How Many Miles Can I Cover My Vehicle For With An Extended Warranty?

When you buy a new car, it usually comes with a factory warranty that protects you from the costs of some unexpected repairs for a certain number of years or vehicle miles. Once you reach those limits, you may want to add vehicle coverage with an extended warranty for peace of mind.

But how many miles will an extended warranty cover? Our research team took a look at the most reputable extended car warranty companies, including CarShield, to determine which provider has the highest mileage limit on its extended coverage.

In this article:

• What Is An Extended Warranty?
• How Many Miles Does An Extended Warranty Cover?
• CarShield: Best Value For Vehicle Protection
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is An Extended Warranty?

An extended auto warranty, also known as a vehicle service contract, is a protection plan that covers repairs and replacements of certain components due to mechanical breakdown. It’s designed to protect your car – and your wallet – from costly repairs. You can buy an extended warranty plan from a dealership or from third-party providers like CarShield.

There are two standard types of extended warranty plans: bumper-to-bumper and powertrain.

• Bumper-to-bumper warranty: This is an exclusionary contract that offers coverage for most of your car’s components – almost everything between the two bumpers.
• Powertrain warranty: This type of warranty plan generally covers your vehicle’s most vital components: the transmission, engine, and drivetrain.

The best extended car warranty companies usually offer several tiers of coverage, combining aspects of bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties to suit your coverage needs.

Keep in mind that most extended car warranties don’t cover routine maintenance services or wear-and-tear parts like brake pads, spark plugs, and windshield wipers.

If your car needs a repair, an extended warranty purchased from a dealership or manufacturer usually requires you to take your vehicle to the dealership’s mechanic. Third-party extended warranty companies typically allow you to take your car to any licensed mechanic within their networks, letting you find a trusted repair shop close by.

How Many Miles Does An Extended Warranty Cover?

Most extended warranties define their coverage terms with year and mileage limits. Once you pass one of those limits, the warranty expires. Most factory warranties on new cars offer bumper-to-bumper coverage for up to 3 years/36,000 miles and powertrain coverage for up to 5 years/60,000 miles. When you’re looking for the right coverage plan, factor in how often you drive and how long you plan to keep your car.

Aftermarket extended warranty providers offer vehicle service contracts with longer coverage terms than vehicle manufacturers. For example, CarShield, one of the top-rated third-party warranty companies, offers coverage that lasts up to 300,000 miles – one of the highest limits in the industry.

For comparison, here are the coverage terms offered by other top extended warranty providers:

• Endurance: Coverage up to 200,000+ miles
• Protect My Car: Coverage up to 125,000 miles
• Carchex: Coverage up to 250,000 miles

CarShield: Best Value For Vehicle Protection

If finding the longest extended warranty coverage term is a top priority for you, CarShield is an excellent choice. Most of CarShield’s plans can cover your vehicle for up to 300,000 miles – longer than any of the other extended warranty companies we reviewed.

CarShield makes that coverage very affordable, offering month-to-month contracts with payments around $89.99 to $129.99 and deductibles of either $0 or $100 on most plans. In our full CarShield review, we rated the extended warranty provider 4.2 out of 5.0 stars and gave it the title of Best Value.

CarShield Warranty Plans

CarShield offers six tiers of extended warranty coverage, ranging from comprehensive protection for nearly all of your car’s components to basic coverage.