No vehicle is invincible, not even a Ram truck. That’s why a Ram extended warranty could be a good option to help you cover repair costs later in your vehicle’s life.
You can get a Ram extended warranty from the manufacturer, or you can get one from a number of third-party warranty companies. We’ve reviewed the best extended car warranty providers nationwide so you can easily find which providers are dependable and which should be avoided.
To get the best deal on a Ram extended warranty, you’ll want to get multiple quotes. You can start comparing prices from our top recommended third-party providers below.
Is a Ram Extended Warranty Worth It?
The Ram extended warranty offers two main coverage options, and repairs can be made at a handful of different dealerships, which is more than some other manufacturer extended warranties offer. However, Ram’s extended warranty is still more restrictive than a third-party plan.
| Ram Extended Warranty | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum Care | Covers 5,000 components and extends up to 8 years/125,000 miles |
| Added Care Plus | Covers 800 components and extends up to 8 years/150,000 miles |
Is the Ram extended warranty worth it? No. Third-party providers offer comparable coverage for longer term lengths at a cheaper price.
What’s Covered Under a Ram Extended Warranty?
A Ram extended warranty covers your vehicle for repairs after mechanical breakdowns for up to 8 years/150,000 miles, whichever comes first. You can get a bumper-to-bumper plan for over 5,000 components or stated-component Ram extended warranty coverage.
The Ram extended warranty is technically called a Mopar® Vehicle Protection Plan. Mopar is the parts manufacturer for the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) family, which includes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat and Alfa Romeo vehicles.
Mopar offers two main types of coverage plans: Maximum Care and Added Care Plus. These plans can apply to new or used vehicles. Here’s what the plans cover:
- Maximum Care: Exclusionary bumper-to-bumper plan that covers over 5,000 components on all major systems of the truck
- Added Care Plus: Stated-component plan includes over 800 parts in the powertrain, suspension, electrical, air conditioning, brake system, and more
Depending on your dealership, you may also have access to Added Care, which covers over 600 components, or Powertrain Care Plus, which covers fewer components.
New vehicles are eligible for coverage until they reach 3 years/36,000 miles, but a surcharge may apply after 1 year/12,000 miles. The maximum term for new vehicle plans is 8 years/150,000 miles. Trucks up to 10 model years old are eligible for used-vehicle protection plans. The maximum term for used vehicles is 5 years/unlimited miles.
What’s Not Included Under a Ram Extended Warranty?
The Maximum Care Ram extended warranty is comprehensive and covers most car repairs, but it doesn’t cover everything.
Here are a few examples of what’s not covered under a Ram extended warranty:
- Normal wear and tear
- Wear items like brake pads
- Regular maintenance services
- Cosmetic damage
- Unauthorized repairs
- Alignments and other adjustments
- Various emissions components
- Damage from lack of maintenance or misuse
The Ram extended warranty is only valid at Ram dealerships or dealerships of other FCA brands.
Additional Perks of an Extended Warranty from Ram
Ram extended service contracts from Mopar come with the following added benefits:
- Rental car coverage through the dealership
- Trip interruption coverage up to $1,000
- Roadside assistance
- Key fob replacement up to $600 (only included in Maximum Care plan)
How Much Does a Ram Extended Warranty Cost?
Mopar doesn’t publish any prices online, so you’ll need to contact a dealership to see what a Ram extended warranty would cost for your truck. Dealerships can add additional markups to warranty costs, so they’re not always the most economical places to purchase coverage. But one way to get your price down is to purchase coverage before your vehicle reaches 1 year/12,000 miles.
You can also influence the price of your warranty by choosing a higher or lower deductible. Ram extended warranties come with a $0, $100 or $200 deductible. If you choose the $0 option, your warranty premium will be much more expensive than if you choose the $200 deductible.
Do You Need Ram Extended Warranty Coverage?
When considering whether to purchase a Ram extended warranty, it helps to look at the average cost of vehicle repairs. Ram performed below average in J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM, which tracked the frequency of repairs in three-year-old vehicles.
Also, according to RepairPal, Ram drivers spend about $868 per year on repairs and maintenance. That’s a bit higher than the industry average of $652 per year. However, this is just an average, so some Ram trucks will be more expensive or less expensive to fix. For example, here are RepairPal’s estimated annual repair costs for a few popular Ram trucks:
- Ram 1500: $691 per year
- Ram 2500: $1,070 per year
- Ram 3500: $1,279 per year
And here are a few repair costs associated with the Ram 2500, according to RepairPal:
- Control arm replacement: $1,434 to $1,468
- Parking brake shoe replacement: $368 to $427
- Track bar replacement: $337 to $356
- Trailing arm replacement: $747 to $780
As mileage increases, so do repair costs. A Ram extended warranty can bear the burden of expensive repairs so your budget doesn’t take as big of a hit if your truck breaks down.
What Ram Coverage Do You Already Have?
Ram’s basic limited warranty lasts for 3 years/36,000 miles. This warranty covers almost any component on your vehicle, except for a short list of exclusions. Ram’s powertrain warranty lasts for 5 years/60,000 miles, or 5 years/100,000 miles for diesel engines. This warranty covers the engine, transmission, drivetrain, water pump, and a few other basic components.
Certified pre-owned (CPO) Ram vehicles come with a 7-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, plus a 3-month/3,000-mile Maximum Care warranty.
Should You Consider a Third-Party Extended Warranty?
While a Mopar extended warranty may be a good choice for your vehicle, it’s definitely worth checking out third-party options to cover repairs on your Ram. Third-party warranties are often more affordable than dealer-backed plans, and they can offer longer coverage terms, too. Many leading providers can cover vehicles for up to 200,000 or 250,000 miles.
Another advantage of third-party providers is that drivers can typically choose between four or five levels of coverage. Each level comes at a different price point, so you’ll have a better chance of finding the ideal plan for your budget.
One of the downsides to Mopar’s Ram extended warranty is that you can only go to FCA dealerships for repairs. There are about 2,500 of these dealerships across the U.S., but if you live in an area without a dealer around for miles, it can make a vehicle breakdown that much more of a headache.
On the other hand, third-party companies generally allow drivers to go to any of over 30,000 licensed repair facilities. This means you can stick with your favorite mechanic down the block and easily find a shop while traveling.
Here’s an overview of how a Ram extended warranty from Mopar stacks up against coverage from one of our top recommended third-party providers, CARCHEX. You can read more about the provider in our complete CARCHEX review.
| Ram Extended Warranty | CARCHEX Extended Warranty | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage Start Date | When factory warranty expires | Anytime |
| Longest Term | 150,000 miles | 250,000 miles |
| Levels of Coverage | 2 | 6 |
| Deductible | $0, $100 or $200 | $0, $50, $100 or $200 |
| Repair Facilities | Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo dealerships | U.S. or Canadian repair facilities certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®) |
| Extra Benefits | Roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, trip interruption coverage, key fob replacement | Roadside assistance, towing, rental car reimbursement, trip interruption coverage |
| How to Purchase | Purchase from dealerships | GET QUOTE |
Frequently Asked Questions: Ram Extended Warranty
Does Ram offer a lifetime warranty?
No, Ram does not currently offer a lifetime warranty. Mopar used to offer a lifetime protection plan, but that was discontinued at the end of 2018.
Why did Ram split from Dodge?
Ram used to be part of a brand called Dodge Ram. Ram split from Dodge to become its own line of trucks. Today, the Ram manufacturing facilities are focused only on trucks, and the Dodge brand focuses on cars and minivans.
Is the Dodge extended warranty worth it?
Like the Ram extended warranty, a Dodge warranty can be worth it if you want peace of mind that expensive vehicle breakdowns will be covered. However, it’s important to shop around and get quotes from multiple providers to ensure you’re making the right decision.
What does Dodge extended warranty cover?
There are two main choices for the Dodge extended warranty: an exclusionary Maximum Care plan, which covers over 5,000 parts, or the Added Care Plus plan, which covers the powertrain and a few more vehicle systems.
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.
