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Reviews of the Best Auto Warranty Programs:

An auto extended warranty is the most confusing, profitable product car dealers sell. When you spend $20,000+ on a new car these days, you expect a piece of machinery that works for years to come. If there is a problem, the manufacturer should take care of it for at least 5 years, right? Well, the average warranty is about 3 years or 36,000 miles for most cars. That barely covers the break-in period where there are very few mechanical issues. Periodically you might hear about a recall with a particular part and those are fixed automatically by the dealer. You can buy an extended warranty through the auto dealer, but as we will discuss below, that can be costly compared to getting auto warranties through 3rd party companies that specialize in that area. Expect to spend at least $1500 (as much as $5000) for an extended warranty on your car which should carry it through 75,000 miles or 5 years. For a comprehensive look at auto warranty programs online, see Autowarrantybroker.com with instant quotes, a section on "warranties explained" on GM, Ford, Chevy, BMW, Saturn, Toyota, Mercedes and Chrysler.



All Ford, GM, Chevy and Saturn cars and trucks have a full manufacturer's warranty up to 3 years/36,000 miles. The warranty is transferable at no cost to an unlimited # of owners. The Toyota extended warranty program covers 3 years/36,000 miles as well, but from 1997-2005 you get an additional 5 year/60,000 mile Powertrain warranty. A Mercedes extended warranty is good for 4 years/50,000 miles. Chrysler extended auto warranty is 3 years/36,000 miles and from 2003-2005, all models come with an addition of a 7 year/70,000 mile Powertrain warranty. BMW cars and trucks have a full manufacturer's warranty for up to 4 years/50,000 miles and the warranty is transferable at no cost to an unlimited amount of owners. Roadside assistance is fairly common with all these warranty programs. Mechanical Breakdown warranties are what most auto dealers sell, but you want a "wear & tear" auto warranty that will cover much more. In auto repair terms, most car parts wear down, they don't break which makes them uncovered by many mechanical breakdown warranties. I just recently purchased a Chevy Tahoe and had an issue with a part that ended up not being covered on the warranty. It was only about $80 to repair, but you come away feeling nickeled and dimed to death.

Extended Car Warranty - Used Car Extended Warranty Programs:

Getting an extended car warranty on a new car is easy since the vehicle is in perfect condition and should have no problems if serviced at the proper intervals. On the other hand, a used car will be much harder to get an extended warranty program on. Much like any used item, the older the automobile gets, the more problems that are likely to happen. We found a company listed on several websites that give extended warranty programs on vehicles with up to 150,000 miles. They are called Warranty Direct and the program is called PowerShield. You can find out more details on their webpage at WarrantyDirect.com. They have 26 years of experience and offer car warranties to over 2,200 auto dealers, banks, credit unions, and consumers.

New Car Warranties - What to look for?

You would think that spending $30000+ on a new car would get you a full warranty package for at least 50,000 miles or 5 years, but most car manufacturers these days only offer 36,000 miles/3 years. Seems amazing that they only have faith their workmanship will last that long before they slip you the repair bill. Even under warranty, not all things are covered. Many people complain about things like power window drives/motors going out after a few years in some models and so they take the car to the dealership expecting a fixit job with no bill. Not quite, those are the type of repairs that are not covered in most warranty packages. With the recent financial troubles of Ford and GM, I'm concerned with the newest models being built and how they are going to cut costs. Perhaps they will offer even less warranty coverage going forward to save money which means getting a quality auto extended warranty will more valuable than ever before. Going through some of the companies listed above could potentially save you $1000's down the road. Bumper to Bumper warranties are not what you would expect with many leaving out moving parts, motors, etc.

Auto Warranty Buying Tips - Extended Warranty Myths:

Most cars today don't offer much in terms of warranties, but we know that the average repair bill is around $1200 for cars over 50,000 miles. Therefore, buying an extended warranty program on your car is a good idea given that most warranty programs end after 3 years/36,000 with most car models sold today. The one caveat is don't buy the extended warranty from the dealer (Ford, Chevy, Chrysler, GM, etc.) since you can save 40% by buying from a discount online extended auto warranty company like WarrantyDirect.com. Most car dealers give you half the coverage for the same price as full coverage offered by extended warranty companies. Use your car rebate to pay for the auto extended warranty program through an independent company. Read the extended warranty contracts carefully as most don't cover everything you think they do. Most people who buy electronic goods at places like Circuit City go to pay and get asked "do you want the extended warranty coverage offered through Circuit City" and many people say sure. Little do they even know what the manufacturers warranty is let alone how the extended coverage will really help. Don't waste your money unless you know what you are buying into. Common extended warranty myths are "I'm covered by the manufacturer, why do I need extended coverage". After just a few years, you are on your own through the manufacturer and that is why getting an auto extended warranty is so crucial with services like car rentals, towing, lost key lockout, and toll free #'s for help. Buy sooner than later to ensure the cheapest rates. Another myth is "buying through the dealer is cheapest and easy". You can save 50% by buying the auto extended warranty online through an independent company. The biggest myth of all is "my car dealer said I have to buy an extended warranty at the time of purchase or I can never get it". That's a flat out lie and you should call any salesperson on it. You can buy extended warranty packages after you leave the showroom with your new car. In fact, I was bombarded by Chevrolet mailers asking for me to sign up through them over the first 3 years of my ownership.

Do you have a quality site or product that belongs in this guide? We are always happy to evaluate or review new products and websites. Feel free to contact us at the email address below and let us know about you. If you have a demo product you'd like us to look at, please contact us before sending anything. Thank you.


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