In 2019, Acura revamped its certified pre-owned (CPO) warranty coverage, making it one of the more comprehensive programs in the industry. But what does your Acura certified warranty cover, exactly?
In this article, we’ll give you an in-depth review of the Acura certified warranty and discuss what options you have for extended coverage. If you’re thinking about purchasing an extended warranty, we recommend researching and comparing costs from the best extended car warranty companies. You can click below to start getting free, no-obligation quotes from our top recommended providers.
Acura Certified Warranty Overview
Acura is a subsidiary of Honda that focuses on making luxury vehicles. Like cars from its parent company, Acura’s CPO vehicles come with two main types of Acura certified warranty coverage:
- Powertrain coverage: Acura backs the engine, transmission/transfer case, and drive systems on CPO vehicles for a total of 7 years/100,000 miles.
- Non-powertrain coverage: This exclusionary warranty covers items like the fuel system, suspension, batteries, climate control, and steering for 2 years after your factory bumper-to-bumper warranty expires, or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first).
Acura’s factory warranty consists of a bumper-to-bumper warranty that lasts 4 years/50,000 miles and a powertrain warranty that covers major engine components for 6 years/70,000 miles.
Included with the Acura certified warranty are things like emergency towing, roadside assistance, lockout assistance, and trip interruption reimbursement. The program also handles the vehicle’s first scheduled maintenance service within 1 year/12,000 miles of purchase. This covers services like:
- Tire rotation
- Brake fluid replacement
- Oil change
- Cabin air filter replacement
- Rear differential fluid replacement
The main coverage exclusions are items like upholstery, trim, collision damage, and wear-and-tear parts like tires and brake pads.
CPO Acura owners also enjoy a $0 deductible when filing a car warranty claim, and the warranty is transferable if you sell your vehicle on the private market within the warranty period.
Acura outshines some of its competitors by offering a complimentary maintenance service within the first year of the warranty period. And the addition of a healthy trip-interruption reimbursement plan ($300 per day up to $900) easily overshadows what’s offered in other luxury brands’ plans, such as the Audi CPO warranty.
You can also review your car’s currency warranty status by going to Acura.com or visiting your local Acura dealership.
Acura Pre-Owned Certification Process
Cars are eligible for Acura’s CPO program if they are 6 model years old or newer and have fewer than 80,000 total odometer miles. From there, the Acura dealer performs a 182-point inspection and reviews a vehicle history report. If any original equipment or workmanship is defective, the carmaker will repair or replace the part before listing the vehicle.
Do You Need More Coverage?
With your Acura certified warranty only covering repairs up to 7 years or 100,000 miles, purchasing an extended warranty might offer peace of mind if you plan on keeping your vehicle for a long time. If you are thinking about buying an extended service plan, you should first consider your vehicle’s overall reliability and average Acura maintenance costs.
Acuras tend to need fewer unexpected repairs than many other brands’ cars. The J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM ranked the carmaker 10th out of 32 brands, and the research group commended its overall improvement from the previous year.
Our research team also looked at figures from the repair cost estimation site RepairPal, which scores Acura 4.0 out of 5.0 and ranks it second place out of 32 brands for reliability. The site especially applauds models like the compact Acura ILX.
Here’s more from RepairPal’s reliability ratings:
| Acura RepairPal Reliability Factor | Acura Average | Industry Average |
|---|---|---|
| Average Annual Repair Cost | $501 | $652 |
| Frequency of Repairs | 0.4 times per year | 0.4 times per year |
| Chance of Needed Repair Being Severe* | 8% | 12% |
*A severe repair is any repair costing more than three times the average annual repair cost.
Even though Acura has received some high praise for making strides towards greater dependability, cars don’t last forever, and parts do wear out. Below are a few common repairs and what they cost, as reported to RepairPal by Acura owners. If your car isn’t under warranty at the time one of these parts fails, you’ll be paying for the repair entirely out of pocket.
| Acura Model | Common Repair | Average Repair Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Acura SLX | Intake manifold gasket repair | $405 to $477 |
| Acura Integra | Ignition coil replacement | $230 to $264 |
| Acura CL | Ignition switch replacement | $210 to $238 |
| Acura CL | Fuel pump replacement | $382 to $699 |
Of course, we recommend assessing your personal finances before buying any added level of coverage as well. If you’re unable to afford unexpected mechanical breakdowns out of pocket, you may want to consider an extended auto warranty.
What Does An Acura Extended Warranty Cover?
If you want to keep your Acura certified pre-owned vehicle protected after your Acura CPO warranty coverage ends, you can get an Acura extended warranty. Also called Acura Care Certified Additional Coverage, this vehicle service contract includes coverage for the engine and drivetrain, electronics, chassis, heating and air conditioning, and Acura genuine accessories.
Acura warranty periods for new car and used car extended coverage can span up to 8 years/120,000 miles, and all plans come with the following perks:
- Roadside assistance
- Trip interruption reimbursement
- Rental car reimbursement
- Concierge services
- Transferable coverage
Other Choices For Coverage
Acura’s extended warranty can only add an additional 1 year/20,000 miles on top of the Acura certified warranty, so you might want to consider longer coverage from an independent warranty provider. Our team of warranty experts has identified several other advantages of buying coverage from a third-party company:
- Longer warranties: Independent warranty companies offer protection plans for vehicles well after 120,000 miles. Leading providers like Endurance, CarShield, and CARCHEX have policies for vehicles up to 200,000 or even 300,000 miles.
- You can buy at any time: Unlike many dealership plans, you don’t have to purchase an independent warranty before your factory coverage expires.
- Greater range of repair facility options: Third-party warranty companies have a variety of service networks for customers to choose from, so you’re not stuck with the closest dealership.
Our research team has ranked and reviewed the best extended auto warranty companies in the industry, and we recommend comparing prices from a few companies to find the best deal. If you’re shopping for an extended warranty, click below to start getting free, no-obligation quotes from top providers.
FAQ: Acura Certified Warranty
Methodology
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.
- Industry Standing: Warranty providers with a history of strong business practices and endorsements from experts receive the highest scores in this category.
- Coverage: This rating is based on types of extended warranty plans available, coverage terms, and added benefits like roadside assistance.
- Cost: Our research team reviews sample quotes for a variety of plans and vehicles. Companies with lower prices per year of coverage receive the best scores.
- Transparency: This score takes into account contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
- Customer Service: We comb through customer reviews and perform our own shopper analysis to get a sense of the responsiveness and helpfulness of each warranty company.