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March 8, 2022
Extended warranties can help you protect your car (and your wallet) from unforeseen repairs.
Many manufacturers offer extended warranty options, but these tend to come with huge markups from the dealership. Furthermore, you can only purchase a manufacturer warranty while your vehicle is still under factory warranty.
That’s why third-party extended warranty providers can be such a great option.
Today we’ll compare five of the most well-known and highly regarded extended warranty providers: Endurance, YAA, Olive.com, CARCHEX, and CarShield.
Table of Contents
Disclosure: I sometimes receive compensation from referrals to companies I mention, but that does not impact my opinions and helps keep this website going. And I only recommend providers that will genuinely benefit my readers.
YAA | Endurance | Olive | CARCHEX | CarShield | |
Plans | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
Max Vehicle Age / Mileage | 10 Years Old | 200,000 Miles | 10 Years Old | 250,000 Miles | 300,000 Miles |
Average Monthly Cost | Often under $100 | $86 - $124 | $30 - $80 | $100 - $160 | $89 - $129 |
Availability | All States, EXCEPT California or Mass. | All States EXCEPT California | All States | All States | All States EXCEPT California |
Our best car extended warranty for overall coverage is YAA.
We chose them because all of their plans include a YAA membership for repair coaching, and their plans also cover the latest technology features. YAA provides additional coverage for EV batteries.
YAA values a customer-centric approach so you will never receive any spam calls. They only apply a flat $500 markup to all plans, which means you can save thousands of dollars when comparing against a dealership warranty.
Learn more in our comprehensive review of YAA extended auto warranty >>
Endurance is our choice for the best car extended warranty for additional benefits.
Endurance directly provides warranty coverage, and every plan includes one year of Elite benefits.
You can also opt for the Advantage level for ongoing benefits that include vehicle maintenance (which many other providers do not provide), roadside assistance, and other one-time services.
Learn more in our comprehensive review of Endurance extended auto warranty >>
Our choice for the best car extended warranty provider for customer support and claims is Olive.com.
Olive.com, a digital warranty company, focuses on addressing the common concerns with the lack of transparency in the industry. They are one of the few providers that offer vehicle protection in California, commonly known as an MBI.
Despite being a relatively new company, they have a strong A+ rating on the BBB and 4 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews.
Learn all about Olive.com car warranties and what sets them apart in our full Olive.com extended warranty review >>
For high-mileage used cars, we recommend CARCHEX.
CARCHEX offers five different extended warranty plans to choose from, several of which are geared toward vehicles with over 60,000 miles. For example, their Gold Plan is meant for vehicles with over 60,000 miles, and it covers all powertrain systems.
CARCHEX offers different coverage options for vehicles with up to 250,000 miles, while most other providers cap it at 200,000 miles.
We tell you everything you need to know about CARCHEX in our honest review >>
CarShield earns the spot as the most affordable car extended warranty available.
CarShield offers 6 different levels of coverage as well as a Roadside Protection Bundle.
While the cost will vary depending on the plan, length of coverage, and your vehicle, they are well-known for being an affordable option. They offer month-to-month contracts as well.
We break down everything you need to know in our CarShield review here >>
YAA | Endurance | Olive | CARCHEX | CarShield | |
Max Vehicle Age / Mileage | |||||
Availability |
YAA | Endurance | Olive | CARCHEX | CarShield | |
Plans |
Endurance | YAA | Olive | CARCHEX | CarShield | |
Average Monthly Cost |
Endurance | YAA | Olive | CARCHEX | CarShield | |
Customer Satisfaction |
Endurance | YAA | Olive | CARCHEX | CarShield | |
Additional Benefits |
How did we determine our picks for the various categories of the best extended car warranties?
We did a careful analysis of the top providers out there. We looked at their coverage plans, including the number of plans and what each covered, the websites, their transparency/ease of use, customer reviews, and any additional benefits. We analyzed this key information for each of the car warranty providers, compiling individual reviews before performing our comparison.
At every step of the process, we made sure to use an unbiased approach and prioritize the best interest of you, the customer.
YAA, CarShield, CARCHEX, Olive.com, and Endurance are top-rated third-party extended warranty providers. There is no one answer for the best provider; it depends on your needs, budgets, location, and more. We recommend you obtain quotes from these providers to learn which is best for you. But if we had to pick, YAA and Endurance offer the best plans and benefits.
Several third-party extended warranty providers offer plans for used cars. We recommend CARCHEX for high-mileage used cars, as they have several options catered to high-mileage vehicles. Still, you should get quotes from several sources before making a decision.
Many car manufacturers offer compelling extended warranties on their vehicles. In 2022, Genesis, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi offer the two best extended warranties with coverage for 5 years / 60,000 miles and a Powertrain warranty of 10 years / 100,000 miles.
Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and Genesis offer the best powertrain warranties with coverage of up to 10 years / 100,000 miles. All of the third-party warranty providers also offer powertrain coverage.
Many extended warranty providers are not available in California due to strict laws and regulations. However, there are a few Mechanical Breakdown insurance providers available in that state, including Olive.com, CARCHEX, and autopom!.
The price of an extended warranty can vary immensely depending on several factors. In general, the average cost of an extended warranty comes in at a little under $2,500 for the total plan. Based on the costs of the providers we reviewed, the monthly cost may vary from $50-$175 per month.
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Posted in Car Buying Tips, Car Warranty |
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