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The best used car warranty companies in 2022 include Endurance, Protect My Car, and CarShield.

A used car warranty is a contract that pays for auto repairs if specified parts break or fail. Buying from the most dependable used car warranty companies can help you get the best value out of a plan and avoid scams.

The best extended car warranty companies are known for reliably paying out claims on repairs and parts that are under contract. We’ve performed extensive research into the industry’s top used car warranty companies. Read on to learn more about our recommendations.

From warranty plans to what customers have to say, there’s a lot to consider when comparing used car warranty companies. These nine providers are among the highest-rated when it comes to industry standing, coverage options, cost, transparency, and customer service. All of our top picks offer 30-day money-back guarantees.

CARCHEX has been in business since 1999 and is known for its strong industry reputation. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) gives CARCHEX an A+ rating, and the extended warranty provider partners with experts such as Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book. With coverage for vehicles with up to 250,000 miles, CARCHEX is one of the best choices among used car warranty companies.

CARCHEX works with highly rated administrators such as American Auto Shield to offer various plan options. There are five extended warranty plans available with CARCHEX:

Perhaps the greatest strength of CARCHEX is its commitment to customer service. The company is highly reviewed by customers for its efficient claims processing.

Read more in our full CARCHEX review.

CARCHEX has five customizable extended warranty plans, excellent customer service, and great added perks. We recognize CARCHEX as the Best for Used Cars.

Among used car warranty companies, Endurance is our top recommendation for comprehensive coverage and exceptional service. The extended car warranty company serves every state except California. Overall, it has positive reviews including a 4.1-star rating out of 5.0 stars on Trustpilot from nearly 5,200 customers.

Endurance holds a place on the 2019 Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing companies, and has sponsored professional sportscar driver Jarett Andretti of Andretti Autosport.

An Endurance extended car warranty covers 200,000+ miles, and you have access to six plans with varying levels of coverage:

Every Endurance auto warranty comes with 24/7 roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, trip interruption coverage, and one free year of Endurance Elite Benefits. This includes perks such as:

Endurance’s Highline add-on (for the Supreme plan) covers a variety of luxury and performance models. You can get coverage for most Mercedes AMG models, BMW M and 8 models, Porsche, Audi, and more.

Learn more about the provider in our complete Endurance warranty review.

Reputable extended car warranty company that offers six levels of coverage and has excellent customer reviews. It is our choice for Best Coverage and our top overall pick for extended warranty providers.

Protect My Car is unique on our list of top used car warranty companies because it offers traditional extended warranty coverage as well as maintenance plans to help pay for regularly scheduled maintenance. The company has been in business since 2005 and has a 4.5-star rating from over 3,200 reviewers on Trustpilot.

Protect My Car offers three extended warranty options that can cover your vehicle for up to 125,000 miles. Owners of used cars beyond 125,000 miles should look into the company’s Ambassador Maintenance Plans for discounts on routine maintenance and repairs.

Read up on both types of coverage in our Protect My Car review.

Because of its available discounts on repairs and maintenance for older vehicles, Protect My Car was our pick for Best Maintenance Plans.

The most popular used car warranty company, CarShield is known for its low prices and complete coverage. It’s the only provider on our list to offer coverage for motorcycles and ATVs, and it has a plan specifically for high-tech vehicles. Used cars can get coverage for up to 300,000 miles. CarShield has a 4.0-star rating on Trustpilot from over 32,000 customers.

All CarShield plans come with roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and trip interruption coverage. Here are the plans you can get for cars:

See more about the provider in our CarShield review.

CarShield offers six distinct plans, low or $0 deductibles, and multiple payment options, making it our choice for Best Value among extended warranty providers.

Known for its great customer service yet a relative newcomer to the extended car warranty industry, autopom! is a solid choice for a used car warranty. The company has high ratings from industry experts, including an A+ rating from the BBB. It also has a 4.6-star rating from customers on the BBB.

With autopom!, you can get three types of extended warranty plans:

Read our autopom! review for more information.

Concord Auto Protect is newer than many other used car warranty companies. We like this provider because of its higher reimbursement limits for benefit services such as rental car coverage. We named Concord the Best for Luxury Cars because the provider offers warranty coverage for exotic car brands, including Bentley and Maserati, that most auto warranty providers will not cover.

Concord offers three coverage plans:

Each Concord plan comes with benefits including roadside assistance, rental car benefits, and trip interruption reimbursement.

To learn more, read our full Concord Auto Protect review.

Olive is a digital used car warranty company that allows customers to buy and manage their warranties entirely online. While the company was founded in 2020, the owners have been in the car warranty business since 2000.

Repair Ventures, LLC, which owns the Olive trademark, has an A- rating from the BBB. Olive also has a Google review score of 4.6 out of 5.0. Customers are pleased with the easy signup process and low costs. We named Olive Best Online Warranty for 2022.

Olive offers three levels of coverage. Contracts are only available for three-year periods but cover vehicles with up to 185,000 miles.

All plans include a towing benefit and rental car reimbursement. While Olive warranties are shorter than most, they cover high-mileage vehicles and can be less expensive than many competitor options.

Read our full Olive warranty review to learn more.

Founded in 2011, ForeverCar is another newer used car warranty company. ForeverCar offers short and medium-length contracts with no mileage restrictions. By offering shorter contracts, it can keep prices low.

ForeverCar has great ratings across review sites. On Trustpilot, the company scores 4.8 stars out of 5.0 from over 4,400 reviews. On the BBB, ForeverCar has an A+ rating and accreditation. While it has a lower customer rating of 1.5 stars on the BBB, that score is the average of fewer than 10 reviews.

ForeverCar customers have four plans to choose from. Each plan comes with an unlimited mileage limit but is limited to three years. That means you’d have to purchase a second plan if you want to cover your car beyond three years.

Like many other providers, ForeverCar includes roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and trip interruption coverage with its used car warranties.

Learn more in our full ForeverCar review.

Based in California, Toco Warranty Corporation has been in business since 2013. It offers a variety of plans that can cover new and used vehicles.

Toco has a high customer rating of 4.2 out of 5.0 stars on the BBB. It also has an A+ rating and accreditation from the organization. Toco has had fewer than 60 complaints in the last three years, which is a relatively small number for a warranty company.

Toco offers three plans, which isn’t as many as some providers. However, the three plans cover most of the bases that people are looking for in used car warranties.

All Toco warranties come with roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, trip interruption, and hotel discounts. The last perk lets you book stays through Hotels.com for a five percent rebate after sending a receipt to Toco.

Read our Toco warranty review to learn more.

The cost of a used car warranty varies based on provider. A four-year bumper-to-bumper warranty can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $4,500. Some warranty providers ask you to pay the entire cost up front, while others allow you to pay $100 to $200 per month.

To give you some idea of used car warranty costs, we provide a few bumper-to-bumper warranty quotes from several of our recommended providers in the table below. Contracts are for a 2017 Honda CR-V with 45,000 miles on the odometer.

All quotes above include a $100 deductible except for the Concord Auto Protect quote, which includes a $0 deductible, and the ForeverCar quote, which includes a $250 deductible. Depending on the extended car warranty plan, some companies require down payments of up to $300.

The quotes you receive may vary. The best way to find out how much a vehicle service contract will cost you is to reach out for a free quote.

A used car warranty is a contract that promises to pay for the cost of certain car repairs after the manufacturer’s warranty expires. These warranties work similarly to the manufacturer’s warranty. When you experience a mechanical breakdown, you take your vehicle to a licensed repair shop for diagnosis. If your repair is covered by your warranty, the administrator will pay the repair shop, minus your deductible.

There are two main places to shop for used car warranties: a dealership or a third-party provider.

Many car owners buy extended warranties from dealerships when they purchase their vehicles. Dealers usually work with trustworthy used auto warranty administrators, but that’s not always the case. Aside from that, the dealer may only work with one or two warranty providers, which doesn’t give you much choice when shopping for coverage.

Getting a used car warranty from a third-party provider such as Endurance or CARCHEX gives you more freedom than shopping at a dealer. You can take time to compare plans from multiple companies. You also don’t have to make up your mind when you’re sitting at the dealership itching to get into your new ride.

Several levels of warranty coverage are available to drivers, each promising to pay to repair or replace certain vehicle parts. From comprehensive coverage to just the essentials, here’s an overview of the types of used car extended warranties:

If you want to ensure your car stays in good condition for years to come, a bumper-to-bumper warranty is likely best for you. On the other hand, if you are only concerned with your used car’s essential systems, you may want to opt for powertrain coverage. Powertrain plans often cover vehicles up to 20 model years old.

It’s important to note that warranties are intended to pay for repairs when car parts fail or break as the result of normal use. This means a used car warranty doesn’t pay for damages resulting from an accident or improper maintenance. Providers generally exclude damage that would be covered under car insurance or normal wear-and-tear parts such as brake pads, wiper blades, and tires.

Vehicle protection plans don’t cover any of the following:

When you buy a used car, it may still be under factory warranty, as many of these warranties are transferable to new owners.

The dealership is required to post a buyer’s guide on each vehicle it sells. This guide will clearly state whether the vehicle comes with any type of warranty. Beware of verbal warranty promises not included in the buyer’s guide.

If the buyer’s guide says the car is sold “as is,” the dealership has no responsibility to cover any type of repair after you buy the car. Some dealers provide short 30-day warranties, but these usually only cover basic components and require you to visit the selling dealer for repairs.

However, there’s one type of car virtually guaranteed to have a warranty: a certified pre-owned vehicle.

A certified pre-owned vehicle is a used vehicle that has been inspected by the manufacturer and approved for a longer warranty term. CPO inspection checklists can include hundreds of items. Since factory-trained technicians inspect the vehicles, you can have confidence that the cars are in good condition. Of course, you’ll pay slightly more for a CPO vehicle.

A CPO warranty comes with the vehicle. You don’t have to purchase anything extra (though many manufacturers will give you the option to add more years of coverage).

Typically, a CPO warranty includes powertrain coverage for several years plus bumper-to-bumper coverage for a shorter period. Manufacturer warranties such as Kia’s 100,000-mile powertrain warranty that get cut short for secondary buyers are often reinstated for the full term for CPO buyers.

You can check if a used car is still under warranty by entering its VIN into the manufacturer’s website. You can also make an educated guess by taking note of the car’s year and mileage and then comparing it to the manufacturer’s warranty terms.

If your car didn’t come with a warranty or is nearing the end of coverage, you might consider a used car warranty. Use sites such as RepairPal.com and Edmunds.com to estimate your yearly repair and maintenance costs. If they don’t sound manageable, a monthly warranty payment can spread some of that ownership cost out over time.

Your car insurance company may offer mechanical breakdown insurance as an option. This is similar to an extended warranty, but most programs don’t cover vehicles past 100,000 miles. This might not be the best option for a used car. Our recommendation is to compare third-party warranty providers if you decide to shop for a plan.

The used car warranty market can be overwhelming to consumers, with hundreds of providers and plans available, varying payment and claim structures, and confusing fine print. Before contacting used car warranty companies for quotes, it’s important to understand the landscape and reflect on your needs.

Along with big-picture questions such as the level of vehicle protection you want and how much you’re willing to pay, here’s a short list of questions to ask during your search:

While there’s only one manufacturer for your car, there’s an abundance of used car warranty companies that offer flexibility in price, repair shop, terms and conditions, and coverage. Here’s an overview of what to expect from a third-party extended car warranty provider and why you might opt for one:

There are some drawbacks to extended warranty coverage. Choosing an independent warranty provider means you won’t get access to genuine manufacturer parts. Additionally, there’s no guarantee all your warranty claims will be covered, regardless of the provider. There’s also the chance you’ll buy coverage and never need to use it.

If you are thinking about purchasing a used car warranty, here are some tips that can help you identify the right provider:

Extended warranties for used cars can be worth the cost for drivers who want to make small monthly payments over time rather than paying for repairs as they’re needed.

The cost of a used car warranty depends on several factors, such as:

While some states have enacted laws like the New York State Lemon Law (which requires dealers to give consumers written warranties) to protect consumers from bad used car purchases, other areas of the country leave consumers with little protection in the used car market.

Even diligent consumers who check recall history on government sites, ask about dealerships’ used car sales policies, or get pre-sale inspections can experience hidden defects.

Our research team recently polled 1,000 consumers who have purchased or considered purchasing extended car warranties. Here are some of the takeaways:

We also found in our survey that cost is the most important factor to consumers contemplating buying extended warranties. The length of the warranty and covered components ranked similarly for importance among potential customers.

If you purchase a used car no longer protected under the car’s original factory warranty, an extended car warranty can offer peace of mind and offset repair costs. Research common issues for your car’s make and model (and the associated repair costs) when warranty shopping. If these costs exceed what you feel comfortable spending on your vehicle, an affordable monthly payment for a used car warranty could be a good option.

Most factory warranties last 3 years/36,000 miles or a bit longer. A used car may have some of the original warranty remaining, or it may not. Used cars don’t come with extra warranties unless they are certified pre-owned models.

Consider your used car’s value, mileage, and condition to see if buying a warranty is a good idea. A used vehicle warranty can be a good idea if you want to own the car for a long time and want peace of mind for covered repairs.

Endurance is our choice for Best Coverage. Besides offering comprehensive vehicle service contracts at several affordable price points, Endurance has a reputation for excellent customer service.

A used car dealership warranty typically requires you to visit the selling dealership for repairs, which limits your repair options. It may also only cover a few systems. Large companies like Carvana may work with a wider network of repair shops, which can make a used car dealership warranty more worth it.

While some dealerships may try to sell you extended coverage when you buy a new car, you can usually purchase coverage from the manufacturer until the factory warranty expires. Independent warranty companies allow you to purchase vehicle service contracts for cars at any mileage. That said, older vehicles may not qualify for all service plans.

Used cars don’t come with extra warranty coverage. However, manufacturer certified pre-owned warranties usually last one or two years after the factory warranty expires. Extended used car warranties can last anywhere from one to five years or more depending on the provider.

Used car warranties cover the repair and replacement costs of major vehicle parts up to a certain time or mileage. Covered components vary from plan to plan, but common items backed by warranties include the engine, the transmission, the cooling system, and various electrical parts.

Your state may require some dealerships to offer a 30-day warranty on used cars, but this is not guaranteed. If you are having issues with your used car, contact the dealer right away to see if there is a warranty.

The independent warranty industry’s reputation has suffered due to some companies’ shady business tactics, but there are reputable providers on the market. Companies such as Endurance, CarShield, and CARCHEX consistently top industry reviews for customer service and quality of coverage.

If your car is under a manufacturer warranty, you can take it to any other dealership location run by that manufacturer. If you have a third-party warranty, you can usually take the car to any certified mechanic, which includes dealership mechanics.

Factory warranties on cars transfer for free to the next owner. Very long warranties, like Kia’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, may be shortened for the second owner. You can also transfer most extended warranties for a small fee.

In an effort to provide accurate and unbiased information to consumers, our expert review team collects data from dozens of extended auto warranty companies to formulate rankings of the best providers. Companies receive a score in each of the following categories, as well as an overall weighted score out of 5.0 stars.

*Data accurate at time of publication.

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