In this guide, we’ll review some of the cheapest car warranties on the market and provide recommendations for ways to get lower prices on an extended car warranty.
Cheap Car Warranty Deals
Below are our picks of the most affordable extended car warranties to fit your budget:
| Aftermarket Car Warranty Provider | Our Award | Coverage Levels | Maximum Term Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Endurance | Best Provider | 6 | 200,000+ miles | |
| 2. CARCHEX | Runner-Up, Best Provider | 5 | 10 years/250,000 miles | |
| 3. CarShield | Most Affordable | 6 | 300,000 miles | |
| 4. Protect My Car | Best Financing | 3 | 125,000 miles |
Cheapest Car Warranty Companies
Below are more detailed descriptions of the cheapest extended car warranty companies:
CarShield: Cheapest Car Warranty
Drivers looking for budget-friendly aftermarket car warranties should turn to CarShield. CarShield warranties are excellent for drivers who want short term, pay as you go coverage. Unlike other extended warranty companies, CarShield offers month-to-month coverage starting as low as $99 per month. Additionally, CarShield’s plans have no deductible, so drivers do not have to worry about having enough money when they need a repair.
The company has sold over one million contracts since its business began in 2005, making it a key player in the auto warranty industry. Here’s an overview of its coverage plans:
- Diamond: Acts as a bumper-to-bumper extended warranty
- Platinum: Best option for high-mileage cars and covers the engine, transmission, air conditioning, water pump and more
- Gold: Covers the powertrain as well as the air conditioning, electrical systems, fuel system, and seals and gaskets
- Silver: Protects the engine, transmission, transfer case, drive axles, and seals and gaskets
- Aluminum: Protects the electrical and computer systems
- Motorcycle & ATV: Protects all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles
CarShield provides additional benefits like roadside assistance, towing and rental car reimbursement. The provider also stands out for letting its customers work with any ASE-certified mechanic.
Before purchasing an extended warranty from CarShield, we recommend exercising caution and doing your research on this company. According to the BBB, there has been a pattern of customer complaints regarding poor customer service and failure to cover repairs.
CarShield’s customer reviews are mixed. On Trustpilot, a trusted customer review site, the aftermarket car warranty provider received a 4.1 out of 5.0-star rating, with many reviewers highlighting their positive customer service experience. However, the BBB reviews call attention to more negative customer experiences. CarShield received an F rating from the BBB due to a high number of customer complaints and for not providing customers with timely responses to their queries.
If you’re considering a CarShield extended warranty plan, read our CarShield review and use the button below to get a free quote.
Endurance: Best Value Extended Car Warranty
Endurance is our go-to provider for direct coverage. Rather than working through a middleman, Endurance works directly with customers on claims and coverage for an overall efficient process. Here’s an overview of its vehicle protection plans:
- Supreme: This exclusionary coverage acts as a bumper-to-bumper extended warranty.
- Superior: The Superior plan provides stated-component coverage to protect most major parts.
- Secure Plus: This plan protects components like the brakes, engine, transmission, air conditioning, steering and some electrical parts.
- Secure: The Secure plan covers your powertrain at a budget-friendly price.
- Select Premier: Crafted for high-mileage cars, this plan covers vital systems like the engine, transmission and drive axle.
- EnduranceAdvantageTM: This plan provides extensive component coverage with the addition of maintenance coverage, including oil and filter changes, brake pad and wiper blade replacement, and more.
Endurance also offers customers additional benefits with its warranty coverage, including roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, oil changes and tire rotations. Because Endurance works directly with drivers, its claims process can be more straightforward than other third-party providers. In reviews of Endurance, customers often mention helpful service representatives and easy claims processing.
For more information on an Endurance aftermarket car warranty, check out our Endurance review or click below to get started with a free quote.
Endurance is an extended warranty brand that truly lives up to its name, standing out for offering a wide range of plans. Overall, Endurance has plans that fit any needs and budget, allowing drivers to stay on the road. Each of the plans offered by Endurance are designed to meet drivers’ particular needs, ranging from coverage that is comparable to a new car factory warranty all the way to used car coverage for vehicles with up to 150,000 miles. The basic “Secure” plan provides standard coverage that protects cars against some of the most expensive repairs. The company’s top plan, “Select Premier”, covers the smallest repairs.
One thing that stands out about Endurance warranties is that all of it’s plans are secured by AmTrust Financial Services. This is important because it ensures that your claim with the company is guaranteed to be paid out even if Endurance fails financially. With that said, despite being financially secure and having such a wide range of coverage plans, Endurance only earned a “C” rating from the BBB, a factor which could bring the company’s reliability into question for some.
CARCHEX: Affordable Extended Auto Warranty From Top Provider
For drivers looking to protect older, high-mileage vehicles, we suggest reaching out to CARCHEX for a quote. The provider offers a range of comprehensive coverage plans, especially for older or more unreliable vehicles, and is available in all 50 states. Here’s an overview of its coverage plans:
- Titanium: Comprehensive exclusionary coverage
- Platinum: Covers hundreds of stated components, including all major systems
- Gold: Protects all major systems to some extent and ideal for cars with over 60,000 miles
- Silver: Covers your powertrain components and a few additional components, depending on the plan you choose
- Bronze: Protects engine and transmission from common repairs
CARCHEX also offers bonus perks with its warranty plans like:
- Roadside assistance
- Towing to repair shops
- Rental car reimbursement
- Trip interruption
- Fuel delivery
- Lockout services
- Jump-starts
CARCHEX is endorsed by industry giants like Kelley Blue Book (KBB) and boasts an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Many customers note the provider’s positive customer service in their reviews.
To learn more about an aftermarket car warranty from this provider, check out our CARCHEX review or use the button below to get a free quote.
Although they aren’t the cheapest extended car warranty company, CARCHEX is one of the best low-cost options from our list of best extended car warranty companies. One of the ways CARCHEX gets the lowest prices is from its “compete model”, where it serves as a broker that serves as a platform for car warranty companies to compete over your business (and thus lower your price. CARXEX extended car warranties are backed financially and written by reputable providers like Royal Administration Services, American Auto Shield, and Allegiance administrators. Along with helping the company provide more affordable car warranties, this also makes CARCHEX more secure than many providers.
With 5 levels of coverage levels and contracts ranging from 12 to 84 months, CARCHEX is one of the best extended warranty providers out there. Along with the specific items covered in each package, every CARCHEX warranty includes added benefits like 24/7 roadside assistance, rental reimbursement, trip interruption, and towing service. Also, every CARCHEX warranty provides at least powertrain coverage. Unlike Endurance, CARCHEX doesn’t administer it’s own plans. Instead, CARCHEX serves as a broker and it’s plans are administered by companies like Royal Administration Services, Allegiance Administrators, American Auto Shield, and others, allowing CARCHEX to be one of the most secure providers.
Protect My Car: Low Cost Extended Car Warranty Runner-Up
Protect My Car offers monthly payment plans ranging from 36 to 48 months, giving drivers more flexibility when it comes to the monthly cost of their aftermarket car warranty. It offers aftermarket car warranties for vehicles less than 10 years old with fewer than 125,000 miles. Here’s an overview of its plans:
- Supreme: Covers most major systems, including the turbocharger and high-tech components
- Select: Best for cars with more than 50,000 miles and covers systems like the steering, brakes and suspension
- Driveline: Covers powertrain components like the engine and transmission as well as the fuel system for cars between 4 and 10 years old with more than 80,000 miles
Additional benefits with these plans include roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, oil changes and tire rotations. Protect My Car is highly rated on both the BBB and Trustpilot, and many customers mention an easy claims process and high-quality service. However, some customer reports also mention communication issues between their repair facility and Protect My Car during the repair process.
Read our Protect My Car review to get more information about this provider, and click the button below to get started with a free quote.
Protect My Car offers extended warranty plans for both new and used vehicles. The provider has plans for all types of vehicles, including cars with over 125,000 miles. Plans feature flexible payment terms, and 24/7 roadside assistance comes standard with all Protect My Car plans. Overall, Protect My Car is an excellent provider that anyone considering an extended warranty plan should consider using.
While cars over 13 years old cannot take advantage of PMC extended warranties, PMC does offer Ambassador maintenance plans, which provide guaranteed discounts between 25 and 50 percent. In addition, while Ambassador plans don’t provide as much protection as its regular plans, they do come with rental reimbursement, 24/7 roadside assistance, and more.
For its regular warranties, all PMC plans come with 24/7 roadside assistance and access to PMC rewards, which can help loyal customers by providing shopping and dining discounts. Another thing that helps Protect My Car stand out is its flexible payment terms, as its monthly plans last between 36 and 60 months. This allows you to finance your coverage over many years.
Founded in 2005 in St. Petersburg Florida, Protect My Car is a top choice for extended car warrantees. The company looks very attractive on the surface, as it has hundreds of 5 star customer reviews on BBB and thousands on Trustpilot. All PMC plans have a $100 deductible, as $0 deductible options aren’t available.
autopom!: Cheap Extended Warranty For Used Cars
autopom! has four different coverage levels to choose from, each of which that has multiple extended warranty plan options from various providers. autopom!’s powertrain plan covers the basic parts of a vehicle that make it run plus the power door locks and windows. With a small number of exceptions, the company’s exclusionary offers cover every component on the vehicle. In addition to the coverage provided in its plans, autopom! warranties also include added perks like rental car assistance and tire protection.
Although plans offered by Concord aren’t unique compared to competitors, the company is still a viable option considering the quality and breadth of its offerings. Along with grading well for it’s customer service, every plan by the company also includes 24-hour roadside assistance, trip interruption coverage, lockout service, battery re-charging, and gas delivery. Unfortunately, unlike some of its competition, Concord isn’t financially backed by outside companies, meaning the company lacks a safety net to hedge its customers against the possibility of a company failure.
Founded in 2013, Concord is a relative newcomer to the industry that boasts a B rating from the Better Business Bureau. Along with its high customer ratings, Concord also has many positive customer service reviews, including a 4.7 rating from Trustpilot and a 4.73 rating from the BBB, customer reviews that are higher than any other provider in the industry.
While the fact that Concord doesn’t offer a bumper-to-bumper plan may dissuade some drivers from choosing the company, the varying levels of coverage provided by the company’s 3 offerings is good enough for most drivers. In terms of pricing, Concord is cheaper than many competitors. The quotes obtained during our research process were consistently lower than much of the competition. You can save substantial money on a Concord plan by choosing your payment in full. If within your budget, this is an excellent choice.
How Much Does A Cheap Car Warranty Cost?
Based on our research, a cheap car warranty can cost anywhere from $1,700 to $4,000, which reflects a three- to seven-year contract length. Thedepends on a few factors, including:
- Deductible: Usually, a lower deductible results in a higher monthly premium.
- Vehicle make, model and age: Older, high-mileage, luxury and less reliable vehicles are often more expensive to cover.
- Coverage level: Comprehensive aftermarket car warranty plans are typically more costly than a more basic alternative.
- Contract length: Often, a longer contract costs more than a shorter contract.
The provider you choose also affects your extended warranty cost. Our research team reached out for quotes from each of our top four providers and received the following information. The pricing listed is for a 2018 Toyota RAV4 with 30,000 miles under each provider’s most comprehensive plan:
| Aftermarket Car Warranty | Coverage Term | Deductible | Monthly Payment | Total Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endurance Supreme | 5 years/100,000 miles | $100 | $77.35 for 36 months | $2,951.15 |
| CARCHEX Titanium | 7 years/125,000 miles | $100 | $190.00 for 18 months | $3,420.00 |
| CarShield Diamond | 5 years/100,000 miles | $100 | $88.78 for 18 months | $1,893.04 |
| Protect My Car Supreme | 4 years/100,000 miles | $100 | $96.95 until cancellation or expiration for length of plan | — |
Cheap car warranty companies are also just one piece of the puzzle. Some car manufacturers will let you purchase an extended warranty when your factory warranty expires. However, these plans tend to be more costly than third-party providers’ plans, but they do offer more specialization.
Manufacturers’ extended warranties usually guarantee factory-trained technicians and authentic parts used in covered repairs, whereas third-party warranties give customers the option to have repairs done either at the dealership with original parts or at an auto repair shop with parts equal to original market value.
Factors That Affect Extended Warranty Cost
The cost of an extended car warranty depends on factors like the level of coverage, length of the coverage period, and the make, model, age and mileage of your vehicle. Generally, coverage for older vehicles is more expensive than coverage for newer vehicles because they are more likely to suffer a mechanical breakdown.
Additionally, premium plans and plans with lengthy coverage periods will also cost more. If you are looking for a cheaper car warranty, it is best to get a warranty sooner before your vehicle continues to rack up more miles and age. Additionally, those who choose cheaper car warranties will likely have to sacrifice some coverage in exchange for a lower price. For those looking to get basic coverage while keeping costs low, a powertrain warranty can be a good option because it covers your vehicles major systems, which breakdown less often but are more costly to repair when they do.
Cheap Auto Warranty Basics
An extended car warranty covers the cost of unexpected repairs in the event of a mechanical breakdown. However, it is important to note that although the extended auto warranty discounts cover repairs for your vehicle, they do not usually cover repairs for the whole vehicle. A car warranty covers only the essential or agreed-upon parts of the car for a certain number of years or miles. Although it may take a while before you finally get to benefit from a cheap extended warranty, it usually comes in handy when you least expect it. IIn such scenarios, cheap car warranty deals come in handy since you won’t have to worry about footing the repair/service bill if your car has a warranty.
Think through both costs and select the one you feel would serve you best.f you do a thorough job researching your warranty plan and provider before purchasing in order to balance affordable cost with a level of coverage that fits your needs, a cheap car warranty may prove to be worth it. Since used cars have a history of repairs and breakdowns, drivers may not know when or where their vehicle will break down. The cost of repairs may also be on the higher side, depending on what is to be repaired. Therefore, taking out an extended warranty will benefit you as the warranty will alleviate you of the financial risk that comes with vehicle repairs.
Is A Cheap Car Warranty Worth It?
A cost-effective aftermarket car warranty should cost less than what you’d pay in out-of-pocket repair costs. For drivers with highly reliable vehicles, mechanical breakdowns may be far and few between, reducing the usefulness of an extended warranty. However, drivers with less reliable vehicles looking to save money may benefit from purchasing an aftermarket car warranty.
Another factor to consider is how long you plan to own your car. If you plan to sell your car before the manufacturer’s warranty expires, it does not make sense to buy coverage you won’t use. In some cases, a transferable extended warranty can increase the resale value of your used car if you sell to a private owner, though it is unlikely to increase a trade-in offer from a dealership.
Before committing to any cheap auto warranty, it’s a good idea to reach out to multiple providers to get quotes. This allows you to compare not only coverage between companies but also price points. We’ve listed some of the top providers mentioned in this article below. Reach out to receive free, personalized quotes.
Advantages of an extended car warranty.
- The most significant advantage of an extended warranty is that it might help you save money if your vehicle requires an expensive repair that is covered by your contract. Instead of paying the full cost yourself, you’d only be responsible for the deposit, and the remainder would be covered by the warranty provider, as covered in the contract of service.
- If thinking about how you’ll pay for a repair keeps you awake at night, having an extended warranty can help.
Disadvantages of an extended car warranty
- Coverage- An extended warranty doesn’t cover repairs for all issues of a vehicle. They usually only cover the essential or agreed-upon parts. Before signing the papers, be sure to read and understand which parts of your car are covered by the extended warranty.
- You may actually never get to use your extended warranty, and if you do, the cost of repairs will most likely be less than the total cost of the warranty, so you may want to think it through before signing off on one.
How To Get A Good Deal On A Cheap Car Warranty
When shopping for an extended car warranty, there are several steps you can take to ensure that your costs are low. Below are our recommendations for how to shop for a car warranty so you get the lowest price that fits your needs:
- Get Quotes From Multiple Companies: We recommend getting quotes from at least three providers, as this will give you a solid general idea of how much it costs to cover your vehicle and a better chance of getting a cheaper quote.
- Purchase The Warranty Directly From The Provider: Because dealerships tend to mark up prices for commission, you’ll almost always get a lower price if you purchase the warranty directly from a reputable provider.
- Read The Contract: Sometimes the overall cost of your car warranty will be higher than the prices you are quoted. To cut costs, make sure to read the fine print so you are aware of hidden costs like additional fees or deductible policies that aren’t straightforward.
- Ask About Discounts: Most providers have discounts with varying eligibility requirements. Examples that are common include discounts for veterans, police officers, seniors, or those who purchase contracts for multiple vehicles.
- Avoid Financing: Avoid traditional payment plans that include interest. While this may seem like it saves you money in the short term, you’ll end up paying much more for the loan at the end of the day. To avoid this, look for a provider with an interest-free payment plan.
- Choose The Optimal Payment Structure: Generally, longer payment terms mean you’ll pay more overall. To lower the cost of your extended car warranty, choose a shorter payment period and consider options with a higher down payment. If you aim for lower monthly costs and more spread out payments, you should choose a longer payment plan with a lower down payment.
- Don’t Be Afraid To Negotiate: In order to get a lower price, don’t be afraid to haggle with the provider for a cheaper car warranty.
- Don’t Put It Off: The longer you wait to get your vehicle covered, the more you will end up paying because your vehicle will be older and have more miles.
Cheapest Car Warranty: Conclusion
In this article, we provided our list of the most affordable extended car warranties and ways to get a better deal on a car warranty.Taking an extended warranty depends on so many factors, and you should do proper research to select the right one for you. Speak to your car manufacturer or dealership as they will provide useful advice that will enable you to select the best extended car warranty for your vehicle.
Affordable Car Warranty: FAQ
What is the cheapest monthly rate for an extended car warranty?
Our reviews have found that with discounts and the proper approach, you should easily be able to find a powertrain extended car warranty under $100, provided your vehicle doesn’t have extremely high mileage.
How much does an extended car warranty cost overall?
In our cost reviews, we found that you can get an affordable extended car warranty for around $1,800 from if you do your homework and follow the processes outlined in this review.
Who has the most affordable car warranty?
CarShield is the cheapest provider on the market. This interview also identified Endurance, CARCHEX, Protect My Car, and autopom! as companies that have affordable car warranties.
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.
