Best Car Warranty Companies in 2022

If you’re familiar with extended car warranty companies, you know they’re like health insurance for your car. Even after your manufacturer’s warranty expires, they offer you peace of mind, knowing that if anything happens to your vehicle, the warranty will continue covering the cost of any major repairs.

But when it comes to choosing the right policy, things get complicated. Even after combing through the fine print, you may not know which policy is right for you. 

To help you make an informed decision, we’ve researched the best extended car warranty companies and listed them according to their pros and cons. Here are four of our top picks for the best car warranty companies in 2022, in no particular order.

Carchex

Founded in 1999, Carchex is one of the oldest vehicle protection companies and is endorsed by Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds.com. They are known for their low prices and a no-haggle quote process. Whenever you reach out to Carchex, you can expect to get concise and accurate coverage and price explanations.

All Carchex plans include:

• 24/7 roadside assistance
• Trip interruption coverage
• Lost key/lockout service
• Towing
• Gas delivery
• Rental car coverage

Carchex offers the broadest range of coverage of any company we’ve seen, with five different plan tiers and 21 different plans offering several coverage options. All of its plans are available for both new and used vehicles. 

The best part is that you can take your car to any licensed repair facility nationwide. Carchex pays claims directly to repair shops, so you don’t have to pay upfront and wait to be reimbursed later. This is a feature that most extended warranty providers offer these days. 

The important thing to note is that Carchex is a broker, not a direct provider. What this means is that instead of producing their own plans, Carchex offers several products from third-party vendors that can be tailored to meet your needs.

Carchex gets plans from only two companies:

• American Auto Shield
• Royal Administration Services

Due to its status as a broker, purchasing via Carchex will incur more out-of-pocket expenses since each provider has its own limitations and exclusions that Carchex cannot control. Aside from that, you might also have to deal with middleman fees (these are minimal).

However, this is by no means a problem. In fact, it’s pretty common for customers to purchase extended warranties through brokers. Instead of choosing from only one provider, brokers can provide customers with a wider range of choices. 

Several other vendors on our list are also brokers rather than direct providers.

Pros

• Has an A+ rating from the BBB with few complaints. 
• Backed by industry-leading companies like Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds.com, RepairPal, and CARFAX
• No down payment necessary
• Broadest coverage in the industry with 21 plans to fit any need

Cons

• Not a direct provider, so expect to pay slightly more
• Coverage is limited to vehicles under 25 years old

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CarShield

Founded in 2005, CarShield provides six types of coverage, including one covering high-tech vehicles and another covering special vehicles such as ATVs. Its coverage goes up to an impressive 300,000 miles.

CarShield stands out on our list for one reason: its cost. With prices ranging from $90 to $120 per month, CarShield offers lower costs than most major competitors out there. This puts it right on the top on of our list of best car warranty companies on a budget.

Their reasonable prices are a big draw for customers, too. In fact, based on the number of reviews alone, CarShield is the most popular company we have reviewed. More than 26,900 of its customers have left reviews on Trustpilot, giving it a 4.0-star score.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) website shows more complaints against CarShield than other providers. However, it does deal with more customers and has a higher volume of sales, so it’s not exactly a fair comparison. From what we’ve observed, complaints account for a tiny part of CarShield’s total customer base.

Pros:

• Plan prices are incredibly affordable
• Most popular extended warranty company based on review count
• Coverage to 300,000 miles on some vehicles

Cons:

• High number of complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
• Contracts are not all transferable
• Plans may not cover rental cars

Endurance

For drivers who require an easy and fast claims process, Endurance is a great choice. Endurance is a direct provider, which means it is not reliant on a broker or administrator. This is unlike Carchex, which is a broker that only administers plans from other providers.

And because it’s a direct provider, Endurance can process and deliver claims upfront directly to repair facilities. It helps streamline the process and gives it a reputation for excellent customer service that is hard to match. 

Despite not having a BBB accreditation, Endurance holds a solid 4.4-star rating on Trustpilot. This is based on over 4,000 reviews.

Endurance holds gold-level certification from the Vehicle Protection Association; a prestige shared with only eight other warranty companies in the U.S. It is also worth noting that the company is backed by Wesco Insurance Co., which has an A- rating from A.M. Best.

Using a direct service provider like Endurance, customers get the added benefit of choosing between new or used parts and have the option to get a full refund if they cancel within 30 days. 

Additionally, Endurance policies allow you to choose from any licensed, ASE-authorized facility in the country. This means that it will be much easier to fix your car if you break down in the middle of nowhere. 

All of the company’s protection plans include Endurance Elite membership, which gives you the following benefits on top of your existing extended warranty coverage:

• 24/7 roadside assistance
• Collision discount
• Total loss replacement
• Key fob replacement
• Tire repair/replacement
• Personal assistant for reservations, directions, and emergencies

Note that the Endurance Elite membership is only free for the first year. Customers will have to pay an additional fee to keep the benefits from the Elite membership after it expires.

Pros

• Is a direct provider (no middleman costs)
• Coverage for vehicles with high mileage   
• High ratings on Trustpilot for excellent customer service
• Larger choice of workshops (any ASE-certified shop will do)

Cons

• Not accredited by the BBB
• The company doesn’t operate in California
• Not the most comprehensive or most extended coverage available
• Membership to Endurance Elite is only free for the first year 

autopom!

autopom! stands for “automotive peace of mind,” which is exactly what it strives to provide to its customers. autopom! provides four coverage options nationwide, including special considerations for California drivers. It offers mileage caps and terms ranging from three to eight years, which is impressive for the industry.

The company has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2010 and is rated A+. Despite the limited number of customer reviews (less than 100), autopom! still manages a decent rating of 3.1-star rating from Trustpilot. From what we’ve seen, autopom! receives high marks for customer service and claims handling.

Like Carchex, autopom! is a broker rather than a direct provider. You can expect middleman fees. Coverage is provided through close partners:

• Enterprise Financial Group
• Royal Administration Services
  
• United Car Care
• Mercury Insurance Group

Before getting any extended warranty from autopom!, though, you should first consider the condition of your vehicle and the duration of your warranty. autopom! won’t cover vehicles that are in poor condition.

Pros

• Offering terms of up to eight years and up to 150,000 miles
• Several options are available in California
• A+ rating from BBB
• Excellent customer reviews, particularly about their customer service

Cons

• Not a direct provider, thus expect higher fees
• Coverage is only available for vehicles in good condition
• Requires a large down payment

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Why not purchase direct from a provider rather than a broker?

You might be asking, “Why should I pay more when I can simply buy directly from the provider?” That’s a very valid question. And of course, we’re not saying that’s impossible. You can view any one of the warranty broker’s plans, figure out which company administers it, and purchase it directly from them, effectively eliminating middlemen fees along the way.

However, the convenience of buying from a broker can appeal to some people. Brokers can quickly identify which provider will offer the best car warranty coverage at the most affordable price based on your specific situation. In addition, because these companies are usually large clients for many of the plans they sell, they can offer you plans at a price similar to, or only slightly above, what the original provider will charge you directly.

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