Buying a car isn’t a one-time purchase – you’ll keep paying for repairs, car insurance, gas and maintenance. RED Auto Protection promises to take on some of the repair costs with an extended car warranty and free up your budget for other things. But is it a good company?
There are dozens of extended warranty companies to choose from. The wrong one could push your bank account into the red by not covering any repairs. We’ve researched a number of the best extended car warranty companies so you can avoid that situation. Check out our recommended providers and get quotes from a few of them to find the best option.
RED Auto Protection Overview
Below is how we rate this provider in each of our categories:
| Overall Rating | 7.0 / 10.0 |
|---|---|
| Industry Reputation | 7.0 |
| Coverage | 9.0 |
| Warranty Cost | See dealership |
| Transparency | 8.0 |
| Overall Experience | 4.0 |
RED Auto Protection Extended Warranty Coverage
As far as coverage goes, RED Auto Protection gives you plenty of choices. There are three main plan types: Platinum, Gold and Powertrain. You also get three different choices within each of these. So, there are really nine options overall, and that also means nine different price points.
Now, all of these plans might not be available to you depending on your vehicle. RED Auto Protection covers cars up to 200,000 miles, but the Platinum and Gold plans have different mileage requirements. And if you have a fairly new car, you might not get a quote for a Powertrain plan, which covers the smallest number of parts.
Each plan also requires a deductible. The average deductible is $100, but it can range from $0 to $200.
Platinum Coverage Options
RED Auto Protection Platinum plans are available to vehicles with fewer than 75,000 miles. There are three variations of the Platinum plan. The first option provides exclusionary coverage for the life of the contract. Exclusionary coverage is the highest level, since it only lists items that aren’t covered.
The second two options also provide exclusionary coverage, but that coverage expires and the plan reverts to a stated-component contract after a certain number of miles. In the chart below, the columns under Platinum Plus and Deluxe show the parts included after the change in coverage.
Here’s a comparison between the three Platinum plans:
| Platinum Exclusionary | Platinum Plus | Platinum Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change in coverage | None | Exclusionary until 100,000 miles | Exclusionary until 125,000 miles |
| Engine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Turbo/supercharger | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transmission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drive axle | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transfer case | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electrical | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Air conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Brakes | ✓ | ||
| Steering | ✓ | ||
| Front and rear suspension | ✓ | ||
| Fuel system | ✓ | ||
| Cooling system | ✓ | ||
| Seals and gaskets | In conjunction with covered repair | In conjunction with covered repair | In conjunction with covered repair |
As you can see, exclusionary coverage on the Platinum Plus plan expires before exclusionary coverage on the Platinum Deluxe plan. However, Platinum Plus goes on to cover more parts for the rest of the contract than Platinum Deluxe.
Before the change in coverage, all three plans cover the exact same items. While your car’s factory warranty is also exclusionary coverage, RED Auto Protection exclusionary coverage probably won’t match up exactly.
Here are a few excluded items under the Platinum contract:
- Damage from misuse, lack of maintenance or environmental acts
- Cosmetic parts
- Unauthorized repairs
- Modified parts
- Wear and tear
- Scheduled maintenance
- Maintenance items like filters and wiper blades
- All exhaust systems
- Emissions components
- Shock absorbers
- Carburetor
- Brake rotors and drums
Gold Coverage Options
RED Auto Protection also offers three different Gold plans, which are available to cars with fewer than 90,000 miles. Similarly to Platinum plans, coverage changes after a certain number of miles for Gold Plus and Gold Deluxe. This time, all the plans use stated-component contracts, which list out every covered item.
All three plans cover the same list of parts in the beginning, while Gold Plus changes coverage at 100,000 miles and Gold Deluxe changes at 120,000 miles. Here’s a comparison:
| Gold Comprehensive | Gold Plus | Gold Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change in coverage | None | Comprehensive until 100,000 miles | Comprehensive until 120,000 miles |
| Engine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Turbo/supercharger | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transmission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drive axle | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transfer case | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electrical | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Air conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Brakes | ✓ | ||
| Steering | ✓ | ||
| Front and rear suspension | ✓ | ||
| Fuel system | ✓ | ||
| Cooling system | ✓ | ||
| Seals and gaskets | In conjunction with covered repair | In conjunction with covered repair | In conjunction with covered repair |
Gold plans look very similar to Platinum plans, but Platinum plans are exclusionary at the beginning (or entire contract), so they cover many more parts than Gold. However, when exclusionary coverage expires on Platinum Plus and Deluxe, they basically turn into the second portions of Gold Plus and Deluxe plans.
Powertrain Coverage Options
Unlike the other two types of plans, RED Auto Protection Powertrain plans don’t change after a certain mileage. Coverage items differ from one another for the entire contract.
Powertrain plans are available on vehicles with less than 120,000 miles. They cover basic parts that can be expensive to repair. Here’s a comparison between the three plans:
| Powertrain Enhanced | Powertrain Plus | Powertrain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Turbo/supercharger | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transmission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drive axle | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transfer case | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electrical | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Air conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Enhanced electrical | ✓ | ||
| Cooling system | ✓ | ||
| Fuel system | ✓ | ||
| Seals and gaskets | In conjunction with covered repair | In conjunction with covered repair | In conjunction with covered repair |
RED Auto Protection Perks
Whether you go with the Powertrain or Platinum RED Auto Protection warranty, you have access to the following benefits for the duration of the contract:
- Roadside assistance: The Nation Safe Drivers motor club covers jump-starts, fuel delivery, lockout assistance, towing up to 25 miles and spare tire installation. You can also get reimbursed for $50 per service if you use another roadside assistance company.
- Trip interruption: RED Auto Protection will reimburse you up to $75 for three days if your car breaks down over 100 miles from home.
- Rental coverage: In the case of a covered repair, RED Auto protection will reimburse you up to $35 per day for five days for rental car expenses.
Cost of RED Auto Protection
Like all extended warranty companies, RED Auto Protection tailors prices to the make and model of your car, how many miles it has and how much coverage you want. You’ll have to get a quote from RED Auto Protection or a selling dealer to know exactly what you’d pay.
However, a number of the company’s reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) mention prices. Customers said they paid between $150 and $200 per month for coverage, and entire warranties cost between $2,500 and $5,000. Keep in mind, these are only a few examples, and you might find a plan with a lower price.
How to File a Claim
If you experience a breakdown, call a tow truck right away. Driving your car further could cause damage, and RED Auto Protection could deny your claim. You can go to any shop or mechanic certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
When you get to the shop, give the mechanic the claims number for RED Auto Protection. The warranty company will have to authorize the repair before the shop can do any work. Also, you might have to authorize a diagnosis for the mechanic to figure out what is going on. If it turns out that the repair isn’t coverage under your contract, you’ll have to pay for this diagnosis.
After the covered repair has been completed, you’ll pay your deductible to the repair shop. RED Auto Protection will also pay the repair shop directly for the rest of the work.
If the claims department is closed when you have a breakdown, you can authorize a repair up to $500 only if your car would be damaged by driving it further.
Cancellation and Transfers
You can cancel any protection plan within 30 days for a full refund. RED Auto Protection contracts also require a standard period of 30 days and 1,000 miles, so you won’t be able to use the plan during this time anyway.
If you cancel after 30 days, you’ll get a prorated refund based on mileage and claims paid. You’ll also have to pay a $75 cancellation fee. To cancel a contract, contact the dealer or seller that sold you the plan.
You can transfer a vehicle service contract to a secondary buyer with a $50 fee. Interestingly, if you sell your car to a dealership, the dealer can hold the suspended contract until another person buys the vehicle.
RED Auto Protection Extended Warranty Reviews
RED Auto Protection’s website points out that it has an A+ rating from the BBB. It’s true, and it is also accredited by the organization. At the same time, the company has a three-star rating from 121 customers on the BBB, and a one-star rating from a solitary Google review.
Many of the negative reviews mention service representatives giving customers a hard time when they try to get a repair covered. Others say it’s hard to secure a cancellation and refund from the company.
On the other hand, many positive reviews talk about great customer service and claims experiences.
Positive Reviews
“I’ve always been skeptical about extended warranties on my vehicles. I started having a problem with the vehicle, and they did an awesome job walking me through the process and sticking with me until it was fixed.”
– Scott J., BBB
“They have been an excellent company to deal with for my extended warranty. I have used them twice, and both times it was a smooth, hassle-free experience. I will definitely use them again.”
– John R., BBB
Negative Reviews
“If you want to modify your policy or cancel your policy – you’d better forget about it. You simply can’t get in touch with anyone over the phone.”
– Paula P., BBB
“This so-called protection is crap. They don’t cover anything. This is the second time I’ve tried to use it in three years. All you get is, ‘Well, this part isn’t covered.”
– Tony C., BBB
Conclusion: Is RED Auto Protection Worth It?
RED Auto Protection offers plenty of coverage options and some good perks. However, some of the negative reviews are concerning. In our option, RED Auto Protection is a fairly average provider. You can probably do better with a more reputable extended car warranty company.
Other companies like Endurance and CARCHEX offer good coverage options, plus you can read reviews from thousands of other customers. If you’re considering an extended warranty, we’d recommend comparing multiple quotes from at least three of the best extended car warranty providers.
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.
