What Does an Extended Car Warranty Mean? A Comprehensive Guide

Are you considering purchasing an extended car warranty? Learn what it is and how it works in this comprehensive guide.

What Does an Extended Car Warranty Mean? A Comprehensive Guide

The extended warranty is a type of protection plan that covers all or part of the cost of certain repairs after the standard factory warranty has expired. It can also cover other items, such as repairing dents, replacing keys, and the like. Extended warranties are primarily intended for buyers who plan to own their car beyond the manufacturer's warranty. The extended warranty for cars serves to continue to protect drivers after the factory warranty ends. However, as defined by the Vehicle Protection Association, an extended car warranty must be called a vehicle service contract or vehicle protection plan.

Most extended warranties will guarantee the use of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. This means that if you bought a Honda, they will use original Honda parts to perform the repairs instead of replacement parts. Some extended warranties are based on certain areas of the car. For example, you may be able to get an extended powertrain warranty, which will cover aspects such as the engine, transmission, and other areas of the powertrain. However, this will not cover other elements, such as interior components, air conditioning, or exterior elements, such as the transparent coating, paint and body panels.

A vehicle service contract, commonly known as an extended warranty for car owners, is an optional protection plan that you can purchase to help cover repair costs. The extended vehicle warranty usually begins after the manufacturer's warranty expires, but in some cases, the two protection plans overlap. Are you considering purchasing an extended car warranty? If so, it's important to understand what it is and how it works. An extended car warranty is a type of protection plan that covers all or part of the cost of certain repairs after the standard factory warranty has expired. It can also cover other items, such as repairing dents and replacing keys.

Extended warranties are primarily intended for buyers who plan to own their car beyond the manufacturer's warranty. The extended warranty for cars serves to continue to protect drivers after the factory warranty ends. However, as defined by the Vehicle Protection Association, an extended car warranty must be called a vehicle service contract or vehicle protection plan. Most extended warranties will guarantee the use of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. For example, you may be able to get an extended powertrain warranty which will cover aspects such as the engine, transmission and other areas of the powertrain. However, this will not cover other elements such as interior components, air conditioning or exterior elements such as transparent coating, paint and body panels. A vehicle service contract commonly known as an extended warranty for car owners is an optional protection plan that you can purchase to help cover repair costs.

The extended vehicle warranty usually begins after the manufacturer's warranty expires but in some cases the two protection plans overlap. Yes most extended warranties are designed for used vehicles because new cars are covered by an initial factory or dealer warranty. But what exactly is an extended warranty for cars? Depending on how well you know cars there could be more than a few misconceptions about what that means. In general extended warranties are intended to prevent drivers from paying out of pocket for sudden repairs since mechanical problems aren't covered by other types of car insurance. For more information see WalletHub's guides on insurance against mechanical breakdowns and extended car warranties. Remember that it's important to choose an extended warranty that covers a wide range of vehicle systems and parts. A vehicle warranty is like a health insurance plan where you must stay within your network of mechanics or auto repair shops as you would with health care providers.

Powertrain warranties cover everything that moves the vehicle including the engine transmission and any power component that reaches the car's wheels. The exact cost of an extended car warranty depends on several factors such as the condition of the car the mileage of the car and the amount of coverage included in the warranty. If you purchase an extended warranty for a vehicle that already has a manufacturer's warranty the additional protection cannot be used for 1000 miles or 30 days whichever comes first. Drivers can purchase an extended warranty from an outside company such as Carchex or Endurance or directly from their vehicle manufacturer. With some guarantees you'll have to visit a specific auto mechanic or choose a repair shop from your network. Used car warranties from outside companies are one way to get coverage if your vehicle's original factory warranty has expired.

Célia Peals
Célia Peals

General twitter advocate. Extreme tv enthusiast. Certified web buff. Certified bacon fanatic. Infuriatingly humble coffee fanatic. Hardcore zombie enthusiast.