage.
- Gold: The Gold plan is a mid-level plan offering good all-around coverage for major parts. Parts covered include the engine, transmission, water pump, alternator, starter, air conditioning, and power windows.
- Silver: The most affordable plan offered by CarShield, it covers all lubricated parts on your engine, transmission, and water pump.
- Aluminum: This is a specialty coverage plan for electrical and computer parts such as the engine control module, starter, alternator, navigation, and electrical system.
- Motorcycle and ATV: In addition to the options mentioned above, CarShield offers specialty contracts to cover motorcycles and ATVs.
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Most Affordable
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Well-known provider that offers great coverage with great pricing |
#6 Protect My Car: Best Maintenance Benefits
Extended warranties typically cover repairs for parts based on the plan you select. But when it comes to regular maintenance, you’ll still foot the bill. Few extended warranty companies include maintenance, but Protect My Car includes oil changes and tire rotations in extended warranty coverage and offers separate maintenance plans.
This is a big plus for Protect My Car that’s sure to win over many drivers. Based on Protect My Car reviews, the company’s customers seem mostly happy with their plans. Protect My Car has an A+ from the BBB and holds a 4.5 out of 5.0-star customer rating on the site with over 600 reviews. Trustpilot has over 2,000 reviews that result in a 4.5 out of 5.0-star grade.
Protect My Car contract options include:
- Supreme: This plan provides exclusionary coverage for most vehicle parts. It is similar to a manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty.
- Select: This is a plan designed for vehicles with more than 50,000 miles. It covers many parts, but not the turbocharger or navigation system.
- Driveline: This is a powertrain warranty for vehicles with more than 80,000 miles. It covers powertrain components such as the engine and transmission. This plan also covers the cooling system, air conditioning, electrical system, and timing chain.
- Ambassador Plans: Ambassador plans are intended for older vehicles and cover 50%–75% of most major repairs. These plans also include coverage for scheduled maintenance like tire rotations and oil changes.
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Best Maintenance Benefits
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Its Ambassador Maintenance Plan guarantees 25-50% off repairs plus covered oil changes |
What Do Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies Look Like?
Reliable extended car warranty companies are out there, but it takes research to find the best ones. We believe the most reputable extended car warranty compnies have these things in common:
- Availability in most states
- Several years in business
- 30-day money-back guarantee (or longer)
- Positive online interactions with customers
- Plans backed by reliable insurance companies
- Excellent customer service that’s easy to contact
- Sample vehicle service contracts provided online
- Endorsements and partnerships from industry leaders
- High rating and accreditation from the BBB and other sites
- Extra perks like 24/7 roadside assistance, towing, fuel delivery, rental car reimbursement, trip interruption coverage, and access to a large number of repair facilities
How Does the Claims Process on Extended Warranties Work?
Reputable extended warranty companies should walk you through the claims process when you’re buying an auto protection plan. While it may not be the same for every company, here is an overview of how repairs are typically handled:
- Pick a repair facility: If you experience a mechanical breakdown for a covered component, you can take the vehicle to a repair shop within the provider’s network.
- Have the vehicle assessed: A technician will diagnose the vehicle to find the faulty part. At this time, you should also give the contact information for your warranty provider.
- An administrator will review the claim: After the problem is diagnosed, a claims administrator will review the claim to verify the repair is covered under your warranty plan.
- Pay your deductible: If the repair is approved, you’ll then pay your deductible. Some providers offer $0 deductibles for work performed at select facilities, but most deductibles are around $100.
Of course, there are times that a warranty won’t cover a repair. Most providers don’t replace common wear-and-tear parts like windshield wipers or perform oil changes. Additionally, warranties typically do not pay for damage from an accident or anything covered by your car insurance.
Do I Need an Extended Warranty?
If you’re weighing the pros and cons of extended car warranties, you should consider how long you plan on keeping your vehicle. Coverage from the automaker typically only lasts a few years. Some, like the Hyundai warranty, offer comprehensive bumper-to-bumper coverage up to five years or 60,000 miles, but most last around three years or 36,000 miles.
Factor in your vehicle’s reliability, common repairs, and your finances. Can you afford to pay for these repairs out of pocket? Or does a monthly payment plan that lets you budget out surprise repair costs offer peace of mind?
Independent warranty providers offer flexible coverage plans and let you choose when to purchase coverage. They also have larger repair networks compared to coverage from the manufacturer. That said, there is no guarantee that all your repairs will be covered under the warranty. You also run the risk of purchasing coverage you may not use, so the choice is ultimately up to the vehicle owner.
Who has the Best Extended Car Warranty?
With so many options on the market for extended car warranties, it can be hard to know who’s the best in the business. Our team did extensive research on the best extended car warranty companies and ranked them based on industry standing, coverage, affordability, and customer service.
Endurance and CARCHEX scored the highest in our reviews, but the best company for you will depend on what kind of coverage you need and how much you want to pay. That’s why we always recommend shopping around and getting free quotes from several providers. You can also read a comparison of these providers in our Endurance vs. CARCHEX review. However, any of our picks for the most reputable extended car warranty companies are a great place to start.
| Best Overall | Best for Used Cars | Low-Cost Plans |
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| Endurance | CARCHEX | Select Auto Protect |
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| Get Quote | Get Quote | Get Quote |
| (866) 990-3410 | (866) 950-7122 | (860) 294-4933 |
FAQ: Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
What are the top-rated extended auto warranty companies?
Our research team identified Endurance, CARCHEX, and autopom! as great choices for extended coverage. We picked these providers because of their coverage options, cost, and customer experience. That said, the right choice for an extended warranty company will depend on the customer’s needs.
What is the average cost of an extended car warranty?
We found that the average cost of an extended car warranty ranges from $1,300 to $4,500. Factors that affect the price of an extended warranty include the vehicle, the level of coverage, and the deductible amount.
Are extended warranties worth it on used cars?
Extended car warranties are often worth it for used cars. In fact, it may be even more worthwhile to purchase an extended warranty for a used car than a new car. The older your vehicle, the more prone it becomes to unexpected breakdowns. An extended car warranty can help keep your used vehicle on the road for longer.
Should I buy an extended warranty at the dealership?
Most dealerships offer extended warranties whenever you purchase a new or used vehicle. However, in most cases, it is better to purchase an extended warranty from an independent provider. Third-party companies (like the ones mentioned above) generally offer cheaper coverage and more flexible contract terms. Additionally, with a dealership warranty, you will be required to take your vehicle to the dealership for repairs, whereas third-party warranties let you choose from a wider repair network.
Can you negotiate an extended car warranty?
Some extended car warranties may be negotiable, but not all. Dealership warranties are typically negotiable, and even third-party providers may give you different quotes each time you call. CARCHEX, however, does not have negotiable contracts, and this is a good thing for many customers. The CARCHEX haggle-free guarantee means you are offered the lowest possible price without having to negotiate.
Can you cancel an extended car warranty?
Any reputable extended car warranty provider will allow you to cancel your contract. In most cases, contracts can be canceled for a full refund within 30 days. Even after 30 days, many providers will offer a prorated refund provided you have not filed any claims.
Is an extended car warranty worth it?
For many drivers, yes. An affordable extended car warranty can cut down on repair costs, give you peace of mind, and extend the life of your vehicle. However, if you feel more comfortable setting an auto repair budget aside, an extended car warranty may not be worth it.
Does AAA offer extended warranties?
Because the products AAA sells vary from state to state, not all AAA locations offer extended warranties. Those that do usually offer similar coverage sold by third-party warranty providers.
What is an extended warranty on a car?
An extended warranty on a car is technically a vehicle service contract. It covers the cost of repairs to some or most of the components no your vehicle, depending on the level of coverage you choose to purchase.
How much does a CARCHEX warranty cost?
Our team found that a CARCHEX warranty typically costs between $1,200 and $1,500. The cost of a CARCHEX warranty depends on a number of factors, including the make, model, year, condition, and mileage of your vehicle.
How much does an Endurance car warranty cost?
We found that, on average, Endurance car warranties cost between $350 and $700 per year. Factors including your car’s year, make, model, mileage, and condition affect how much an Endurance car warranty costs.
Is CarShield expensive?
CarShield’s extended warranty plans start at $99 per month, which may seem expensive. However, this can be an affordable way to manage the cost of repairs you may face with your vehicle. You can also save some money by paying for a CarShield warranty up front.
Can you buy an extended warranty after purchase?
In some cases, you may need to purchase a manufacturer’s extended warranty when you purchase your vehicle at the dealership. However, most third-party extended car warranty providers allow you to purchase coverage at any time, with some exceptions.
How do you cancel an extended warranty on a car?
In most cases, you’ll need to take a few steps to cancel an extended warranty on a car. You’ll likely need to fill out a cancellation form and then talk to customer service to notify them of your intent to cancel your extended car warranty. In many cases, you’ll also need to mail a physical copy of your cancellation request to the company.
Original article: The 6 Most Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies (2021)
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