Nissan Certified Pre-Owned Warranty: Coverage And Benefits
Nissan’s CPO warranty covers over 600 powertrain components, lasts for 7 years/100,000 miles, and comes with perks like roadside assistance.
With our #1 rated provider, 
Motor1 Reviews Team Take:
- Nissan’s CPO warranty offers long powertrain coverage but no extra bumper-to-bumper coverage.
- Nissan vehicles are reliable with annual repair costs below the industry average.
- You can extend Nissan’s CPO warranty with the brand’s Secure+Plus® plans or third-party providers.
A certified pre-owned (CPO) Nissan is a used Nissan that is thoroughly inspected by the manufacturer and tuned up before sale. These vehicles come with a Nissan certified pre-owned warranty to act as a guarantee to customers that certain parts won’t break down or wear out shortly after purchase. But what exactly does the Nissan CPO warranty cover, and how good is the Nissan CPO program?
This overview will answer both of those questions by reviewing key warranty details like included parts, coverage length, and more. We’ll also explain your options for extended Nissan warranty coverage and learn more about top-rated extended warranty providers.
Nissan Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Coverage
Nissan offers a limited warranty on certified pre-owned vehicles that lasts for 7 years or 100,000 miles—whichever comes first. This warranty covers over 600 components and is similar to a powertrain warranty that covers the engine, transmission, and drivetrain, plus some extra parts.
If a covered component related to one of these parts fails or breaks within the warranty period, you can have it repaired or replaced at a Nissan dealership. You’ll need to pay a $100 deductible before repairs are made, however.
The warranty starts from the vehicle’s in-service date, so if your CPO Nissan is already three years old when you buy it, only four years of coverage remain. The warranty is transferable to new owners if you sell your CPO Nissan before your coverage period expires.
Nissan EV Certified Warranty
Fully-electric vehicles in Nissan’s CPO program get the same warranty of 7 years/100,000 miles. Coverage is slightly different to include components in the electric drive system (EVs don’t have combustion engines, of course).
Nissan CPO Warranty Benefits
All Nissan CPO vehicles also include the following perks for buyers:
- Complimentary 1 year or 15,000 miles of maintenance
- One Carfax® Vehicle History Report
- Special financing rates available with Nissan CPO vehicles as well as certain rebate offers (vary by dealership)
- Three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio
Additionally, for the length of the warranty, CPO Nissan drivers have access to car rental reimbursement and Nissan roadside assistance, which covers services such as:
- Towing assistance
- Flat-tire changes
- Fuel deliveries
- Battery jump-starts
- Lockout services
Nissan CPO Warranty Vs. Other Manufacturers
Compared to other manufacturer CPO warranties, Nissan CPO warranty coverage may leave drivers wanting more protection. In addition to having a deductible, coverage only protects powertrain components. Most CPO warranties include at least one year of bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage on top of what’s left from the original factory warranty as well.
For example, Toyota offers 1 year/12,000 miles of extra bumper-to-bumper coverage on Gold Certified vehicles. Honda also offers 1 year/12,000 miles or 2 years/50,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage depending on the CPO vehicle’s condition and age. This is on top of what’s left of Honda’s 3-year/36,000-mile limited factory warranty when you get the car.
Nissan Pre-Owned Certification Process
Vehicles that have less than 80,000 miles on the odometer and are within six years of their original in-service date are eligible for the Nissan CPO program. Every Nissan certified pre-owned vehicle must first pass a 167-point inspection and have a clean Carfax Vehicle History Report (meaning there’s no salvage or total loss title).
EV Certified Nissans get a 139-point inspection. This is likely because electric vehicles have fewer moving parts, not that the inspection is less thorough. There’s no engine oil to check, for example.
Any faulty or malfunctioning parts that are discovered during the inspection process are repaired or replaced with genuine Nissan parts.
Nissan offers a three-year buyback guarantee, meaning that if it turns out that the vehicle has had fire damage, flood damage, or odometer problems not included in the initial Carfax report, Nissan will refund the vehicle.
Nissan Certified Select
Nissan has a “lite version” of its CPO program for cars that don’t fit the requirements of the standard program. The program is called Certified Select and eligible vehicles can be up to 10 years/100,000 miles old. Certified Select vehicles can even be non-Nissan models. This program has an 84-point inspection process, so it isn’t as involved as the standard CPO program.
Certified Select cars get a 6-month/6,000-mile limited warranty. Nissan models get one complimentary maintenance visit and non-Nissan models get a $50 reimbursement for one maintenance visit during the first year of ownership (or during the first 15,000 driven miles).
Do You Need Extended Warranty Coverage?
Given the limited coverage offered by the Nissan CPO warranty, you may want to purchase additional protection to fill in the gaps. But are extended warranties on used cars worth it? When considering extended warranty protection, be sure to take vehicle reliability and Nissan maintenance costs into account.
The J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study℠ ranks Nissan in 15th place out of 29 automakers. The study measured mechanical problems in three-year-old vehicles. Nissan vehicles had 199 problems per 100 vehicles, while the industry average was 190. This makes Nissan a relatively reliable car brand that’s much less prone to mechanical breakdowns on the side of the road versus 14 other automakers.
The brand scores fairly strong in RepairPal* studies as well, coming in 9th out of 32 car brands. RepairPal gives Nissans an above-average reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0. Further RepairPal reliability details are described in the chart below.
| Repair Factor | Nissan Average | Industry Average |
|---|---|---|
|
Average annual repair cost |
$500 |
$652 |
|
Frequency of repairs |
0.3 times per year |
0.4 times per year |
|
Chance of needing a severe repair* |
13% |
12% |
*A severe repair is any repair costing more than three times the average annual repair cost.
In addition to reliability, also consider typical repair costs. Be prepared to pay for such repairs out of pocket if you choose to forego extended auto warranty coverage.
| Model | Nissan Replacement or Repair Service | Average Repair Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
Nissan Sentra |
$44 to $56 |
|
|
Nissan Leaf |
$806 to $1,036 |
|
|
Nissan Xterra |
$376 to $447 |
|
|
Nissan 370Z |
$1,260 to $1,441 |
You shouldn’t have to worry about these issues with a fresh Nissan CPO vehicle. However, you’ll encounter more repairs as your car ages and Nissan CPOs are already used cars. Our team asked Jessica Campbell, the Vice President of Brand Marketing at Endurance Warranty, about the most common issues for older vehicles and she said,
“Transmissions are the most common repair claim, followed by water pumps. Repair costs can vary widely depending on several factors, including vehicle type, model, age, and the complexity of the individual repair.”
*RepairPal is a trusted site that analyzes average repair prices, part replacement costs, maintenance costs, recalls, and mechanical problems across many auto manufacturer brands and models.
What Does an Extended Nissan Warranty Cover?
If you want to lengthen your Nissan certified pre-owned warranty coverage, you can purchase a Nissan extended warranty—formally called a Nissan Security+Plus Extended Protection Plan. CPO vehicles are eligible for the Security+Plus Certified Pre-Owned Wrap Extended Protection Plan.
This vehicle service contract (VSC)** supplements the Nissan certified pre-owned warranty while building upon it. It includes full component coverage of up to 2,290+ parts (similar to the factory bumper-to-bumper warranty) and eliminates the deductible. Coverage terms are available up to 8 years and 120,000 miles or the same seven as you would get for the regular CPO warranty, but with unlimited miles—all from the original in-service date for your Nissan.
Nissan extended warranty plans are transferable and include additional benefits such as:
- Rental car assistance
- Emergency roadside assistance
- Trip interruption benefits
Our Manufacturer Extended Warranty Survey
In November 2023, we used Pollfish to survey 1,000 consumers who had purchased an extended warranty from their car’s manufacturer. Out of the respondents, 78 people had Nissan extended warranties. The majority were satisfied with their Nissan extended warranty coverage. Here are a few thoughts they shared:
- “I’m very satisfied as they always make sure my needs are met.”
- “I was extremely satisfied. It kept up with its word. There were two pretty major repairs that I needed for the car and the warranty covered almost all expenses even though one repair could have been self-caused.”
- “I have no issues with it, I’ve used the coverage and had no problems making claims.”
On the other hand, some customers encountered issues. Here are a few examples:
- “I’m not satisfied. I feel like I overpaid.”
- “I wasn’t satisfied at all… when I needed work they wouldn’t do it.”
- “It was a waste of money.”
Other Choices for Nissan Coverage
The Nissan CPO warranty doesn’t provide a lot of coverage, especially if your CPO Nissan already has quite a few miles on the odometer. You can find longer coverage by purchasing an extended warranty from an independent provider.
Independent warranty companies offer several advantages over manufacturer-backed extended warranties, including coverage for older vehicles, longer contract terms, and a greater selection of repair shops. We’ve reviewed several of the best extended car warranty companies and two providers that we recommend are Endurance and Carchex.
Endurance: Best Coverage
Endurance is a great pick for extended Nissan protection. The company has six levels of contracts to choose from, one of which combines mechanical breakdown protection and coverage for routine maintenance services. This is why we named it Best Coverage.
Each Endurance contract comes with perks like roadside assistance, trip interruption coverage, and rental car reimbursement for the duration of the warranty. Drivers also get a free year of Endurance Elite Benefits, which offers benefits including tire and key fob replacements, identity theft protection services, repair financing loans, and more.
Check out our comprehensive Endurance warranty review for more information, and click below to get a free, no-obligation quote from this provider.
Carchex: Best for Used Cars
Carchex is one of the most popular extended car warranty providers in the industry, and one of the top rated companies in our industry review as well. With five plan offerings and coverage for vehicles up to 20 years old, the provider earned the “Best for Used Cars” designation from the Motor1 Reviews team.
Each of Carchex’s five warranty plan offerings come with benefits like roadside assistance, towing, rental car coverage, and trip interruption coverage. When purchasing a warranty from the company in 2023, our team found the customer service representatives to be knowledgeable and helpful as we went through the buying and cancellation process. This experience is reflected in Carchex’s strong industry reputation, including an A+ score from the BBB with accreditation.
Nissan CPO Warranty: Bottom Line
Nissan’s CPO warranty gives you some extra powertrain coverage, but it doesn’t last forever. Nissan is a reliable brand, but CPO Nissan cars are older and have been used, despite their good conditions. This makes them more susceptible to mechanical breakdown.
Nissan’s extended CPO Wrap coverage could be a good way to prepare for that, but it can only extend coverage for a year past the actual CPO limited warranty and only comes with one coverage plan. Consider third-party protection plans for flexible coverage you can use at any licensed shop.
FAQ: Nissan CPO Warranty
Below are a few frequently asked questions about the Nissan CPO warranty.
What does Nissan’s 7-year/150,000 mile warranty cover?
Nissan’s 7-year/100,000-mile warranty applies to CPO vehicles. It covers over 600 components in the powertrain, which includes the engine, transmission, and drive axle. It also provides perks like roadside assistance and a period of free maintenance.
Are CPO warranties worth it?
It can be worth getting a CPO vehicle because the dealer has had it thoroughly inspected and serviced. You’re less likely to run into issues in the near-term with a CPO vehicle compared to a normal used car.
Is a CPO warranty the same as a factory warranty?
A CPO warranty is separate from a factory warranty and comes into effect after the factory warranty expires. The CPO warranty might cover the same components as the factory warranty or it might not.
What does CPO mean for Nissan
CPO Nissans undergo a 167-point inspection (or 139-point inspection for EVs). They come with a limited warranty of 7 years/100,000 miles, free maintenance for 1 year/15,000 miles, roadside assistance, rental reimbursement, and more.
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.
*Data accurate at time of publication.
**VSCs are technically not extended warranties, but serve the same function. VSCs are often created by separate companies (though offered and sold through dealerships) – and have their own regulations. However, VSCs can be considered as extended warranties when offered by auto manufacturers.
