Cars typically come with a warranty from the manufacturer’s end. The basic car warranty provides coverage for repairing or replacing essential parts that may malfunction within the warranty duration.
But what should you do when your car’s factory warranty expires? Well, purchasing an extended warranty will protect your vehicle beyond the factory’s warranty period.
If you’re wondering where to buy an extended car warranty, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve done the heavy lifting for you. After conducting an industry-wide review, I’ve listed the best-extended car warranty companies globally.
1. Endurance
Established in 2006 and headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, Endurance operates in every state bar in California. While many extended car warranty providers work as brokers, Endurance distinguishes itself as a direct provider of car service contracts.
If you’re searching for comprehensive yet affordable extended warranty coverage, Endurance is your best bet. The provider offers six coverage plans for cars below eight years or 200,000 miles on the odometer, as outlined below:
- Supreme: It is the most comprehensive plan and offers a bumper-to-bumper warranty.
- Superior: Provides extensive component coverage to nearly every part of the vehicle.
- Secure Plus: Covers the steering, brake, powertrain, and electrical components.
- Secure plan: Provides the most competitive pricing on coverage for the engine, water pump, and transmission.
- Select Premier: It’s appropriate for high-mileage vehicles. The plan covers the electrical, powertrain, air conditioning, cooling, heating, and fuel systems.
- Endurance Advantage: The plan combines routine maintenance services and coverage for mechanical breakdown.
The extended warranty doesn’t depend on the automobile category and comes in two types: inclusionary and exclusionary. The inclusionary plan explicitly mentions all the covered parts in the service contracts, while the exclusionary plan lists what’s not covered and covers the rest of the unmentioned parts.
All extended car warranty plans from Endurance qualify for the following benefits:
The company boasts a 4.3/5-star customer review rating on Trustpilot. A significant chunk of the customer reviews shower praises on the company’s excellent customer care support and speedy claims approval process.
From our research, you can expect to pay an average of about $546-$612 per year, depending on the coverage plan you pick from Endurance.
2. CarShield
CarShield is your go-to extended warranty provider if you’re on a tight budget. Based on its price quotes, it offers the most budget-friendly packages, with monthly contracts costing as low as $89. The monthly plans allow great flexibility, as you’re not boxed in a longer warranty than you would like.
This third-party warranty provider operates across the country except in California. Customers can select from six comprehensive plans that extend coverage to all cars for up to 300,000 miles.
- Diamond: It’s an exclusionary plan covering most mechanical and electrical components.
- Platinum: An inclusionary plan that protects the engine, electrical system, water pump, transmission, cooling system, and more.
- Gold: Provides enhanced powertrain coverage and protects the engine, drive axle, alternator, and more.
- Silver: The cheapest plan that protects the engine, water pump, and transmission.
- Aluminium: Best suited for luxury vehicles. It protects high-tech electronic systems.
- Motorcycle & ATV: Provides multiple coverage levels for all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, and other non-standard cars.
The company has a 4/5-star rating on Trustpilot from thousands of customer reviews. Most CarShield contract holders mention their satisfaction with the value for money proposition.
CarShield contract holders can enjoy other benefits such as:
- Round-the-clock roadside assistance
- Towing
- Rental car refund
- Your preferred ASE-licensed auto repair shop
3. CARCHEX
CARCHEX is a warranty broker with over 20 years of experience in the industry. It offers protection for vehicles with up to 250,000 miles, so if you’re a car owner looking to buy an extended warranty for your used car, this could be your best option.
The company has five tiers of coverage with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Depending on your service plan, you can expect to pay between $120 and $170 monthly.
- Titanium: It is an exclusionary policy for most car parts.
- Platinum: Lists protection for hundreds of components.
- Gold: Best suited for high-mileage cars. It covers all major systems.
- Silver: Protects powertrain components, among other important systems.
- Bronze: Covers the engine and transmission systems.
CARCHEX’s warranty plans come with the following perks:
- Trip interruption compensation
- Roadside assistance
- Rental car refund
The company boasts an A+ rating on Better Business Bureau (BBB), which stamps its reputation as a leading extended car warranty company. Customer reviews praise the company’s straightforward claims process and friendly customer support service.
4. Protect My Car
Protect My Car is based in Saint Petersburg, Florida. The company’s warranty plans are available for purchase in most states apart from Washington, Oklahoma, Missouri, Hawaii, California, and Alaska.
It is an ideal car warranty provider if you can only afford a lower monthly car budget for your new or used vehicle. That’s because it offers cheaper monthly repayments spread out across 60 months.
Protect My Car plans are eligible for cars below ten years or 125,000 miles on the odometer. Here are some of the plans that you can choose from:
- Supreme: It’s like a new car’s original factory warranty and offers the best level of coverage by the company.
- Select: Offers similar protection as the Supreme plan, but with the exclusion of the navigation system and turbocharger. The plan is best suited for cars beyond 50,000 mileages.
- Driveline: Protects powertrain components for used cars aged between 4-10 years old and with 80,000 miles clocked on the odometer.
Protect My Car provides additional perks with its plans, including:
- Towing
- Roadside assistance
- Rental car refund
- Tire rotations
- Oil changes
If customer reviews are anything to go by, Protect My Car tops the list with the highest customer ratings among extended warranty providers. The company is A+ rated on BBB and has a 4.6/5-star rating on Trustpilot. Most positive reviews praise the provider’s helpful customer service staff and simple claims process.
5. ForeverCar
Established in 2014 as a warranty comparison site, ForeverCar has mushroomed into a reputable extended car warranty provider. The company is highly revered in industry circles. Besides maintaining an A+ rating with BBB, it also holds a 4.8/5-star rating on Trustpilot from thousands of reviews.
ForeverCar offers four warranty plans for new or used cars not exceeding 150,000 miles. The warranty period for all available plans is 36 months.
- Platinum plus: Provides the best level of protection available, which includes bumper-to-bumper, comprehensive, and added protection for a list of parts that wear out frequently.
- Platinum: This is the company’s bumper-to-bumper warranty, similar to a car’s factory warranty. It protects all car parts except for those that wear out frequently.
- Gold: The plan covers everything included in the silver plan and includes extra parts such as an anti-lock brake system, radiator, digital displays, and more.
- Silver: Regarded as ForeverCar’s basic warranty, the silver plan covers all powertrain components.
The above warranty plants from ForeverCar are eligible for:
- 24/7 roadside assistance
- Rental car refund
- Trip interruption reimbursement
Based on the company’s quotes, drivers can expect to part with monthly payments ranging between $63 and $77 for three years. Interestingly, ForeverCar allows customers to pick their preferred deductible and wait period.
Conclusion
Purchasing an extended car warranty makes sense for car owners looking to keep their vehicles beyond the factory warranty expiry date and those with unreliable cars prone to regular repairs.
You can also explore other best-extended car warranty companies providing a great starting point for those who want to buy an extended car warranty. Remember to always compare quotes from a few warranty providers before you make up your mind.