An prolonged automobile guarantee — extra precisely known as a car service contract (VSC) — will help cowl restore prices after your unique producer’s guarantee expires, however selecting one could be difficult.
NerdWallet’s editorial workforce in contrast quotes, learn pattern contracts and listened to gross sales pitches so you do not have to. We’ve evaluated main suppliers primarily based on components like protection choices, price, buyer expertise and transparency. Listed here are our high picks, plus a information to prolonged automobile guarantee protection sorts and prices.
Endurance
What we like about Endurance
Though we used Endurance’s exclusionary plan (covers all parts besides these listed as exclusions) for comparability, the corporate stands out for its vary of protection choices which are clearly defined in a preview contract. The Endurance web site permits you to simply get quotes, see pattern agreements and pay to begin a plan on-line. Endurance is a direct supplier and administrator that handles the vast majority of its personal claims in-house.
What we do not like about Endurance
Endurance’s per-mile and per-month price (primarily based on a mean of 1,200 miles pushed month-to-month) was larger than some suppliers (though it wasn’t the very best). Additionally, Endurance doesn’t cowl harm to a non-covered half by a coated half, whereas another suppliers do.
Extra particulars about Endurance
Ready interval for protection: 30 days or 1,000 miles.
Deductible: $100 per restore.
Combination restrict: No set combination greenback restrict for exclusionary. All repairs and advantages cannot exceed the typical situation trade-in worth per J.D. Energy on the time of the car restore.
BBB standing: Accredited with an A score.
Plan choices:
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Supreme – exclusionary or bumper-to-bumper.
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Superior – acknowledged parts.
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Safe – fundamental powertrain with lowest funds.
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Safe Plus – powertrain with further parts.
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Choose Premier – high-mileage automobiles.
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Benefit – exclusionary, together with as much as $3,500 in annual upkeep.
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Supreme for Highline Automobiles – particular luxurious automobiles.
Some plans could be personalized to incorporate restricted protection for hybrids and Tesla EVs.
Included advantages:
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First 12 months of Elite Advantages is free with a $29 activation payment. Consists of tire protection and windshield restore from highway hazards; key fob substitute; as much as $500 collision low cost.
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24-hour roadside help.
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Rental automobile and journey interruption protection.
Greatest consumer-friendly phrases
Olive’s on-line quote performance lets you choose larger deductibles for a decrease price and allows you to buy on-line. It was the one prolonged automobile guarantee firm we reviewed with no ready interval for protection to start. Its phrases and situations doc spells out particulars others don’t, akin to the precise nationwide guides used to set labor price limits. Olive was additionally the one firm that didn’t attempt to promote us overlapping protection on a brand new automobile nonetheless below the producer’s guarantee, as an alternative telling us to verify again about six months earlier than the manufacturing facility guarantee ends.
What we do not like about Olive
For an emergency, unauthorized restore, Olive requires you to report the restore to them the following enterprise day, whereas different corporations permit 5 enterprise days. Additionally, Olive’s per-mile and per-month price for a luxurious car was the very best, nevertheless it was among the many least expensive for non-luxury manufacturers. And, Olive has solely three totally different plans.
Extra particulars about Olive
Ready interval for protection: None.
Deductible: $100, $250 or $500.
Combination restrict: The whole of all claims paid can’t exceed the car’s retail worth per NADA on the time of the present declare. Upon reaching this restrict, no additional claims are paid.
BBB standing: Accredited with an A+ score.
Plan choices:
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Full Care – exclusionary or bumper-to-bumper.
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Powertrain Plus – powertrain with further parts.
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Powertrain – fundamental powertrain protecting the costliest elements.
Included advantages:
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Rental automobile protection.
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Towing reimbursement.
Greatest for low price per mile (new automobile)
Carshield
What we like about Carshield
In comparison with different suppliers, Carshield’s month-to-month plan for a more moderen automobile is without doubt one of the least expensive per mile (primarily based on a mean of 1,200 miles pushed month-to-month). The pattern contract (from American Auto Defend) states that any teardown required to diagnose an issue can be coated, which isn’t the case for all prolonged automobile guarantee corporations. Additionally, for extras like roadside help and rental automobile reimbursement, Carshield’s per-repair caps are extra beneficiant.
What we do not like about Carshield
Carshield doesn’t supply on-line quotes, so you need to name to get one. Additionally, some price components may negate the financial savings of a decrease month-to-month premium. For instance, the per-repair deductibles quoted to us began at $250. And, emergency repairs with out preauthorization are restricted to $500 per breakdown. Lastly, in all instances, Carshield promoted the month-to-month plan, that means the fee may enhance over time.
Our ultimate Carshield star score was lowered resulting from a 2024 Federal Commerce Fee cost of misleading and deceptive promoting and telemarketing practices, alleging that many repairs weren’t coated as promised; Carshield settled the case for $10 million.
Extra particulars about Carshield
Ready interval for protection: 30 days and 1,000 miles or 90 days and 200 miles, whichever mixture is met first.
Deductible: $250 apart from engine substitute and transmission substitute or rebuild, which is a $500 deductible. For a luxurious sedan, we have been quoted a straight $500 deductible.
Combination restrict: Can’t exceed the typical retail worth of the car as decided by a nationally acknowledged information or $15,000, whichever is bigger (per month-to-month time period).
BBB standing: Accredited since 2024 with an A+ score.
Plan choices:
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Diamond – exclusionary or bumper-to-bumper.
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Platinum – acknowledged parts.
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Gold Choose – powertrain with further parts.
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Silver – fundamental powertrain.
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Aluminum – specialty protection for electrical and computer-related issues.
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Electrical Automobile – for totally electrical automobiles.
Included advantages:
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24-hour roadside help (towing, tires, lockout, battery, gasoline).
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Rental automobile protection.
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Journey interruption.
Greatest for twenty-four/7 declare submitting
Premier Auto Shield
on Premier Auto Shield’s web site
What we like about Premier Auto Shield
Regardless that Premier Auto Shield doesn’t present quotes 100% on-line, a consultant was responsive by way of electronic mail and shortly despatched us quotes and a pattern settlement. We additionally like that Premier presents 24/7 claims submission. General, Premier doesn’t actually stand out from rivals, however its choices are pretty typical, and it might be price a glance if accessible protection suits your wants.
What we do not like about Premier Auto Shield
We discovered Premier’s plan names to be complicated. Plans listed on the Premier web site don’t match plan names within the pattern contract. Additionally, the pattern settlement isn’t particular in itemizing sources used to find out protection maximums, akin to car worth and labor allowances. It solely states that the administrator reserves the proper to find out the sources used.
Extra particulars about Premier Auto Shield
Ready interval for protection: 30 days or 1,000 miles.
Deductible: $100 per restore.
Combination restrict: The settlement doesn’t give an higher restrict. It does state that the contract’s legal responsibility restrict per declare can be no decrease than the car’s precise money worth or price of restore primarily based on a nationwide labor and elements guide.
BBB standing: Accredited with a B score.
Plan choices (per web site):
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Exclusionary – bumper-to-bumper.
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EV Exclusionary – contains sure named EV parts.
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Premium – important elements like engine and transmission, plus further parts like high-tech electronics and hybrid techniques.
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Important – fundamental techniques and elements.
Web site additionally lists Premier Restore Help, Powertrain and Premier Powertrain Enhanced as “nationwide protection.”
Included advantages:
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24-hour roadside help (towing, tires, lockout, battery, gasoline).
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Rental automobile protection.
Greatest for low month-to-month price (new automobile)
What we like about CARCHEX
For a more moderen automobile, the quotes we acquired from CARCHEX (primarily based on per-mile and per-month price) have been on the low finish in comparison with different suppliers. The protection provided to us included a luxurious electronics package deal, which is spelled out within the pattern settlement as both one substitute or one restore of entrance/rearview cameras and sensors, voice activation techniques and comparable gadgets. We additionally like the supply of pattern contracts on the CARCHEX web site for all 5 plan choices.
What we do not like about CARCHEX
CARCHEX doesn’t supply on-line quotes, so you need to name to get one. That may be time-consuming once you merely wish to evaluate quotes. As a dealer, CARCHEX sells car service contracts offered by third-party directors, so it doesn’t deal with its personal claims. The quote we got was for month-to-month protection from American Auto Defend — the identical as Carshield offered us. Unsurprisingly, the CARCHEX and Carshield protection is almost an identical, however the CARCHEX quotes we acquired have been barely larger than Carshield.
Extra particulars about CARCHEX
Ready interval for protection: 30 days and 1,000 miles or 90 days and 200 miles, whichever mixture is met first.
Deductible: $250 apart from engine substitute and transmission substitute or rebuild which is a $500 deductible. For a luxurious sedan, we have been quoted a straight $500 deductible.
Combination restrict: Can’t exceed the typical retail worth of the car as decided by a nationally acknowledged information or $15,000, whichever is bigger (per month-to-month time period).
BBB standing: CARCHEX advertises a BBB A+ score, however the BBB web site calls out “inaccurate promoting of BBB affiliation.” We contacted CARCHEX for clarification and acquired no response. Our ultimate CARCHEX star score displays this discrepancy.
Plan choices:
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Titanium – exclusionary or bumper-to-bumper.
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Platinum – acknowledged parts.
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Powertrain Plus – powertrain with further parts.
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Powertrain – fundamental powertrain.
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Further Care Protection – essential gadgets exterior of the powertrain, akin to {the electrical} system, steering, suspensions and braking system.
Included advantages:
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24-hour roadside help (towing, tires, lockout, battery, gasoline).
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Rental automobile protection.
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Journey interruption.
Different prolonged auto guarantee corporations we thought-about
These corporations both scored under three out of 5 stars general in our score system or had pink flags to pay attention to.
We needed to like this firm and have been set to provide it a excessive score, however some digging revealed that Toco filed for Chapter 11 chapter safety in September 2025. It’s nonetheless working whereas reorganizing funds below court docket supervision. We actually preferred Toco’s straightforward, on-line quoting course of and easy method to protection — one core plan breaks into 4 mileage ranges (orange, yellow, blue and inexperienced). What’s coated depends upon the place your automobile’s mileage falls at declare time. The upper the mileage, the extra restricted the protection. We have been additionally impressed with the Toco representatives we chatted with. Nevertheless, Toco’s per-mile price was larger than different suppliers we rated, and we sadly can’t suggest an organization with questionable monetary stability.
Our expertise when making an attempt to get a quote from Ox Automobile Care was by far the worst. We needed to name (no on-line quote), and every time we have been subjected to high-pressure gross sales techniques. In a single occasion, they emailed us a quote with the next worth than they gave us on the telephone. We emailed for clarification and acquired no response, however we’ve continued to obtain every day texts, emails and calls. In one other occasion, they would not ship a quote until we put cash down. Ox’s deductible was additionally excessive, set at 30% of the restore price or a $200 minimal in years one and two of the time period.
Choose Auto Shield doesn’t supply on-line quotes, so it’s a must to name or electronic mail. Choose additionally doesn’t permit month-to-month funds. We have been informed we needed to pay the total quantity upfront, however after we pushed again, they gave us the choice to pay in 4 month-to-month installments. Damaged down per mile and month, Choose’s quote was one of many lowest, however the pattern settlement is imprecise about protection. One in every of our largest considerations is that Choose labels its high tier as exclusionary. Nevertheless, the pattern settlement despatched to us does the alternative, and lists solely coated elements, which is known as named-component protection. This might depart gaps in protection for anybody considering they’re shopping for exclusionary protection. Choose isn’t BBB accredited and has an F score.
American Dream Auto Shield
Once you buy an prolonged automobile guarantee, it’s vital to get a pattern settlement to confirm that something you’re informed verbally is definitely spelled out on the declarations web page and the rest of the settlement. Our top-rated corporations have pattern agreements available on their web sites. American Dream Auto doesn’t, and reps wouldn’t ship us one until we dedicated to and put cash down on a plan first. American Dream isn’t BBB accredited and has a D score.
Forms of prolonged automobile guarantee protection
Prolonged automobile warranties or VSCs fluctuate in scope and price. Listed here are the primary sorts you will see that.
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Exclusionary or bumper-to-bumper: Covers practically each mechanical and electrical half besides a brief record of exclusions.
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Named element: Covers solely the precise elements listed within the contract. It’s much less complete however typically extra inexpensive.
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Powertrain: Covers the engine, transmission and drivetrain — important techniques that preserve your automobile working.
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Wrap protection: Provides safety to a powertrain guarantee, “wrapping” round it to cowl further parts.
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Specialty plans: Some third-party suppliers supply separate protection for high-tech techniques, hybrid parts or luxurious automobiles.
Continuously requested questions
What’s an prolonged automobile guarantee?
You’ll hear the phrases “prolonged automobile guarantee” and “car service contract” used interchangeably, however the extra correct title is car service contract. A VSC isn’t a real guarantee, and it doesn’t mechanically have the identical federal (and in some instances state) protections that apply to producer’s warranties.
What’s a producer’s guarantee vs. an prolonged automobile guarantee?
Producer warranties include a brand new car and canopy defects in supplies and workmanship for a set time or mileage — sometimes three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. An prolonged automobile guarantee is meant to assist offset restore prices after the producer’s guarantee ends.
Some automakers and dealerships do promote prolonged warranties backed by the producer, and others supply third-party contracts by unbiased suppliers. You may also purchase a VSC instantly from a third-party supplier your self, which is our editorial workforce’s focus for this comparability.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
In case your producer’s guarantee continues to be energetic, wait till nearer to its expiration to purchase an prolonged automobile guarantee. The manufacturing facility guarantee takes priority, so if it pays for a restore or substitute, the prolonged guarantee received’t. You’ll be paying for duplicate protection you don’t want.
How a lot does an prolonged automobile guarantee price?
Prolonged automobile guarantee prices vary from about $40 to properly over $100 month-to-month. Most suppliers allow you to pay month-to-month or in a lump sum (typically with a reduction for paying upfront). You might also need to make a down fee (often equal to a month-to-month fee) and pays a deductible all through the contract.
Pay shut consideration to the contract’s length. For instance, a plan may cowl 60 months or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Utilizing your common month-to-month mileage, estimate which restrict you’ll attain first to see how lengthy your protection will truly final and your true per-mile or per-month price.
Are prolonged automobile warranties price it?
Whether or not an prolonged automobile guarantee is smart for you depends upon your car and your capability to deal with surprising repairs. In case you drive a high-mileage or luxurious car with many high-tech options, otherwise you merely need peace of thoughts towards main restore payments, a car service contract may very well be worthwhile. However if you happen to’re more likely to spend much less on repairs than on guarantee funds, saving that cash in an emergency fund could make extra sense.
What does an prolonged automobile guarantee cowl?
Most prolonged automobile warranties cowl a car’s powertrain system — the engine, transmission, drive axles and switch unit — since these are the elements most crucial to retaining your automobile working.
Mid- and upper-tier plans often develop protection to incorporate the air-con, steering, cooling and gasoline techniques, and plenty of additionally shield key electrical parts such because the alternator and starter. Brake protection often applies to the primary parts that make the system work, however not on a regular basis put on gadgets like brake pads or rotors. Frequent exclusions embrace issues like tires, paint, upholstery, glass, filters and wiper blades.
At all times learn your contract intently for particular particulars, as protection varies by supplier and plan. Objects like high-tech electronics could solely be protected below essentially the most complete plans or as an add-on.
What’s mechanical breakdown insurance coverage?
Mechanical breakdown insurance coverage (MBI) is just like an prolonged guarantee however is offered by an insurance coverage firm somewhat than a guaranty supplier. MBI sometimes presents complete restore protection and could also be regulated in another way from car service contracts. It’s typically accessible by your automobile insurance coverage firm and could be added to your coverage for an additional price.
Do prolonged automobile warranties cowl electrical automobiles and hybrids?
Some prolonged automobile guarantee corporations now supply protection for electrical and hybrid automobiles, nevertheless it’s on a restricted foundation. Some contracts are designed particularly for EVs, whereas others add electrical or hybrid parts to conventional exclusionary or stated-component plans.
These plans sometimes cowl the foremost electrical and mechanical techniques, akin to the electrical motor. Some corporations exclude the battery, whereas others supply it as an optionally available add-on or inside a devoted EV-specific plan. Even when a battery is included, there could also be caps on restore prices or partial reimbursement for substitute, relying on the battery’s age or mileage.
