Kia vehicles are known to go for miles and miles. As time goes on, you might run into repairs after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired. A Kia extended warranty could be a good option to expand coverage, but you also have other choices.
We’ve reviewed the most popular extended warranty companies and have recommended a few that stand out from the rest. If you’re thinking about an extended warranty, check out our top recommendations and get quotes from multiple providers.
Below are the three third-party companies we recommend considering for your Kia. Keep reading for details on the dealer options.
When Is a Kia Extended Warranty Worth It?
Some people are great at saving money. If you’re one of them, you might have an emergency fund set aside to cover repairs like the ones above at any time. However, not everybody is like that.
| Kia Extended Warranty | Coverage Terms |
|---|---|
| Powertrain | up to 120,000 miles |
| Silver | up to 120,000 miles |
| Gold | up to 120,000 miles |
| Gold Plus | up to 120,000 miles |
| Platinum | up to 120,000 miles |
Throughout the course of an extended car warranty, it’s possible that the warranty won’t pay out as much for repairs as you had spent on the plan. Even if that’s the case, making a small monthly payment is still easier for many people than covering a $1,000 or $2,000 repair out of the blue.
For many drivers, an extended auto warranty is worth it for the peace of mind that a number of repairs are covered. Just be sure to read the fine print carefully, so you know exactly what repairs those are.
Kia Extended Warranty Review
Kia offers five different extended vehicle service plans known as Kia Distinction Vehicle Protection Plans. These plans are available from Kia dealers and apply to eligible vehicles, including used and CPO vehicles.
Depending on your vehicle, you could buy a plan that lasts up to 120,000 miles from the in-service date. The five plans are:
- Powertrain
- Silver
- Gold
- Gold Plus
- Platinum
Here are a few features common to all the plans:
- Repairs accepted at 6,000 authorized service centers or any licensed facility
- Rental car coverage after a breakdown
- Towing coverage
- Trip interruption coverage
- Possible deductible
While you get coverage for rental cars, towing and trip interruption, that’s pretty basic compared to other extended warranty options. Kia’s protection plans don’t actually provide a full 24-hour roadside assistance service, which would include things like jump-start services and spare tire installation.
One thing that sets Kia’s extended auto warranty apart from plans by other manufacturers is that it lets drivers visit a wide network of service centers and repair shops. Usually, manufacturers require drivers to go back to a dealership for repairs, so Kia’s extended warranty scores a point for that.
There’s something else to be aware of, too. If you flip through Kia’s warranty booklet, you’ll see that the same system can be covered under multiple plans. However, each plan won’t necessarily cover the same number of parts in the system.
For example, the electrical system is listed under the Silver, Gold, Gold Plus and Platinum plans, but the actual number of parts covered increases as you move up the scale.
Powertrain and Silver Protection Plans
The Powertrain Protection Plan is the most basic of the five plans. Here’s what it covers:
- Engine
- Transmission
- Drive axle
- Some hybrid and compressed natural gas components
The plan covers a number of components in each category, many of which are expensive to repair.
The Silver Protection Plan steps things up and can be thought of a “powertrain plus” type of plan. It covers everything from the Powertrain plan and provides basic coverage for the following systems:
- Steering
- Electrical
- Brakes
- Air conditioning
- Front suspension
- Additional hybrid components
Gold and Gold Plus Protection Plans
The Gold plan is a mid-tier warranty and adds more coverage for the systems listed under the Silver and Powertrain plans. Each system is made of many parts, of course. As an example, the Gold plan covers these additional parts in the electrical system (among others):
- Steering column switches
- Ignition coil
- Vehicle speed sensor
- Knock sensor
The Gold Plus plan adds more coverage for the air conditioning, front suspension, steering, electrical and hybrid systems. It also adds new coverage for the following systems:
- Cooling
- Fuel
- Rear suspension
Platinum Protection Plan
Following the pattern of precious metals, the Platinum Protection Plan is Kia’s most comprehensive extended warranty. In fact, listing out all the covered parts would require many pages. That’s because this contract is exclusionary – it lists the items it doesn’t cover instead.
The Platinum Protection Plan is comparable to Kia’s bumper-to-bumper warranty, which is also exclusionary. However, there are a few more exclusions under the Platinum plan than the new car warranty, so it isn’t exactly the same coverage.
Here are a few excluded items (not a complete list):
- Brake linings
- Solar powered devices
- Body parts
- Weather stripping
- All batteries except those listed under Silver coverage
- Shock absorbers
- Exhaust system
- Tires
- Wheels
- Filters
Standard exclusions like damage from misuse, neglect and accidents also apply.
Comparing Kia and Third-Party Providers
Kia’s extended warranty has a couple of great features. It lets drivers go to a wide network of repair shops, and it has a large range of coverage options. A Kia extended warranty can be worth it if you want to extend bumper-to-bumper coverage for the full 120,000 miles.
That being the case, the protection plans still fall short in a couple of areas. The maximum mileage covered is 120,000 miles, and many third-party providers offer longer terms. For example, CarShield offers coverage up to 200,000 miles, and CARCHEX plans can cover up to 250,000 miles.
(CARCHEX Vs. CarShield: Which Provider is Better?)
Another thing to know is that Kia’s extended warranty doesn’t offer much in the way of perks or added benefits. Most of the top third-party plans come with 24-hour roadside assistance in addition to rental, towing and trip interruption.
Endurance warranties go one step further and come with a free year of Endurance Elite, which includes:
- Roadside assistance
- Member rewards
- Key fob replacement
- Personal assistant
- Tire replacement/repair
- ID theft protection
- Endurance Protect app
If you appreciate amenities and added perks, Kia’s extended warranties might not be the best choice. Ultimately, it just depends on your preferences.
Kia Extended Warranty Cost
The last thing to mention is that third-party extended warranties are often more affordable than extended warranties offered by the manufacturer or dealer. A third-party plan could last until 150,000 or 200,000 miles and cost less than the same coverage from Kia.
Prices are also unique for each driver and car. If you’re looking to price out different Kia Sorento extended warranty costs, you’ll need to get quotes from each company that interests you. It’s impossible to say exactly what an extended warranty would cost because prices are based on different factors like your vehicle’s age and mileage.
Fortunately, many companies offer quick quotes that you can get online or by phone. To find the best coverage, it’s worth taking a few minutes to get quotes from multiple providers.
Kia Factory Warranty — Is Yours Still Active?
Kia’s 10-year/100,000 mile warranty program is one of the longest in the industry and includes a few different parts. We’ll cover the basics here – you can check out our review of Kia’s factory warranty for more information.
| Warranty | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Bumper-to-Bumper/Basic Limited Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles |
| Anti-Perforation Warranty | 5 years/100,000 miles |
| Hybrid and Electric Vehicle System Warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles |
| Roadside Assistance | 5 years/60,000 miles |
Additionally, Kia covers audio, paint and standard batteries for 3 years/36,000 miles. Adjustments and replacement parts are covered for 12 months/12,000 miles, and air conditioner refrigerant is covered for 12 months without a mileage restriction.
If you purchase a used Kia, you receive the remainder of the bumper-to-bumper warranty. But the Kia warranty for a second owner only allows up to 5 years/60,000 miles of powertrain coverage. If you purchase a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Kia, you’ll get the remainder of the powertrain warranty for 10 years/100,000 miles.
However, CPO Kia vehicles come with 1 year/12,000 miles of Platinum warranty coverage instead of the remaining 5 years or 60,000 miles of the bumper-to-bumper warranty. We’ll go over the specifics of the Platinum plan in a little bit. CPO vehicles also come with roadside assistance.
Here’s what is not covered by Kia’s warranty:
- Damage from misuse, accidents or improper maintenance
- Modifications
- Paint
- Normal wear and tear
- Regular maintenance
- Altered mileage
- Salvaged vehicles
Is Kia’s Warranty Long Enough?
It just takes a minute of searching on forums to find stories of Kia vehicles that have lasted up to 200,000 miles and beyond. J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM ranks Kia just above the industry average for dependability, and drivers expect their cars to last.
Kia’s warranty is long, but is it long enough? If you maintain your Kia well, there’s a good chance that you could still be driving it after the 10-year/100,000-mile warranty expires.
After that, it could be a good idea to extend warranty coverage. Even though Kia vehicles are reliable, drivers can still encounter expensive repairs as their cars age.
Now, if you had purchased a used Kia (non-CPO), you would have to pay for any repairs related to the powertrain after 5 years or 60,000 miles. While CPO Kia vehicles retain the longer powertrain warranty, the bumper-to-bumper warranty gets replaced by a one-year Platinum plan. Extended car warranty coverage can be a good idea for drivers in either of these situations.
RepairPal estimates that Kia drivers pay $474 per year on average for maintenance and repairs. While that number is pretty low, one single repair could still be a financial burden if it comes at the wrong time.
Here are a few repair costs Kia drivers might encounter (via RepairPal):
| Kia Sorento alternator voltage regulator Replacement | $297 to $344 |
| Kia Rondo control arm replacement | $1,082 to $1,307 |
| Kia Forte Koup variable valve timing control solenoid replacement | $476 to $491 |
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.
