The Best Warranties for Cars Over 100K Miles

If your car is getting up there in miles, and the factory warranty is long gone, here are some warranty plans to consider to keep it covered

byAustin Fracchia|
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High-mileage vehicles (above 100,000 miles) tend to have unique maintenance and repair requirements as they age. Parts start to break or wear out, repairs get more extensive and expensive, and all of this can be difficult on your wallet without the right coverage. 

Thankfully, there are several high-mileage extended auto warranty providers you can check out to save some money and to keep your vehicle running with good vehicle protection. Here are our top picks for the best high-mileage car warranty. 

Uproar.car —  Around the Clock Coverage for Your Car

Uproar.car will cover your car for less, protecting you against expensive repairs from bumper to bumper. With a focus on customer care and no middleman to complicate repairs and claims, you’ll get easy coverage you can actually use. The plan even pays for itself — Uproar.car’s warranty coverage gives you exclusive access to discounts, auto concierge service, and a 100 percent online claims process. And with clear, upfront price quotes, you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to the cost. It should also be noted, however, that this coverage does not extend to some luxury vehicles, cars over 120,000 miles, and cars more than 10 years old.

EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE MORE … FOR LESS

Save $350 on an Endurance warranty plan with coupon code: DRIVE350

Save $350 on an Endurance warranty plan with coupon code: DRIVE350

Going with a factory extended warranty is a good option for basic protection, but you can get more and save more with Endurance, ranked the top extended warranty provider by Consumer Advocates, Consumer Affairs, and Retirement Living.

Get a Free Quote

Save $350 with coupon code: DRIVE350

CarShield — USA’s #1 Auto Protection Provider

CarShield — USA’s #1 Auto Protection Provider

CarShield pays claims directly to a US or Canadian ASE-Certified® repair facility of your choice. Our contracts have low or no deductibles to prevent stress to your wallet at a critical time. Never worry about being stranded somewhere after a breakdown. All of our vehicle repair contracts include towing services to transport you and your vehicle to a safe repair facility.

Basic High-Mileage Warranties Explained

Extended car warranties for vehicles over 100,000 miles work in a similar fashion to any other extended warranty that is actually a vehicle service contract. Unlike true extended warranties that simply extend the coverage of the original factory warranty, vehicle service contracts through third-party providers have a different set of inclusions and exclusions along with extra perks factory warranties lack

In other words, you generally get more for your money with an extended warranty from a third-party provider for a used car (or even a new car).

For high-mileage vehicles, not all extended car warranties will work to keep your vehicle fully covered. Older cars have unique maintenance and repair requirements since more parts are likely to wear or fail. In order to keep costs down as maintenance comes up, the extended warranty needs to have a fairly large inclusion list of components. 

Otherwise, you may find yourself paying more out-of-pocket than you anticipated, on top of the monthly or yearly costs of the warranty itself. Most high-mileage vehicles tend to show the most signs of wear in the drivetrain and engine. The parts that are moving constantly will wear more quickly than interior components or electronics like the navigation. 

As a result, the best extended warranties for high-mileage vehicles have good powertrain coverage to reduce costs on engine, transmission, and drivetrain components.

You will likely find that many third-party providers have at least one high-mileage plan to consider. Some companies even advertise them for high-mileage vehicle owners, or you may find plans with higher coverage limits for aging vehicles.

Comparing High-Mileage Warranties

Comparing different warranty providers when it comes to high-mileage plans involves a few extra consideration points than just comparing general factory or extended warranties. Eligibility is one major consideration since some cars can’t qualify for a specific plan. 

The list of inclusions and exclusions is all the more important to make sure you are getting the coverage that your car actually needs to keep running.

For our selection, we considered the following important points:

  • Inclusions: Lower-end warranty plans often come with inclusion lists that include everything covered by the warranty in terms of parts. If this list is small, it’s usually easier to add an inclusion list than to show every part that isn’t covered. This type of list is extremely important to see what will be covered for your high-mileage vehicle.
  • Coverage Limit: All car warranties, factory or third-party, have coverage limits where the warranty no longer applies. Factory warranties from the dealership simply expire, but extended warranties use a coverage limit to exclude older vehicles as well. In this case of high-mileage vehicles, this can leave a lot of options off the table when you are searching for the best plan. As a result, a proper high-mileage warranty plan should have a coverage limit above 100,000 miles. 
  • Exclusions: Opposite of inclusion lists, exclusions are things a warranty doesn’t cover. Equally important for high-mileage vehicles, exclusion lists clearly spell out what you should know won’t be addressed by the warranty plan. Many comprehensive plans use exclusion lists to save time and space when detailing what is and isn’t covered.
  • Extra Perks: For older vehicles, extra perks come in handy when you need something more than just the parts coverage of the plan. Things like roadside assistance, trip interruption coverage, emergency assistance, towing, and rental car reimbursement add value to the plan and can help you out in a pinch. Some providers include perks into the plan itself, while others offer these additions as an extra membership.
Extra perks like roadside assistance can come in handy during an unexpected emergency., GETTYIMAGES

The Best Warranty Providers

When it comes to keeping a high-mileage vehicle running, not all providers are equal in their service and offerings. We’ve taken the time to find the best car warranty providers that have plans for high-mileage vehicles and a good reputation in terms of service and customer support.

This list will help you weed through the crowded warranty provider space and find a company that will exceed your expectations.

Best Comprehensive High-Mileage Car Warranty: Endurance

With a coverage limit of 150,000 miles, Endurance is one of the best big players in the car warranty space to find something for your older vehicle. The company manages to combine a good balance of plan options, customer support, and repair facility compatibility (any ASE-certified mechanic or repair shop). 

More importantly, the company has a large number of direct plans that avoid the usual broker/admin relationship that other third-party warranty providers have.

The best plan for high-mileage vehicles under the Endurance flag is the Select Premiere. Covering nearly all of the critical components needed to keep a high-mileage vehicle running, the plan takes the coverage a few steps above a usual powertrain extended warranty. 

Main parts that are covered include engine components, the transmission, drive axles, and electrical systems.

In addition to the high-mileage plan, the company also offers a few extra perks in the form of the Endurance Elite Membership. These perks include roadside assistance and member-only deals and support. Normally, this membership is an extra yearly fee, but Endurance includes it for the first year for free on any of its plans. 

Best High-Mileage Car Warranty for Personalization: CarShield

CarShield is often the first company many high-mileage vehicle owners check out for an extended warranty because it offers a few advantages over its competitors. For example, its coverage limit of 200,000 miles is more than most third-party warranty providers use for eligibility limits, meaning you can cover older vehicles. 

Meant for both high-mileage and used vehicles, the company’s Platinum plan has one of the company’s largest inclusion lists for near-comprehensive coverage. 

This plan covers the transmission, transfer case, suspension, steering, brakes, drive axles, engine components, and other critical parts that show wear and tear as a vehicle hits the 100,000-mile mark. 

In addition to the comprehensive high-mileage plan, the company also distinguishes itself with its on-the-go monthly payment plans. Instead of paying everything upfront for the year (like most warranty providers), CarShield allows you to pay on a monthly basis to lessen the initial investment cost. 

This will also allow you to cancel the plan before the end of the year if necessary.

Best Value High-Mileage Car Warranty: Protect My Car

Protect My Car is one of the relatively smaller providers within the car warranty space. With that said, the company manages to set itself apart with a good combination of diverse plans, flexible payment options, and a coverage limit of 125,000 miles

While this limit is smaller than some of its competitors, it is enough to cover a vehicle that has just hit the 100,000-mile mark for a few years.

The company’s warranty plans are all great options for a general high-mileage vehicle, but you may find more coverage with the Select and Supreme plans to be a better value if your vehicle is showing more wear and tear than usual. These plans both cover major components like the engine, transmission, electrical, and braking systems. 

The Select plan lacks support for specialty components like turbochargers and navigation equipment, so the Supreme plan is the more comprehensive option of the two.

The extra perks is where the company really shines. All of its plans come with roadside assistance and rental car reimbursement. Unlike most competitors, it also offers a flexible payment plan option if the usual pay-per-year approach doesn’t work. This plan ranges from 36 to 60 monthly payments.

Best High-Mileage Car Warranty for Higher High-Mileage Vehicles: American Auto Shield

With a 250,000-mile coverage limit, American Auto Shield has almost everyone beat in terms of how worn or old a vehicle can be to still get coverage from a third-party provider. If you anticipate keeping your near-100,000-mile vehicle around for a few years, this is one of the best providers to consider for the extra coverage it can offer up to that 250,000-mile mark. 

The company’s coverage plans don’t stop with high-mileage cars either. Capable of covering other vehicles, the company has a fairly expansive range of plan options.

For high-mileage vehicles, American Auto Shield has a few comprehensive plans that mimic bumper-to-bumper warranties, but many of them are limited to 100,000 miles or below. The Powertrain High Mileage plan, however, extends to the full 250,000 miles and covers all of the basic drivetrain and engine components a typical factory powertrain warranty covers.

FAQs

Q. Why do I need a warranty for a high-mileage vehicle?

A. The older a vehicle gets (in terms of miles on the engine), the more parts begin to wear out. This means that high-mileage vehicles often need extra service and maintenance, which all can add up in costs. A high-mileage car warranty can help reduce those repair costs.

Q. What parts wear out with high-mileage vehicles?

A. Virtually anything can start to wear out at around the 100,000-mile mark. The drivetrain and engine, however, are the areas that you have to look at the most with older vehicles. It’s usually small, replaceable parts like water pumps, gaskets, seals, and bearings that need the most attention.

Q. Do I need a different extended car warranty once my vehicle hits 100,000 miles?

A. Not necessarily. All plans have coverage limits, but you may find your extended warranty lasts beyond the 100,000-mile mark. When a car reaches this mark, however, it may be a good time to find a different warranty plan if you think you will need different or more coverage.

Considering High-Mileage Warranties

A high-mileage vehicle is where extended car warranties make the most sense. Unlike new vehicles that primarily only suffer from factory defects, older vehicles can easily start to show their age as the miles pile on. Extended warranties can reduce your costs and keep your vehicle running if repairs are needed quickly. 

That is why it pays to take some time to consider your options. When comparing different warranty companies, look at the warranty coverage you need for good peace of mind and read the fine print. 

Pay attention to inclusion and exclusion lists, in particular, to make sure potential faulty components are covered by the plan. In the end, a plan should save you more money than you'd spend if you pay out of your own pockets. 

Uproar.car —  Around the Clock Coverage for Your Car

Uproar.car will cover your car for less, protecting you against expensive repairs from bumper to bumper. With a focus on customer care and no middleman to complicate repairs and claims, you’ll get easy coverage you can actually use. The plan even pays for itself — Uproar.car’s warranty coverage gives you exclusive access to discounts, auto concierge service, and a 100 percent online claims process. And with clear, upfront price quotes, you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to the cost. It should also be noted, however, that this coverage does not extend to some luxury vehicles, cars over 120,000 miles, and cars more than 10 years old.

EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE MORE … FOR LESS

Save $350 on an Endurance warranty plan with coupon code: DRIVE350

Save $350 on an Endurance warranty plan with coupon code: DRIVE350

Going with a factory extended warranty is a good option for basic protection, but you can get more and save more with Endurance, ranked the top extended warranty provider by Consumer Advocates, Consumer Affairs, and Retirement Living.

Get a Free Quote

Save $350 with coupon code: DRIVE350

CarShield — USA’s #1 Auto Protection Provider

CarShield — USA’s #1 Auto Protection Provider

CarShield pays claims directly to a US or Canadian ASE-Certified® repair facility of your choice. Our contracts have low or no deductibles to prevent stress to your wallet at a critical time. Never worry about being stranded somewhere after a breakdown. All of our vehicle repair contracts include towing services to transport you and your vehicle to a safe repair facility.

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