We’ve rated Endurance Warranty Services as the Most Reputable Extended Car Warranty company in 2021 because of its excellent coverage and service.
In this article, we’ll highlight the best car warranty companies that stand out for their reputations, customer service, affordability and overall quality. Our team thoroughly researched and ranked the most reputable extended car warranty companies to help bring you this review.
To make the most informed decision about which of these car warranty companies best fits your needs, we recommend getting quotes from at least three providers so you can compare their pricing and coverage side by side.
Best Car Warranty Companies
Reputable car warranty companies help protect your car over time and provide impeccable customer service and a smooth claims process during the stressful experience of an unexpected mechanical breakdown.
Being the best car warranty company is different than simply offering one or more of the best extended car warranty plans. Making the list of best car warranty companies requires meeting the standard of a more all-around rating system of auto warranty services, including coverage plans, prices, customer service, and ease of use during the claims process (via an app or website self-service).
Top 5 Car Warranty Companies
To select the five most reputable extended car warranty companies, we reviewed every leading provider in the warranty industry in the areas of coverage, cost, transparency, customer experience and, of course, reputation. Endurance, CARCHEX, CarShield, Protect My Car topped our list:
| Car Warranty Company | Superlative | Overall Rating | Coverage | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Endurance | Best Provider | 9.6 / 10.0 | 10.0 | 9.0 |
| #2 CARCHEX | Best for High-Mileage Cars | 9.4 / 10.0 | 9.5 | 9.0 |
| #3 CarShield | Most Affordable | 9.0 / 10.0 | 9.5 | 10 |
| #4 Protect My Car | Best Long-Term Financing | 8.7 / 10.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 |
| #5 Autopom! | Runner Up | 8.5 / 10 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
The Best Extended Car Warranty Companies
Below is our list of the best extended car warranty companies with thorough descriptions of each provider’s coverage, costs, and overall strengths:
#1: Endurance: Best Provider
Endurance is the most Reputable Extended Car Warranty Company.
Overall, Endurance is a great fit for drivers who want an easy and fast claims experience.Endurance is a direct provider, meaning you wont have to go through a middleman when you file a claim. Because you will deal with Endurance directly, the filing process will be simpler and faster, resulting in better customer service overall. With Endurance, you can file claims either by phone or through an online portal. Additionally, service is available through an online concierge with the Endurance app.
Endurance offers six coverage levels that range from powertrain to bumper to bumper levels with periods available for up to 8 years and 200,000 miles. Below are basic descriptions of each plan:
- Select Premier: Designed with high-mileage vehicles in mind, offering coverage for powertrain, air conditioning and electrical parts
- Secure: Basic powertrain coverage for the engine, transmission and water pump
- Secure Plus: Covers powertrain components as well as some electrical systems
- Superior: Covers hundreds of stated components
- Supreme: Bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage with only a a few exclusions for total peace of mind
- EnduranceAdvantage™: Covers mechanical breakdowns as well as maintenance, which is uncommon for an extended car warranty.
All Endurance car warranties come with roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and trip interruption coverage. Each service plan comes with one year of Endurance Elite Benefits, which includes:
- Key fob replacement
- Tire repair/replacement
- Total loss protection
- Collision discount
Endurance warranties cost between $85 and $125 per month, which is affordable by industry standards. Your specific price for coverage will depend on factors like your plan, the deductible, and your vehicle. Exclusions for Endurance plans, which are common in the industry, include things like lack of maintenance, environmental damage, and wear and tear (unless covered under the Endurance Advantage Plan.
In 2020, Endurance was listed as one of the countries fastest growing companies in the Inc. 5000. The provider also has several prominent industry partners and has been sponsored by the Andretti racing team.
The company has a 3.4 star rating and C grade on the BBB, the latter score of which came as a result of using promotional mailers in Chicago that confused customers. A downside to Endurance is that the company is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has a C rating. However, the company’s awards, years in business and partnerships speak to its excellent reputation as an extended car warranty provider.
You can get more details about the direct provider by reading our Endurance review.
#2: CARCHEX: Best Car Warranty Company for High-Mileage Cars
We’ve rated CARCHEX as one of the most reputable extended warranty companies in the business.
CARCHEX is known for its low prices and haggle free quote processes. Any time you call CARCHEX, you can be sure that you’ll get concise and accurate explanations on coverage terms and prices without the level of annoying sales-pressure you may experience from other providers. While the various contracts can offered by CARCHEX can be confusing, a representative from the company can help answer any questions you may have about them. Also, if you decide to cancel, CARCHEX has a 30-day money back guarantee.
CARCHEX extended warranties cost between $100 and $220 per month with total costs ranging from $2500 and $3200. Your specific price will depend on your plan and vehicle make, model, age, and mileage.
CARChEX is a great fit for those who have their own preference for a mechanic, as they have a network of providers that spans nationwide. Also, car owners don’t have to go through long claims processes. Instead, the repair facility files the claim directly with the provider., This can save you lots of time and stress.
Here’s an overview of the coverage options CARCHEX offers:
- Titanium: Exclusionary bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage much like the factory warranty
- Platinum: Stated-component coverage for hundreds of parts and systems
- Gold: Protection for all major systems and best suited for high-mileage vehicles
- Silver: Covers essential systems
- Bronze: Protects drivetrain components such as the engine and transmission
Here’s what’s included in each CARCHEX plan:
- 24/7 roadside assistance
- Towing
- Rental car reimbursement
- Gas delivery
- Trip interruption service
Founded in 1999, CARCHEX has an A+ rating from the BBB and is accredited with the platform. This shows its ability to handle and respond to customer complaints in a timely manner. CARCHEX has several trusted endorsements from brands like Repair Pal, Edmunds.com, CARFAX, and Kelly Blue Book.
Along with high customer ratings and industry partnerships, CARCHEX has won several awards including a 5-star rating from TopConsumerReviews.org, Thoroughly Review’s 2017 Top Pick, and 4 consecutive Best Choice Awards on BestReviewHub.org. See our CARCHEX review to learn more about our second overall pick.
#3: CarShield: Most Affordable Car Warranty Company
CarShield has covered over one million vehicles since it was established in 2005. CarShield offers coverage for specific vehicles and high-tech equipment.
CarShield is able to offer several plan options because it is a vehicle service contract broker, meaning that CarShield’s offers are carried out by another administrator. Because of this, CarShield plans are not defined by one administrator, and the company is able to offer six more tailored levels of coverage, including:
- New Car Diamond: Exclusionary bumper-to-bumper coverage
- Platinum: Protects the engine, transmission, air conditioning, electrical system and more
- Gold: Middle-tier coverage for essential components and some accessory parts
- Silver: Affordable, no-frills powertrain coverage
- Aluminum: Covers electronic and computer-related issues
- Motorcycle and ATV: Protects motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles
CarShield was named Most Affordable by our research team for its low-cost coverage plans that include great perks, such as roadside assistance and your choice of repair shop. Possible downfalls to CarShield include mixed customer reviews and some nontransferable contracts.
CarShield’s BBB rating may be lower than competitors, but customers are overall pleased with the company’s professionalism and how it handles its claims process.You can read our full CarShield review before signing on with the provider.
#4: Protect My Car: Best Car Warranty Company Long-Term Financing
Founded in 2005 in St. Petersburg, Florida, Protect My Car is popular and reputable provider.
Protect My Car has payment terms that are long and flexible, ranging from 36-60 months. Payment terms for Protect My Car are significantly longer than much of the competition. Additionally, Protect My Car comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.
Here’s what Protect My Car extended car warranties cover:
- Supreme: Offers bumper-to-bumper coverage for most mechanical and electrical parts, including the turbocharger and high-tech equipment
- Select: Best suited for cars over 50,000 miles and covers essential components such as the steering, front and rear suspension and brakes
- Driveline: Protects the engine, transmission, drive axle and fuel system
While vehicles over 13 years old cant benefit from an extended warranty offered by protect my car, the company does offer Protect My Car Ambassador maintenance plans that cover routine maintenance services like brake pad changes. These plans combine an extended warranty with prepaid maintenance and can cover most car repair costs with the three plans offered (Ambassador Platinum, Ambassador Elite and Ambassador Pro).
Ambassador maintenance plans provide guaranteed discounts that cover between 25 and 50 percent of repairs, rental reimbursement, 24/7 roadside assistance, and more. Ambassador plans don’t provide the same level of coverage as extended car warranties.
Our research team recognized Protect My Car to have the Best Long-Term Financing for its discounts and flexible monthly payment plans. However, Protect My Car does not offer a basic powertrain warranty and is not available in all states.
There are hundreds of positive reviews for Protect My Car customer reviews on the BBB.Protect My Car has an A+ rating from the BBB and a 4.5-star customer review rating from the organization, as well as a 4.5-star rating on Trustpilot.Complaints have shown a pattern of the provider not providing the services that it contracted for. For this reason, you should read the terms of the contract before signing. Learn more about the provider in our Protect My Car review.
#5: autopom!: Runner Up
Autopom! is an extended warranty broker that offers three coverage levels for most new and used vehicles, with the exception of luxury vehicles. Autopom! plans are administered by reputable providers like Enterprise financial group, Mercury Select Management, and Royal Administration.
The three coverage tiers offered by Autopom include:
- High Level: There are 5 plans in this coverage tier, all of which provide a high level of stated component coverage.
- Mid-Level: There are three plans in the Autopom! Mid Tier that cover all of the powertrain plus components plus braking and steering systems.
- Powertrain Plus: The Powertrain Plus plan has 5 tiers that cover the most essential parts to make a vehicle run.
Autopom! is an extremely reputable provider that has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and extremely impressive rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Best Auto Warranty Companies: What To Look For
When comparing extended car warranty companies in order to decide on which provider to choose, below are some important factors to take into consideration:
- The Most Value: The best extended warranty companies offer the best value, meaning you get the best coverage at the fairest price.
- Excellent Customer Service: Reputable extended warranty companies provide timely, respectful, and personable customer service, with customer service reps who are available when needed. In addition to strong customer service, reputable extended warranty companies provide a great overall customer experience from end to end, which includes the sales process, the ability to make payments online, the ease of the claims process, and overall flexibility.
- Positive Reviews From Real People: Platforms like the BBB, Trustpilot, Yelp, and Google provide transparent company reviews with scoring systems. Also, many users who are members of online communities like Reddit or specific auto forums trust reviews from members of their community. Positive reviews are an effective indicator of the customer service provided by service contract providers. Look for companies that are accredited with the Better Business Bureau, especially ones with an A+ rating. Strong Better Business Bureau grades indicate effective communication, and timely problem solving when faced with difficult customer issues.
- Transparency: Is the extended warranty company open and honest about what plans they offer and their exclusionary policies? A good indicator of whether or not a provider is transparent is whether or not you can find a sample contract on the provider’s website or via email. Along with readily available pricing and sample service contracts, reputable extended warranty companies have simple marketing that allows potential customers to easily understand what’s included in their offering of products. Also, providers that require an in-person visit are phone call for a quote are generally less transparent than those who provide quotes upfront through the internet.
- Company History: In most cases, the most reputable extended warranty companies have a long history of providing quality service to their customers. While there are surely some quality young providers, the industry overall is a competitive environment with high turnover for companies with untrustworthy business practices or too many negative reviews.
- Sound Financials: Some extended warranty companies hire underwriters to ensure that the company is able to make claims reimbursements payments when customers need them. Ratings of these underwriters by companies like AM best are a good way to check trustworthiness and financial soundness of extended warranty providers.
- A Strong Industry Reputation: More specifically for the auto industry, strong ratings and endorsements from automotive experts and companies like CARFAX, Kelly Blue Book, and Edmunds show that an extended warranty company is well-respected within the industry. Partnerships with well-known auto brands and celebrities are also an indicator of trustworthiness.
Worst Extended Auto Warranty Companies: What To Avoid
Not being able to trust your extended warranty company nullifies the peace of mind that is the reason many people purchase extended warranties in the first place. Much of the concern comes from the nature of the business model; as the company loses money whenever they cover a repair.
In this, compromising position, the worst extended warranty companies don’t give claims up front or provide example contracts, using using legal loop holes and extensive fine print to dupe their customers. All the while, the same companies use high pressure sales tactics and make promises they cannot keep. Such untrustworthy providers go to great lengths to make the claims process difficult, with the aim of preventing paying reimbursements, so that it is very hard for you to get the coverage you paid for.
Car Warranty Companies
Because warranty prices are heavily affected by your vehicle’s make, model, mileage, what’s best for your neighbor may not be best for you. We recommend reviewing sample contracts online and getting quotes from the industry’s most reputable extended car warranty companies so you can compare your options and better understand what the warranties cover.
Types Of Car Warranty Companies
There are two types of aftermarket extended car warranty companies: extended warranty brokers and direct providers. There are pros and cons to each type of provider:
- Extended Warranty Brokers: Brokers are essentially a third party that sells extended warranties on behalf of another company that administers the claims. Brokers can be beneficial because they sometimes offer more flexible plans at a lower price (CarShield) or work with several reputable providers who compete over your business and thus provide better service (CARCHEX). On the other hand, because brokers don’t administer claims directly, the claims process can be more frustrating and the customer service can be less consistent.
- Direct Providers: Direct extended warranty providers administer the plans they sell, meaning there are no middlemen. Because of this, the customer service and claims processing are usually more consistent and streamlined, meaning you are more likely to actually get the coverage you paid for.
Extended Car Warranty Companies List
Below is the complete list the 39 car warranty companies we reviewed, including the best extended car warranty companies with ratings and rankings for the top 10. The rest of the providers in our list of extended car warranty companies are in alphabetic order. For each of the providers, there is a link to our complete review for the respective company.
Top 10 Extended Warranty Companies
Here’s how 10 of the most popular companies stack up to one another:
- Endurance: 9.6 / 10.0
- CARCHEX: 9.4 / 10.0
- CarShield: 9.0 / 10.0
- Protect My Car: 8.7 / 10.0
- autopom!: 8.5 / 10.0
- Concord Auto Protect: 8.3 / 10.0
- Carvana Extended Warranty: 7.9 / 10.0
- Infinite Auto Protection: 7.4 / 10.0
- USAA Extended Warranty: 7.4 / 10.0
- Zurich Insurance Group: 6.7 / 10.0
Other Companies That Offer Extended Car Warranties We Reviewed
The rest of our complete list of the extended warranty companies we reviewed includes:
- AAA Extended Warranty
- Ally Extended Warranty
- ASC Warranty
- Assurant Extended Warranty
- Autozone Warranty
- Carmax Warranty
- Cars Warranty
- Carsure Warranty
- Century Warranty Services
- Continental Warranty
- Delta Auto Protect
- Easycare Warranty
- Elite Warranty
- Fidelity Car Warranty
- First Extended Warranty
- Mastertech Warranty Review
- Members Choice Extended Warranty
- MPP Warranty
- National Auto Care Warranty
- National Warranty Services
- NVP Warranty
- Fidelity Car Warranty
- Platinum Auto Warranty
- Route 66 Extended Warranty
- Smart Autocare Warranty
- The Warranty Group Reviews
- Vehicle One Warranty
- Warranty Direct
- Warranty Solutions
Best Vehicle Extended Warranty Companies And Cost
Our research team obtained quotes from several major independent warranty companies and found that comprehensive protection plan from a reputable extended car warranty company costs around $2,500 on average. That said, extended car warranty costs vary due to factors like:
- The make, model and mileage of the vehicle
- The level of coverage
- The deductible amount
- Your location (coverage may not be available in all states)
Do I Need an Extended Car Warranty?
After your manufacturer’s warranty expires, any auto repairs that your vehicle needs will no longer be covered. This means you could end up paying hundreds of dollars out of pocket in repair bills if your car breaks down. This is especially the case if you need a used car warranty.
Extended warranty providers offer comprehensive coverage options, so you can avoid footing a huge bill. Most third-party providers will give you the option of paying the entire extended warranty cost upfront or through monthly payments. You will also have your choice of repair facilities.
One other thing to consider when deciding if an extended warranty is right for you is how long you plan to keep your car. Most warranty plans are transferable, which means one could help increase the resale value of your car.
How to Cancel an Extended Warranty on a Car
It is common for auto warranty companies to offer 30-day money-back guarantees where customers can receive a full refund. If a customer decides to cancel coverage outside of the first few days of coverage, most providers will send them a prorated refund.
Read the fine print of your contract to see how cancellations work.
Best Car Warranty Company: Conclusion
While Endurance is the best car warranty company, CARCHEX, CarShield, Protect My Car, and autopom! are also reputable extended car warranty companies. This article reviewed the cost, coverage, plans, and claims process of these companies and included an informative section that included all of the characteristics of the best car warranty providers. Additionally, we’ve provided a list of all of the car warranty companies that we’ve reviewed.
Best Auto Warranty Company: FAQ
What is the best extended car warranty company?
Our research team found that Endurance is the best extended car warranty company competing the market. Along with Endurance, each brand that made our list could be a good fit for you depending on your needs, as each has several levels of coverage, good customer reviews and competitive pricing. We recommend getting a quote from at least three extended car warranty companies before making a decision.
Can you buy an extended warranty after purchase?
You can purchase an extended car warranty for your new or used car before your factory warranty expires. Most limited warranties expire after three years or 36,000 miles.
Where can I purchase an extended car warranty?
You can purchase an extended car warranty for a new or used vehicle through a dealership or third-party warranty provider.
What does an extended car warranty exclude?
Most auto protection plans exclude regular maintenance such as oil changes, tire rotations and replacement of windshield wiper blades. Plans may also not cover electrical components unless clearly stated. Make sure to check the list of covered repairs before signing up for an extended warranty.
What is a good price for an extended car warranty?
Our team recently polled 1,000 consumers, with 45% stating that they paid between $1,500 and $2,500 for extended warranty coverage. You may be able to get a discount for paying upfront, rather than in monthly installments. Note that most extended car warranty plans come with a deductible, typically $0, $50 or $100.
Reputable Car Warranty Companies: 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.
