You may know Ally Financial as an online bank or an auto lender, but did you know it also offers extended warranty plans? You can get an Ally extended warranty from many dealerships across the country.
In this article, we’ll take a good look at what Ally offers as an extended warranty provider, including its coverage options and customer reviews. We’ve researched the best extended car warranty providers in the industry and recommend getting quotes from multiple companies to find the best deal on coverage. You can start getting free, personalized quotes from our top-rated providers above.
Ally Overview
Ally has been around as a financial institution for over 100 years, though until 2010, it was known as General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC). Ally mainly offers auto finance and personal banking products, but it sells vehicle service contracts as well.
The company has a B rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and offers plans through dealerships only. While you can see sample contracts on the website, you’ll have to get in touch with an authorized retailer for a quote.
According to our research, Ally’s vehicle protection plans offer good coverage and include some month-to-month options, which are unique. However, the company has a large number of complaints and negative reviews.
| Overall Rating | 3.5 |
|---|---|
| Industry Reputation | 3.5 |
| Coverage | 4.0 |
| Warranty Cost | 3.5 |
| Transparency | 4.0 |
| Customer Experience | 2.5 |
Ally Extended Warranty Coverage
There are four Ally Premier Protection plans drivers can choose from. Vehicles up to 13 model years old and with fewer than 150,000 miles are eligible for any of these plans. Here’s what each Ally extended warranty covers:
- Major Guard®: This bumper-to-bumper extended warranty covers almost every vehicle part, except a list of exclusions stated in your contract. In total, there are over 7,500 parts covered in the engine, transmission, drivetrain, fuel, heating, air conditioning, suspension, electrical, steering, high-tech, safety, cooling and braking systems.
- Value Guard®: This plan covers over 2,900 listed parts in the powertrain (engine, transmission and drivetrain), plus the air conditioning, heating, steering, electrical, fuel and suspension.
- Basic Guard®: This plan covers 2,000 parts in the powertrain, fuel system and heating/air conditioning system.
- Feature Guard®: This specialty plan only covers high-tech components. It could be useful to add to an existing powertrain warranty.
While each plan covers different vehicle components, there are a few things that won’t be covered by any Ally extended warranty. Here are some example exclusions:
- Cosmetic damage
- Regular maintenance services
- Normal wear and tear
- Wear items like hoses and brake pads
- Damage from lack of maintenance or misuse
- Damage from accidents or the environment
- Alterations and aftermarket parts
- Pre-existing conditions
Ally Flex Coverage
Ally stands out from other extended warranty options for its Flex Coverage. There are three Flex plans, and they are all offered on month-to-month contracts. To be eligible for these Ally extended warranty plans, vehicles need to be model years 2015 or newer with under 75,000 miles. Here’s what the three options look like:
- Flex Coverage Ultra: This plan covers the same parts as Major Guard.
- Flex Coverage Core: This plan covers slightly fewer parts than Value Guard but more than Basic Guard.
- Flex Coverage Tech: This plan only covers high-tech components.
Premier Protection and Flex Coverage Benefits
All Ally Premier Protection and Flex plans come with roadside assistance and trip interruption, and every plan except Basic Guard comes with rental car coverage.
- Roadside assistance covers towing, battery jump-starts, fuel deliveries, flat tire services and lockout services.
- Trip interruption covers up to $150 per day for five days if you have a breakdown over 100 miles from home and need to stay while your car is repaired.
- Rental reimbursement covers up to $40 per day for a maximum of $240 per covered repair visit while your car is in the shop.
Other Ally Auto Services
Ally offers numerous other services for mechanical and cosmetic maintenance, including:
- Ally Auto Care®
- Guaranteed Asset Protection
- SmartLease® Protect
- Tire and Wheel Protect
- Dent Protect
- Windshield Protect
- Key Protect
- Theft Protect
- Appearance Protect
- Multi-Protect
Cost of Ally Premier Protection
If you want to find out what you’d pay for Ally Premier Protection, you’ll need to contact a dealership that offers Ally extended warranty plans. Cost is usually associated with the age and mileage of a vehicle. Flex Coverage starts at $32 per month and depends on your vehicle as well.
Deductible options for Ally Premier Protection plans are $0, $100, $200 or a $100 disappearing deductible that is waived if you visit the selling dealership. A $500 deductible option is available for certain luxury vehicles. Flex Coverage plans offer deductible options of $0 or $100, but if you drive over 20,000 miles per year, your deductible will increase to $500. These options are fairly standard compared to other providers.
How to Get a Quote and File a Claim
You can call Ally directly to get a quote for a Flex Coverage plan. You just need to have your vehicle identification number (VIN) ready to provide to a representative over the phone. There is no online quote for this type of plan. Ally Premier Protection plans are only available through dealerships, so there’s no option to get a quote online or over the phone.
To file an Ally extended warranty claim, bring your vehicle to any licensed repair shop in the U.S. or Canada. The shop will need to contact Ally for authorization before starting work. If the repair is covered, you can request rental car coverage if necessary. When your car is fixed, you’ll just have to pay your deductible to the shop and Ally will handle the rest of the repair costs.
How Do I Cancel an Ally Extended Warranty?
You can cancel an Ally extended warranty within 60 days for a full refund if you haven’t used the warranty. After that, you can get a prorated refund based on time and coverage used. Simply call customer service to cancel.
If you sell your car before the vehicle service contract is up, you can transfer it to a subsequent owner. You’ll need to fill out a transfer form and pay a $50 fee within 30 days of selling the vehicle.
Ally Extended Warranty Reviews
While Ally seems to offer a good range of coverage plus some perks, the company isn’t necessarily known for stellar service. It has a 1.06 out of 5-star rating from customer reviews on the BBB and a 1.4 out of 5-star rating on Trustpilot. Below are a few positive and negative review examples.
Positive Ally Extended Warranty Reviews
“I wanted to say how grateful I am for Ally. I am barely getting any hours at work now [because of the COVID-19 pandemic], and Ally now offered deferred payments because of all this horrible chaos.”
– A.J. via Trustpilot
“Fantastic company. I’ve financed through Ally since 2006. Before 2009, their name was GMAC. It’s the same amazing company and always will be.”
– L.V.P. via BBB
Negative Ally Extended Warranty Reviews
“I recently paid off my car but canceled my extended warranty before doing so, which resulted in an overpayment. I have contacted this bank multiple times to get a refund. When you ask to speak to a supervisor, you are told they are not in or unavailable everyday or anytime you call.”
– Complaint via BBB
“My son has to make his monthly payment today because [Ally] has been holding checks that can close this account down. We are accruing an enormous amount of money in rental car fees because their new system has glitches!”
– Complaint via BBB
Conclusion: Is An Ally Extended Warranty Worth It?
Ally provides a number of comprehensive extended warranty plans, including flexible month-to-month coverage. Ally Premier Protection plans are affordable, however negative reviews are common, particularly related to customer service misunderstandings.
Overall, we think many customers will be satisfied with Ally. There are plenty of options out there though, and we always recommend getting quotes from more than one company so you can compare coverage and pricing side-by-side.
Our Picks for Best Extended Car Warranties
We’ve reviewed the best providers in the industry to help you narrow down your choices for extended warranty coverage. In our research process, we look for reputable extended car warranty companies that perform well across multiple areas, including cost, coverage options, reputation and customer feedback. Two companies that consistently top our lists are Endurance and Protect My Car.
Endurance: Best Provider
Who has the best extended car warranty? After comparing many top providers, we recommend Endurance as the best option overall. The company performs well across the board, especially when it comes to pan benefits and transparency, which are two major factors to consider when choosing the right company for you.
Endurance offers six plans that range from basic powertrain plans to full bumper-to-bumper extended warranties. Plus, you can compare plans and get quotes online, which makes shopping easy.
Find out more about this provider in our Endurance warranty review, and click below to get a free quote from Endurance.
Protect My Car: Best Long-Term Financing
If a low monthly payment is important to you, it’s a good idea to check out Protect My Car. The company offers three standard plans and three Ambassador Maintenance plans, which combine coverage for mechanical breakdowns and routine maintenance services.
The unique thing about Protect My Car is that it allows drivers to pay for a plan over 48 months, which is one of the longest financing options around. This means you can find a plan that stays within your monthly budget.
Click below to see what you’d pay for a Protect My Car plan. You can also read our Protect My Car review to learn more.
Methodology
The Detroit Bureau collects data from every major car warranty provider to formulate rankings of the best warranty companies. Our in-depth rating system takes into account coverage, pricing, transparency, customer satisfaction and ratings from industry experts. Each provider is given a weighted score in five categories, as well as an overall score out of 10.0.
We recommend auto warranty companies based on these rankings, but we also encourage you to perform your own research and compare quotes to find the best coverage.
