Best New Car Warranty
The automakers that offer the best new car warranties include Hyundai, Genesis, Kia, Mitsubishi, Jaguar, Infiniti, Tesla, Lincoln, Lexus, and Cadillac.
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If you’re shopping for a new sedan or SUV, you’re likely wondering which manufacturer offers the best new car warranty. Some factory warranties only provide coverage for three years or 36,000 miles, while others last nearly twice that long. In this article, we ranked the best new car warranties based on their highest levels of bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage, plus additional perks.
After your factory warranty expires, there are a number of options for long-term protection against expensive repairs. We’ve reviewed the best extended car warranty companies to help narrow down your choices. Read on to find out more about the best new car warranty choices and to see whether an extended warranty may be right for you.
Highlights:
- Based on our research, we found that Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia offer the best new car warranties.
- Most new car warranties tend to last between 3 years/36,000 miles and 5 years/60,000 miles.
- A new car warranty is a contract between you and the manufacturer of your vehicle that says the company will pay for some repairs or parts replacement during a certain time period or mileage.
Table of contents
What Is a New Car Warranty?
New car warranties are an automaker’s way of ensuring that products work as intended for a certain period of time. They’re essentially a contract between you and the manufacturer promising that any defects or malfunctions will be repaired. For a factory warranty to remain valid, you have to keep the vehicle properly maintained and take it into a dealership for repairs if you have any issues.
New car warranties typically consist of a bumper-to-bumper warranty, a powertrain warranty, and specific coverage plans such as anti-perforation warranties, corrosion warranties, and vehicle emissions warranties.
What Makes One Warranty Better Than Another?
There are a number of factors that determine warranty quality, such as:
- Term limits: The number of years and miles that a warranty covers varies greatly for different parts of your vehicle. For example, powertrain parts like the engine, transmission, and drive axles are often covered for the longest period of time. Things like original batteries and the audio or entertainment systems might only be covered for a year or two.
- What’s included and excluded: It’s important to know what your manufacturer warranty covers. For example, many warranties don’t take care of routine maintenance services such as oil changes and tire rotations, wear-and-tear parts like brake pads and wiper blades, or aftermarket parts.
- Extra benefits: Some warranties cover additional services like emergency roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and travel expenses if you break down a certain number of miles from home.
How Important Are New Car Warranties?
The quality of a manufacturer’s warranty might not be the deciding factor for your new car, but it’s something to take into consideration with a new vehicle purchase.
Longer warranties show that manufacturers are confident in their products and services—so much so that some agree to cover their vehicles for up to 10 years. Purchasing a new automobile is one of the biggest investments a person can make, and you could gain peace of mind if you get the best new car warranty on the market.
Budgeting is also important since a car with low upfront pricing but a short term length or many warranty exclusions could cost more in the long run. Because of this, doing research on manufacturers’ new car warranties is crucial before you decide on your vehicle of choice.
Automakers With the Longest New Car Warranties
Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty | Powertrain Warranty | |
|---|---|---|
5 years/60,000 miles | 10 years/100,000 miles | |
5 years/60,000 miles | 10 years/100,000 miles | |
5 years/60,000 miles | 10 years/100,000 miles | |
5 years/60,000 miles | 10 years/100,000 miles | |
5 years/60,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles | |
4 years/60,000 miles | 6 years/70,000 miles | |
4 years/50,000 miles | 8 years/mileage varies | |
4 years/50,000 miles | 6 years/70,000 miles | |
4 years/50,000 miles | 6 years/70,000 miles | |
4 years/50,000 miles | 6 years/70,000 miles | |
4 years/50,000 miles | 6 years/70,000 miles |
Ford, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota have more limited 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranties and 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranties.
10 Best New Car Warranty Companies
#1 Hyundai
Four of our five best new vehicle warranties offer industry-leading powertrain coverage for 10 years or 100,000 miles along with bumper-to-bumper coverage. What puts the Hyundai warranty above the rest is its inclusion of roadside assistance for five years and corrosion coverage for seven years, both for unlimited miles.
For hybrids and plug-in vehicles, Hyundai offers a lifetime battery warranty for the first owner. Other hybrid and electrical components are also covered for 10 years/100,000 miles. These reasons led us to choose Hyundai as our overall choice for best new car warranty.
Pros | Hyundai offers free maintenance for the first 3 years/36,000 miles. |
Cons | The Hyundai new car warranty loses its 10-year powertrain coverage after the first owner, decreasing to the same 5-year/60,000-mile limit as the bumper-to-bumper warranty. |
#2 Genesis
The luxury offshoot of Hyundai shares its sister brand’s warranty limits for the bumper-to-bumper warranty, powertrain warranty, roadside assistance, and corrosion coverage. It also offers owners free maintenance for the first 3 years/36,000 miles.
Pros | With the Genesis warranty, you get free Genesis service valet amenities for the first 3 years/36,000 miles. This means Genesis will perform a remote diagnostic check, pick up your vehicle, send a free replacement vehicle, and return your Genesis when it’s ready. |
Cons | Like Hyundai, the Genesis 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty is downgraded to 5 years/60,000 miles after the first owner. This means subsequent owner warranties are inferior to other luxury brands like Lincoln and Cadillac, which offer transferable powertrain coverage for 6 years/70,000 miles. |
#3 Kia
Another sister brand of Hyundai, Kia offers the same warranty limits for bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage. However, roadside assistance is capped at 60,000 miles and corrosion coverage is reduced to 5 years/100,000 miles. For these reasons, Hyundai and Genesis pull ahead in our list of best new car warranty providers.
Pros | The Kia warranty’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage extends to hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs). Plus, hybrid and EV systems are covered under additional warranties of the same length with coverage for unique components like the battery pack assembly, power control units, and onboard chargers. |
Cons | Following suit with Hyundai and Genesis, the powertrain warranty falls from 10 years of coverage to just six years after the first owner. |
#4 Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi owners enjoy the same bumper-to-bumper, powertrain, corrosion, and roadside assistance warranty term limits as Genesis and Hyundai drivers. Mitsubishi is the only other automaker that offers 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
Pros | Hybrids are covered under the powertrain warranty including nearly all battery parts. |
Cons | As with other industry leaders, the Mitsubishi warranty for powertrain coverage is reduced to five years or 60,000 miles after the first owner. |
#5 Jaguar
Jaguar’s bumper-to-bumper warranty is on par with industry leaders, but its powertrain warranty falls short at five years or 60,000 miles. Standard EliteCare coverage includes complimentary scheduled maintenance and 24/7 roadside assistance for all newly purchased vehicles.
Pros | Jaguar warranty coverage is fully transferable to another owner and remains in full effect during the original warranty coverage period. |
Cons | Powertrain coverage doesn’t match that of industry leaders despite low reliability ratings and high annual repair costs. |
#6 Infiniti
Infiniti has powertrain warranty coverage that falls just behind industry leaders like Genesis, Kia, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi, with coverage lasting for six years or 70,000 miles. However, its bumper-to-bumper warranty provides only four rather than five years of coverage.
We appreciate Infiniti’s roadside and towing assistance benefits for the first four years from your vehicle’s in-service date.
Pros | Coverage is transferable as long as the car is within its original warranty period. |
Cons | Infiniti’s term lengths lag slightly behind the best new car warranty providers on the market. |
#7 Tesla
Tesla provides all of its electric vehicles with 4 years/50,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage. In addition, new vehicles receive supplemental restraint system (SRS) coverage and a battery and drive unit limited warranty that’s similar to a standard powertrain warranty.
Tesla’s battery and drive unit warranty terms differ by model. You’ll find eight years or 150,000 miles of coverage for the Model S and Model X. The Model 3 and Model Y have a slightly reduced eight years or 120,000 miles of coverage.
Pros | If your battery retention drops below 70 percent during your drive unit warranty coverage period, Tesla will replace it. |
Cons | Tesla’s Model 3 with rear-wheel drive has a limit of 8 years/100,000 miles instead of the standard 120,000 miles. |
#8 Lincoln
Lincoln’s bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties have average term limits, lasting 4 years/50,000 miles and 6 years/70,000 miles respectively. Combined, the warranties cover all major parts of the vehicle, from high-tech components to the drivetrain. New Lincoln vehicles also come with a safety restraint warranty, which covers the vehicle’s seat belts and airbags for 5 years/60,000 miles.
Pros | Lincoln new car warranties come with lifetime roadside assistance which features 100 miles of towing services, flat tire changes, fuel deliveries, and more. |
Cons | Lincoln will not cover damages from natural disasters like fires or floods. |
#9 Lexus
Lexus offers solid warranty protection on all new vehicles, with a basic warranty that lasts 4 years/50,000 miles and a powertrain warranty that protects your car for 6 years/70,000 miles.
For new hybrid vehicles, Lexus includes a protection plan that lasts 8 years/100,000 miles. Included in the basic warranty is coverage for wheel alignment and balancing, which lasts 1 year/12,000 miles.
Pros | Lexus’s corrosion-perforation warranty lasts for six years with unlimited mileage. |
Cons | The Lexus parts replacement warranty doesn’t have a mileage cap but does expire after one year. |
#10 Cadillac
Cadillac’s powertrain warranty lasts 6 years/70,000 miles, which is on the higher end for car manufacturers. The bumper-to-bumper warranty only lasts 4 years/50,000 miles, but added perks like roadside assistance, corrosion protection, and courtesy protection last the entire life of the powertrain warranty.
Cadillac also covers the cost of your first maintenance visit, including an oil change, multi-point vehicle inspection, and a tire rotation.
Pros | Cadillac offers some of the best roadside assistance terms in the industry. Roadside coverage lasts 6 years/70,000 miles. |
Cons | If there’s a diagnosis fee to determine what repairs need to be done, that fee is not refundable. |
Is an Extended Car Warranty Worth It on a New Vehicle?
Whether an extended car warranty is worth it on your new vehicle depends on how reliable your vehicle is and whether you’re willing and able to pay for added coverage. In March 2022, we conducted an industry-wide survey for car owners that had gotten extended warranties. Of the 1,000 respondents, nearly 70 percent bought extended coverage when they bought their car or soon after.
The study showed that the majority of drivers were happy with their extended warranties, largely because nearly 14 percent experienced a breakdown once every six months, 27 percent experienced one every year, and 23 percent had their car break down once every two years.
Newer cars are much less likely to break down than older cars, but many car manufacturers don’t allow you to purchase extended coverage from them after your factory warranty expires. It’s always possible for a car to break down, so the best thing you can do is research how reliable your brand and model is.
You can also check out sites like RepairPal to find out how much repair costs would be out of pocket. What’s important to remember is that brand new vehicles often automatically come with coverage that lasts at least 3 years/36,000 miles. It’s usually best to buy an extended warranty when your new vehicle limited warranty will expire soon. That way, you can keep the bumper-to-bumper coverage going.
If you plan to sell your vehicle, a transferable extended warranty could make it more attractive to potential buyers. Plus, many extended warranties come with extra perks like emergency roadside assistance and rental car coverage.
Most Popular Extended Warranty Providers
In our extended car warranty survey, respondents listed down the third-party warranty provider they picked. CarShield was the most popular, covering 53 percent of the third-party warranty customers. CARCHEX and Endurance were also popular. Other companies people listed included autopom!, Protect My Car, Olive®, and Concord Auto Protect.
Our top recommended provider is usually Endurance for its many versatile coverage levels, unique benefits, and strong customer reputation. Keep in mind that the most popular companies aren’t always the best. We encourage you to shop around and research various extended warranty providers to find a coverage plan that suits your needs.
How To Buy an Extended Auto Warranty
Those who are looking at extended coverage have two main options: plans from automakers themselves and plans from independent providers. Each choice has its benefits and downsides, though brand loyalty tends to be the top reason why customers would pick an automaker.
While dealerships offer extended coverage to augment factory warranties, third-party providers could be better alternatives for the following reasons:
- Coverage for older and used cars: Many of the most expensive repairs will happen later in your car’s lifetime. Third-party companies like Endurance, CARCHEX, and CarShield offer plans that typically outlast manufacturers’ warranties. Some will even cover your vehicle for up to 250,000 miles.
- No time frame for purchasing: You don’t need to buy a third-party extended warranty at the same time you purchase your vehicle. You can wait until well after your new car warranty expires to avoid paying for unnecessary overlapping coverage.
- More mechanic options: Most manufacturer warranties require that you get repairs done at specific dealerships, while an aftermarket extended warranty will open up more service options in your area.
- Plan flexibility: Many third-party providers offer a number of coverage options as well as monthly payment plans so you can find one that fits your needs.
- It’s generally cheaper: In most cases, extended warranties from third-party providers have less expensive premiums than manufacturer extended warranties.
To help narrow down the best plan for your needs, our team reviewed a number of third-party providers and compiled a list of the most reputable extended car warranty companies. Two of our highest-rated providers that we suggest getting quotes from are Endurance and CARCHEX.
Endurance: Best Coverage
In our comprehensive review of extended automotive warranty companies, Endurance came out on top. It offers six levels of coverage for up to 8 years/200,000 miles. Perks with Endurance include 24-hour roadside assistance, rental car coverage, and travel expense reimbursement. The company also offers mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) to drivers in California.
Keep reading: Endurance warranty review
Our rating: 4.6 out of 5.0
CARCHEX: Best for Used Cars
CARCHEX earned 4.4 stars from our team because it has an easy claims process, direct payments to repair facilities, and prompt responses from customer service specialists.
CARCHEX gives car owners the choice of five coverage levels ranging from basic powertrain coverage to the CARCHEX Titanium plan, which is similar to bumper-to-bumper coverage. The company offers warranty coverage that can last up to 250,000 miles, making it a great choice for older and used cars.
Keep reading: CARCHEX review
Our rating: 4.4 out of 5.0
Best New Car Warranty: Conclusion
Best New Car Warranty: Q&A
Here are a few frequently asked questions about the best new car warranty plans.
What car has a 10-year warranty?
Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, and Mitsubishi all include powertrain warranties that last 10 years/100,000 miles.
What manufacturer has the best new car warranty?
Hyundai, Genesis, Kia, and Mitsubishi tie for the best bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties for new vehicles.
What does a new car warranty cover?
A new car warranty covers any defects or malfunctions in a new vehicle for a certain period of time after purchase. It typically includes a bumper-to-bumper warranty, a powertrain warranty, and other coverage types such as a corrosion warranty and vehicle emissions warranty.
What is the best new car warranty?
The best new car warranties on the market today provide five years or 60,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage and 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage. Bumper-to-bumper warranties cover almost everything in your car, and powertrain warranties cover your car’s most expensive parts during and after bumper coverage expires.
Methodology
Our review team prides itself on sharing accurate and unbiased information with consumers. We have accumulated data from dozens of extended auto warranty companies to formulate our rankings of the industry’s best providers. Companies receive a score out of 5.0 overall, as well as a rating in each of the following categories:
- Price: Comparing providers can be difficult due to the many factors that influence cost. To determine this score, we employ a secret shopper analysis using different vehicles, mileages, warranty plans, and locations.
- Coverage: A wide variety of coverage is essential to support the differing needs of customers. We take into account the number of extended car warranty plans available, term limits, exclusions, and additional benefits.
- Customer Service: The level of customer service and care provided by an extended warranty company is an important consideration. Our review team sifts through customer reviews and complaints from reputable sources such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot. We also consider the responsiveness of each company’s customer service team based on our secret shopper analysis.
- Reputation: Good extended warranty providers consistently provide quality experiences. Our team takes into account BBB ratings and the company’s history of reliable service when giving this score.
- Transparency: Customers value a commitment to open and honest communication when it comes to vehicle service contracts. Our team of experts takes into account the availability of money-back guarantees and sample contracts.
*Data accurate at time of publication.
Stephen Kenney is a writer and editor who focuses on car insurance, auto financing, and vehicle shipping services. He's a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and has experience covering categories ranging from travel to sports to environmental sustainability. In his free time, Stephen enjoys going on long-distance runs, trying out new recipes, and exploring his adopted hometown of Cincinnati.
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