The next time you purchase a vehicle from a dealership, you might be presented with an Assurant extended warranty. Assurant has a history that spans over a hundred years and today offers a wide range of insurance and warranty products in many countries. But that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best option to protect your vehicle.
In this article, we’ll look at the Assurant extended warranty in-depth so you can make an educated decision about the provider. We’ve reviewed the best extended car warranty companies available and will compare Assurant to a couple of industry leaders as well.
When you’re shopping for vehicle coverage, the best thing to do is to compare multiple quotes from different companies. Start by getting free quotes from our top recommended providers above.
Is an Assurant Extended Warranty Worth It?
Assurant’s long history reaches back almost 130 years. It began as the LaCrosse Mutual Aid Association in 1892 in the Netherlands. Over the following decades, the name changed as Assurant grew and acquired a number of companies. In 2018, Assurant purchased The Warranty Group and greatly expanded its vehicle service contract products. Today, Assurant is a multi-billion dollar organization that offers a suite of finance and insurance products across the globe.
Assurant also administers and insures extended warranties for other companies, including USAA, as Assurant Solutions. Assurant’s vehicle service contract is only offered through dealerships. You may find it under the names Assurant, The Warranty Group or The Mechanic®. Because you can only get Assurant plans through select dealerships, there is little information about them online. You can’t get a sample warranty contract without contacting a participating dealership.
Assurant has an A+ rating with accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), but it has a 1.05 out of 5-star rating from customer reviews on the site.
| Overall Rating | 5.8 |
|---|---|
| Industry Reputation | 8.0 |
| Coverage | 7.0 |
| Warranty Cost | See dealership |
| Transparency | 4.0 |
| Customer Experience | 4.0 |
Is an Assurant extended warranty worth it? Because Assurant has a below-average customer service rating on the BBB and you don’t have access to sample contracts without finding a dealership, we recommend looking into a few other providers during your search.
Assurant Extended Car Warranty Coverage
Assurant protection plans cover mechanical breakdowns of specific parts for up to 12 years/100,000 miles. The company’s main warranty options are part of its Mechanic vehicle service contract lineup, but you may find Assurant-backed contracts that offer different terms from other sources.
The Mechanic extended warranty comes in four levels of coverage. Each plan includes rental car coverage and roadside assistance, which includes things like jump-start service, flat tire changes, fuel delivery and towing.
Here is an overview of what each Assurant extended warranty covers:
- Platinum: This bumper-to-bumper extended warranty covers nearly every mechanical breakdown, except for a list of exclusions stated in your contract.
- Gold: This plan covers most vehicle systems, plus advanced electrical components like digital displays and power window motors.
- Silver: This plan covers basic vehicle systems including the powertrain, steering, electrical, suspension and air conditioning.
- Powertrain: This plan covers just the engine, transmission and drive axles.
What the Assurant Extended Warranty Doesn’t Cover
No warranty will cover everything on your vehicle. The Assurant extended warranty excludes things like cosmetic damage, normal wear and tear and damage from lack of maintenance. It also won’t cover regular maintenance services or parts that are designed to wear out, like brake pads.
The warranty is designed to only replace mechanical parts that fail unexpectedly. That said, Assurant offers an extensive range of auto protection products, so you might find programs that do cover maintenance from dealerships in your area.
Cost of an Assurant Extended Warranty
Because you can only get an Assurant extended warranty from a dealer, the company doesn’t publish prices online. After receiving many quotes from different providers, we found that the average warranty plan costs between $400 and $900 per year of coverage. If you receive an Assurant quote, you can check it against these figures to see if it’s a good deal.
The cost of an Assurant extended service contract depends on a number of factors, including your car’s make, model and mileage. For example, a Toyota with 10,000 miles is going to be much cheaper to protect per year of coverage than an Audi with 60,000 miles. As mileage increases, so does the likelihood of repairs. Also, European luxury brands cost more to repair than Asian consumer brands. All of that is factored into the price.
Is It Smart to Get an Extended Warranty?
Ultimately, it’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons of an extended car warranty. A vehicle service contract can provide peace of mind that a number of repairs are covered in exchange for a small monthly payment.
Purchasing an extended warranty can make sense if you don’t have a large amount of savings set aside for repairs, or if you want to keep your monthly budget more predictable. An extended warranty can also make your car a bit more attractive to secondary buyers, since you can transfer coverage most of the time.
How to Get a Quote and File a Claim
Many providers offer price forms online, but in the case of an Assurant extended warranty, you’ll have to find a participating dealership to get a quote.
To file a claim, you can start by taking your vehicle to any licensed repair facility in the U.S. or Canada. When you get to the repair facility, give the service department Assurant’s claims phone number. Assurant will need to authorize the repair before any work can be done. If the repair is covered, all you’ll need to pay is your deductible.
Assurant doesn’t specify a money-back guarantee period, but a 30-day guarantee is standard for the industry.
Assurant Extended Warranty Reviews
Overall, Assurant has mixed reviews. As we mentioned, it has a 1.05-star rating from reviewers on the BBB, and it also has a 3.9 out of 5.0-star rating from reviewers on Trustpilot. Below are a few examples of Assurant extended warranty reviews.
Positive Assurant Extended Warranty Reviews
“[Assurant] made the entire experience a breeze. I found the process of filing a claim straightforward, logical and effortless. Thank you for your quick response.”
– Roy via Trustpilot
“The entire claim process through Assurant was very easy. The customer service representatives were extremely helpful and courteous. [I] would recommend Assurant to anyone.”
– Kimberly E. via Trustpilot
Negative Assurant Extended Warranty Reviews
“This company caused a three-week delay in car repairs and didn’t do anything to accommodate me as a consumer for the inconvenience.”
– Jameca J. via BBB
“I wasn’t told it was a third-party warranty or I wouldn’t have bought it. I think it’s ridiculous that a company this large doesn’t have customer service associates to talk to 24/7. Also, they don’t have an email that you can use to contact them, it just sends you a reply telling you to call.”
– Trevor L. via BBB
Our Verdict on Assurant: 5.8 / 10.0
The Assurant extended warranty isn’t the best option on the market. If you are able to find a dealership that offers the plan, you can only pick from four coverage options – many leading providers offer five or six. We’d recommend comparing online quotes from other reputable extended car warranty companies to find the best deal.
Our Picks for Best Extended Car Warranties
So, what’s the best extended car warranty? After reviewing all of the leading providers on the market, we ranked Endurance as the best provider overall for its reputation and coverage. Another great option is CarShield, which was the most affordable provider we reviewed.
Endurance: Best Provider
We rate providers on price, coverage, customer service, transparency and reputation. Endurance performed well across the board and scored at least a 9.0 out of 10.0 in every category. The company offers six plans that can cover vehicles up to 200,000 miles – twice the length of an Assurant warranty.
One thing we like about Endurance is that it offers more perks than any other provider we reviewed. Drivers get standard perks like roadside assistance, plus other extras like key fob replacement and identity theft protection. Endurance has been in business for about 15 years and has a 4.3 out of 5.0-star rating on Trustpilot.
Check out our Endurance warranty review for more information, and get a free quote from Endurance by clicking below.
CarShield: Most Affordable
After receiving numerous quotes from different providers, we found that CarShield offered the most affordable plans overall. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, CarShield is definitely worth checking out. The company has been in business for 15 years and has a 4.2 out of 5.0-star rating on Trustpilot.
Another nice thing about CarShield is that it offers six different plans that drivers can choose from. Plans range from bumper-to-bumper to basic powertrain coverage, and the provider also offers options for specialty vehicles and high-tech equipment.
Check out our CarShield review to learn more, and click below to get a free, personalized quote.
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.
