Extended Warranties for Older Cars (2024 Guide) (2024)

Most dealership warranties run their course after a handful of years and before your vehicle accrues 100,000 miles on the odometer — with most expiring well before then. But once that expires, you have the option of purchasing extended coverage through your manufacturer or third-party warranty providers to ensure your high-mileage vehicle stays protected.

In this article, we at the MarketWatch Guides team discuss the best independent extended car warranty providers for older vehicles, the costs of extended warranties and the benefits these vehicle protection plans can provide.

What Is an Extended Warranty?

Extended warranties are vehicle service contracts that help cover repair costs after the car’s factory warranty expires. These protection plans help pay for repairs from unexpected mechanical failures. Owners of older cars with extended warranties may have more peace of mind knowing they have protection against surprise expenses.

Best Extended Warranties for Old Cars

Since older cars are generally more susceptible to frequent, costly repairs than new cars, owners may benefit from an extended warranty. Learn more about our top five extended car warranty providers for older and higher-mileage vehicles below.

Endurance: Most Comprehensive Coverage

Endurance took our top spot and the award for Most Comprehensive Coverage due to its six levels of protection, including one with maintenance benefits — a unique feature in the industry. The company’s warranties cover car repairs for up to eight years or 200,000 miles, making them one of the best choices for older vehicles.

With several coverage options, you have your choice of how to protect your old vehicle. Keep in mind, however, that the company only lists details for three plans on its website. Here is a list of all the plans Endurance offers:

• Supreme: This is the company’s most comprehensive coverage and is most similar to a factory-level bumper-to-bumper warranty.
• Superior: Endurance’s upper mid-tier level of protection lists a wide range of covered components and systems such as electrical components, fuel systems and air conditioning.
• Secure Plus: This enhanced powertrain plan is a good choice for older vehicles and protects powertrain, brake, steering and electrical components.
• Secure: The Secure plan provides affordable powertrain coverage for vital parts like the transmission and water pump.
• Select Premier: This contract aims to protect high-mileage vehicles and covers the engine, transmission, drive axle and more.
• EnduranceAdvantage: This combination plan provides mechanical breakdown protection plus maintenance coverage for both routine services like oil changes and one-time services like brake pad replacement.

Read more: Endurance warranty review

Carchex: Great Industry Reputation

Carchex has one of the best reputations in the industry since its inception in 1999 with an A+ rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). It’s a smart extended warranty choice for older vehicles since it has one of the highest term limits in the industry, up to 10 years/250,000 miles.

The company’s five protection plans ensure older cars are covered in case any unexpected breakdown occurs. Below is a list of its extended warranty options:

• Titanium: This is the highest level of protection and is most similar to a car manufacturer’s warranty with a short list of exclusions.
• Platinum: This is Carchex’s highest level of stated component coverage. It provides protection for most major components of the vehicle and many other systems and parts.
• Powertrain Plus: This mid-tier level of protection covers major systems of the vehicle including the engine, transmission, cooling system and drive axle.
• Powertrain: The most basic level of coverage, this plan protects only your vehicle’s most essential systems, including the engine and transmission.
• Extra Care: This plan provides vehicle coverage for items outside of the typical powertrain coverage, including the electrical system, suspension, steering and braking system.

Read more: Carchex warranty review

Omega Auto Care: Best Maintenance Benefits

Omega Auto Care offers protection for older vehicles with extremely generous term limits of up to 15 years/250,000 miles. We’ve given the company our Best Maintenance Benefits award since it covers safety inspections, oil changes, battery replacements and more under its warranty plans.

These factors, along with benefits like roadside assistance, towing and trip interruption coverage, make Omega Auto Care a great extended warranty provider for older cars. Below is a list of Omega Auto Care’s three extended warranty plans:

• New Exclusionary: This is the most comprehensive protection plan and it covers repairs for almost all vehicle systems. It most closely resembles a factory warranty.
• Used Stated Coverage: Omega Auto Care’s mid-tier plan is recommended for vehicles under 150,000 miles, and it covers a car’s most essential components and some extras, like brakes, steering, air conditioning and more.
• Powertrain: The powertrain plan offers protection for a vehicle’s drive train, and it covers vehicles with up to 250,000 miles on the odometer.

Read more: Omega Auto Care warranty review

autopom!: Excellent Customer Service

With affordable rates and generous mileage limits — up to seven years or 150,000 miles — autopom! is a solid choice for used car owners looking for coverage. The company offers three extended warranty plans, each with varying levels of protection:

• Exclusionary: This is the most comprehensive, bumper-to-bumper coverage, and it includes most parts of the vehicle except for a short list of exclusions.
• Mid-Level: This mid-tier option covers a majority of the vehicle’s most vital systems, like the engine, drive axle, transmission, electrical systems, steering, braking and air conditioning.
• Powertrain Plus: This basic plan covers the vehicle’s essential drivetrain components.

Read more: autopom! warranty review

Olive: Convenient Online Process

With no waiting period and a convenient online process, Olive is worth considering in your search for coverage for your older vehicle. All Olive plans provide protection for three years at a time, and the company has mileage limits of up to 185,000 miles. Warranty plans from Olive include perks like towing assistance and rental car reimbursem*nt.

Here is a list of Olive’s three coverage plans and what they offer:

• Complete Care: This comprehensive plan covers most of the vehicle’s components except for wear and tear items, like windshield wipers and tires.
• Powertrain Plus: This premium powertrain warranty is Olive’s mid-tier converge: It includes protection for the vehicle’s drivetrain components, as well as front suspension, brake pads, air conditioning components and power steering.
• Powertrain: As Olive’s most basic plan, the powertrain warranty provides protection for a car’s most essential components.

Read more: Olive warranty review

Cost of Extended Warranties for Older Cars

Our team reached out to a few of the top extended car warranty companies to get quotes for a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox with 90,000 miles. Below is a list of those quotes in further detail:

These warranties are all relatively similar in cost, with autopom! being the most expensive at $6,840. While these quotes provide great insight, keep in mind that warranty costs are specific to vehicles’ makes and models.

Below are some factors that impact how much car owners might pay for extended warranty coverage.

Are Extended Warranties for Older Cars Worth It?

An extended warranty for older vehicles may be worth it for several reasons. It saves money, offers flexibility, increases resale value, and provides perks and peace of mind.

The best coverage can save car owners money in the long run by preventing costly trips to the repair shop due to unexpected mechanical breakdowns. An extended auto warranty may be especially useful for high-mileage vehicles if potential repair bills are greater than the cost of a used car warranty.

Many extended warranty plans also offer financial flexibility, allowing owners to spread out payments for expensive repairs over several months. Some plans are also transferable to new owners, which increases a vehicle’s resale value.

Most extended warranties come with additional perks such as roadside assistance, towing, rental car reimbursem*nt and trip interruption coverage, regardless of the vehicle’s age. Even if car owners never need to use it, an extended warranty might be valuable solely for the peace of mind it provides.

Extended Warranty for Older Cars: The Bottom Line

Extended warranties can be a great tool for those looking to keep their pockets protected in the event of a sudden mechanical breakdown of their older car. While they may not be worth buying for every driver, extended warranties offer several benefits on top of keeping vehicles protected. By gathering free quotes and researching several providers, car owners can find the warranty plan that’s the best fit for their needs and budget.

Extended Warranty for Older Cars: FAQ

Below are some frequently asked questions about extended warranties for older vehicles.

Our Methodology

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best extended car warranty companies. We collected data on dozens of auto warranty providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.

Here are the factors our ratings take into account:

• Reputation: Our research team considers availability, ratings from industry experts and years in business when conferring this score.
• Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for warranty coverage, long contract terms and added benefits are more likely to meet consumer needs.
• Cost: Auto warranty companies with affordable rates and multiple deductibles scored highest in this category.
• Transparency: This score is based on contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
• Customer experience: Based on customer satisfaction ratings and our extensive shopper analysis, we consider the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each warranty company’s customer service team.

Our credentials:

• 500+ hours researched
• 50 companies reviewed
• 2,000+ consumers surveyed

*Data accurate at time of publication.