The Best Extended Car Warranty Companies of 2024
Here's where you can find the best extended warranty coverage for your car.
Written by
Christine Lacagnina has written thousands of insurance-based articles for TrustedChoice.com by authoring consumable, understandable content.
Reviewed by
Jeff Green has held a variety of sales and management roles at life insurance companies, Wall street firms, and distribution organizations over his 40-year career. He was previously Finra 7,24,66 registered and held life insurance licenses in multiple states. He is a graduate of Stony Brook University.
An extended warranty for cars is, in essence, an insurance policy that provides financial protection against costly, unforeseen mechanical failures. Since unexpected mechanical breakdowns can really dig into your budget, you'll want to look into coverage ahead of time. There are various policies available from a number of different car insurance carriers that offer an extended warranty for cars.
An independent insurance agent can help you get set up with all the car insurance and extended warranty coverage you may need. But for starters, here's a breakdown of extended warranty coverage and where you can find it.
What Is an Extended Warranty?
Also known as a vehicle service contract, an extended warranty is basically a protection plan for your vehicle that extends past the manufacturer's warranty in case your vehicle needs repairs after this period ends.
In certain cases, however, an extended warranty's coverage period can overlap the manufacturer's warranty. But most commonly, extended warranties begin when a manufacturer's warranty ends.
Depending on your financial situation, you may not need an extended warranty. However, for some drivers, they provide great convenience and peace of mind in case of an unexpected expense down the road.
What Does an Extended Warranty Cover?
An extended warranty can cover many costs related to your vehicle's maintenance past the length of time your manufacturer's warranty would compensate you. An extended warranty can cover:
- Mechanical component repairs
- Engine repairs
- Transmission repairs
- Towing services
- Rental car services
- Travel insurance
The coverage provided by an extended warranty can vary by the specific contract and by the car insurance company that offers it. Work with a trusted independent insurance agent to find the right extended car warranty for your needs.
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The Best Extended Warranty Car Insurance Companies of 2024
There's no use wasting time browsing endless car insurance extended warranty companies when you want to find the right coverage fast. Here's a handful of top-rated extended car warranty companies to get you started on the right foot.
- Best overall: Carchex
- Best for coverage options: Endurance
- Best for customer satisfaction: Omega
- Best for short-term coverage: CarShield
Best Overall Extended Warranty Coverage: Carchex
Carchex is our winner for the best extended warranty coverage overall, thanks to its offering of five different levels of coverage. Carchex also provides different contract terms for customers to choose from, ranging between 12 to 84 months in length.
There are many other benefits to Carchex's extended warranties as well, including rental car reimbursement coverage, 24/7 roadside assistance and towing, trip interruption services, and more. Extended warranties from Carchex are known to provide more security than many other options available today, thanks to being financially backed by American Auto Shield, Allegiance Administrators, and Royal Administration Services.
Best Extended Warranty for Coverage Options: Endurance
Endurance provides the most extended warranty coverage options, but doesn't quite earn the best overall ranking due to its lackluster Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating of a "C." However, Endurance provides four different plans for customers, including those that offer options that most nearly match a manufacturer's coverage level and those that provide coverage for vehicles with up to 150,000 miles on them.
Customers can also trust the security of Endurance's extended warranties, thanks to them being financially backed by AmTrust Financial Services.
Best Extended Warranty for Customer Satisfaction: Omega
Omega may offer fewer coverage options than other companies, but they come out on top regarding customer satisfaction ratings. Further, Omega has received a highly respectable outstanding rating from the BBB of an "A+".
Omega's extended warranties also offer perks like rental car reimbursement, maintenance coverage, towing coverage, roadside assistance, and more. Customers should note, however, that Omega's rates can be a bit higher than other carriers.
Best Extended Warranty for Short-Term Coverage: CarShield
For customers who only want short-term coverage, CarShield is the clear winner. The company offers extended warranties in month-to-month contract terms. Even better, CarShield's rates start at just $99 per month.
But while short-term, affordable coverage can be important to many drivers, prospective customers should consider other factors as well, including a company's BBB and customer ratings. In the case of CarShield, many complaints have been filed through the BBB from dissatisfied customers, which may sway some people in another direction.
How We Chose Our Top Picks
Trusted Choice reviewed about a dozen extended warranty car insurance companies to narrow it down to only a handful of the best options for you. We determined our winners in each category by reviewing the following:
- Customer service ratings
- Better Business Bureau ratings
- Financial strength ratings by AM Best
- Coverage options from each carrier
- Costs of coverage from each carrier
- Additional benefits available from each carrier
Still, our top choices may not be what's right for you. Working together with an independent insurance agent is the best way to ensure you'll get matched to the right extended car warranty for your needs.
How to Find the Best Extended Warranty for Your Car
The easiest way to find the best extended warranty for your car is to work with an independent insurance agent. Independent insurance agents know the reputations of many different extended car warranty companies in your area, as well as which coverages they offer. They can shop and compare quotes from several different carriers for you and present you with only the best findings.
FAQs about Extended Warranty Coverage
You'll have to determine if a car warranty is worth it for you on a case-by-case basis. If your car has proven to be reliable over time, doesn't carry a high value, or is still under the coverage period of the manufacturer's warranty, then getting an extended warranty likely doesn't make sense. Another factor to consider is if you have enough money set aside in savings to pay for vehicle repairs once the manufacturer's warranty is up.
The cost of an extended car warranty varies depending on many different factors like your car's make and model, value, mileage, and condition. However, on average, an extended car warranty costs about $1,500. In general, the newer your vehicle is, the less mileage it has, and the better its condition, the less you can expect to pay for an extended warranty.
Yes, you can get an extended warranty for a used car after you've purchased it. Extended car warranties are available from many different third-party companies. But if you want to get a dealership's extended car warranty, you'll need to buy that the same day you purchase the vehicle.
Though they both offer similar coverage, the major difference between extended warranties and mechanical breakdown insurance is where they're purchased. Extended warranties can be bought from the dealership, a third-party company, or through the car's manufacturer.
But mechanical breakdown insurance must be bought, typically, from a car insurance company. An independent insurance agent can also help you get mechanical breakdown insurance or extended warranty coverage.
https://wallethub.com/edu/ci/best-car-extended-warranty/11157