CarSure Warranty Review
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It makes sense to worry about your car breaking down while you drive. A CarSure warranty could be the key to your peace of mind. Understanding your warranty options can help you financially prepare for the cost of unforeseeable repairs.
Is a CarSure warranty the best option for your vehicle protection this year? This article will dive into the cost, coverage, and reputation of CarSure to help you decide if a CarSure warranty is right for you. We’ll also recommend two of the best extended auto warranty providers.
To get a better sense of which provider will give you the best rates for your extended car warranty protection, we recommend all customers get quotes from our top providers above.
Pros | Above-average coverage, positive customer reviews, and full refunds available upon cancellation. |
Cons | Customer reports of questionable sales tactics and lack of transparency. |
Bottom Line | It’s hard to recommend a CarSure warranty given the mixed reviews. |
Table of contents
CarSure Warranty Review: 2.6 Stars
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
Above average coverage |
Lack of transparency on its website |
Positive Trustpilot customer reviews |
Pattern of customer complaints about suspicious business practices |
Full refund available upon cancellation within 60 claim-free days of purchase |
Online quote tool doesn’t work |
Perks including roadside assistance and trip interruption coverage |
No coverage for exotic vehicles |
$75 coverage transfer fee |
Overall, CarSure offers comprehensive coverage options and a few nice perks. But the company’s murky customer service history makes it hard for us to recommend purchasing a CarSure warranty. Luckily, there are plenty of reputable extended car warranty companies out there. Begin your search with our recommended providers below.
CarSure Warranty Highlights
Overall Rating |
2.6 |
|---|---|
Reputation |
2.1 |
Coverage |
3.9 |
Price |
3.3 |
Transparency |
2.0 |
Customer Service |
2.0 |
What Is CarSure?
CarSure is part of Innovative Aftermarket Systems Direct, a group that provides extended vehicle protection plans to drivers nationwide. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the company also goes by the names Repair Defense Network and VSC Marketing Group. However, the CarSure website does not mention these alternative titles.
Instead of administering plans directly, CarSure markets vehicle service contracts from companies including:
- American Auto Shield
- American Colonial Administration
- Interstate
- Royal Administration Services
What Does a CarSure Warranty Cover?
Here’s an overview of what vehicle components each plan covers:
Powertrain |
Comprehensive |
Exclusionary |
Ultimate |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
Engine |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Transmission |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Water Pump |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Alternator |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Starter |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Air Conditioning |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Electrical System |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Drive Axle |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Fuel System |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Steering |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Brakes |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Suspension |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Luxury Electrical |
✓ |
✓ |
||
Computers |
✓ |
✓ |
||
Tire and Wheel |
✓ |
CarSure Warranty: Ultimate Protection
CarSure’s Ultimate warranty is the provider’s highest level of mechanical breakdown coverage. It covers parts of all major vehicle systems, including seals and gaskets and emissions components.
The Ultimate plan also covers tires and wheels, providing repairs or replacements if these parts are damaged by a road hazard. If your car has high-tech electrical and computer systems or if you’re looking for extra protection for your tires and wheels, CarSure’s Ultimate plan may be a great choice for you.
CarSure Warranty: Exclusionary Protection
The Exclusionary plan is CarSure’s most comprehensive breakdown coverage. It has the same coverage as the Ultimate plan, minus the tire and wheel protection.
Exclusionary coverage means that all vehicle components are covered aside from a list of non-covered parts. Exclusions may vary by service contract administrator, but CarSure has sample contracts from partners on its website, so you can see exactly what would and would not be covered under each plan.
CarSure Warranty: Comprehensive Protection
The CarSure Comprehensive plan provides breakdown coverage for the parts of your vehicle that are most likely to need expensive repairs. It’s a stated-component warranty, meaning your vehicle service contract will list out each specific part that’s covered. Again, you can check sample contacts from each of CarSure’s administrators online.
The Comprehensive plan also includes a “luxury package” that covers factory-installed radios, radars, stereos, GPS, TV and DVD systems, video game systems, and bluetooth devices.
CarSure Warranty: Powertrain Protection
CarSure’s least comprehensive policy, the Powertrain plan focuses only on your car’s major parts and systems, including the engine, transmission, drive axle, and air conditioning.
Like the Comprehensive plan, CarSure’s Powertrain coverage is a stated-component warranty. Any part not listed on your contract will not be covered.
CarSure Warranty Added Benefits
Each CarSure warranty comes with added benefits including:
- Towing: Up to $75 per occurrence
- Rental car reimbursement: Up to $200
- Trip interruption coverage: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days
- Lockout services: Up to $50 per occurrence
- Roadside assistance: Up to $75 per occurrence for towing, fuel/fluid delivery, battery boost or jump, or flat tire changes
A CarSure warranty allows you to choose any repair shop certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®) for covered repairs. Claims are paid directly to the repair shop so you don’t have to wait around for a reimbursement check after a covered repair, which is standard for third-party extended warranties.
What’s Not Covered Under Any CarSure Warranty
It’s important to read your contract carefully to know exactly what will be covered when it comes time to file a claim. Understanding what’s not covered under your CarSure warranty is just as important as understanding what is covered.
Some items excluded from CarSure warranty coverage include:
- Batteries and battery cables
- Hub caps and racing tires
- Convertible tops
- Aftermarket accessories, custom parts, and modifications
- Repairs or parts not installed by the manufacturer
- Any component failure due to improper maintenance or lack thereof
- Damage resulting from a collision, vandalism, weather events, and other acts of nature
- Vehicles with modified suspensions, lift or drop kits, and/or oversized tires and wheels
- Commercial vehicles
- Off-roading vehicles
- Exotic vehicles
- Breakdowns that occur outside the US or Canada
How Much Does a CarSure Warranty Cost?
The cost of a CarSure warranty will vary from vehicle to vehicle, but our review team was able to find some customer-reported pricing online to give more insight into average policy costs.
One CarSure warranty customer reported paying $5,000 for 5 years or 50,000 miles of CarSure’s highest level of coverage. The customer did not specify what plan this referred to nor type of vehicle that was covered.
Another customer reported paying $3,000 for the Exclusionary plan but provided no more information about the type of vehicle that was covered. Finally, a third customer reported paying $185 per month for 18 months for Powertrain coverage but did not share the term limits of this plan.
As with any extended warranty provider, vehicle service contract quotes from CarSure will depend on multiple factors, such as:
- Your location
- The make and model of your vehicle
- Your vehicle’s age and mileage
- And more
Quotes and Claims Processes
Filing a CarSure Warranty Claim
Follow the steps below when you need to file a claim using your CarSure warranty:
- When your car breaks down, take immediate action to prevent further damage.
- Take your vehicle to any ASE-Certified®repair facility.
- Give a copy of your CarSure warranty contract to the repair facility.
- Ask the repair facility to seek authorization from CarSure before starting repairs. (In some cases, you may need to authorize an inspection or teardown of your vehicle to determine the cause of a breakdown.)
- Your coverage will be reviewed by CarSure, and repairs will be approved or denied.
- If your repairs are approved, you will only need to pay your deductible.
- Submit a copy of the original repair order to your plan administrator.
The maximum hourly labor rate for any covered breakdown is $125 per labor hour. Any labor charges that exceed this amount will be your responsibility.
CarSure Warranty Ratings and Reviews
CarSure has earned a 4.3-star rating from Trustpilot with over 400 customer reviews, more than 80 percent of which score CarSure as “Excellent.”
The company’s BBB rating, however, is a little less straightforward, as CarSure itself does not have a BBB profile. Instead, comments and complaints about CarSure are posted to the BBB page of VSC Marketing Group, which is one of CarSure’s alternative business names.
VSC Marketing Group has a C+ rating from the BBB. There’s also an alert on its profile warning consumers of repeated complaints that the company does not pay out warranty claims. Customers have additionally expressed concern regarding phishing phone scams and rude customer service.
Many of these complaints have been addressed by the company, which signs off on its responses as CarSure. However, the pattern of customer dissatisfaction and reports that claims are not paid raise a red flag about the company’s transparency and business ethics.
Top Recommendations for Extended Car Warranties
Endurance: Best Coverage
In our research, we found Endurance to have the best coverage options of any third-party warranty provider. Here is a breakdown of the six levels of warranty coverage that Endurance offers:
Plan |
Coverage Details |
|---|---|
Supreme |
Exclusionary bumper-to-bumper coverage that protects most of your vehicle’s components |
Superior |
Highest level of stated-component coverage that provides protection from your car’s rear suspension all the way to your engine |
Secure Plus |
Provides enhanced powertrain coverage and has the shortest waiting period of any Endurance plan at 30 days and 1,000 miles |
Secure |
Covers your vehicle’s most important components—the engine, transmission, and drivetrain—at an affordable cost |
Select Premiere |
P rotects the most vital components of high-mileage vehicles |
EnduranceAdvantage™ |
Combination plan between an extended auto warranty and a maintenance contract. Maintenance covers things like oil changes, engine diagnostics,and brake pad replacements. |
Endurance has the best benefits of any third-party provider. Your first year of coverage comes with free membership into the Endurance Elite Benefits, which offers perks such as:
- 24/7 emergency roadside assistance
- Collision discount
- Key fob replacement
- Total loss protection
- Tire repair and replacement
- Endurance mobile app
These coverages and benefits are on par with CarSure’s highest level of warranty coverage, but an Endurance extended warranty is a better choice for drivers who want a company with a great customer service track record.
CarShield: Best Value
Our CarShield review found that the provider has the best-for-your-budget car warranty on the market. It offers customers five levels of automobile coverage to choose from:
Plan |
Coverage Details |
|---|---|
Diamond |
This plan covers major vehicle components, from your engine and transmission to your starter and fuel pump. It is the company’s most comprehensive level of car warranty coverage. |
Platinum |
The Platinum plan was designed with the unique needs of high-mileage vehicles in mind. It protects parts such as your car’s engine, transmission, air conditioning, electrical systems, starter, water pump, fuel pump, and more. |
Gold |
Gold covers major and minor parts like the engine, transmission, alternator, starter, air conditioning, power windows, and water pump. |
Silver |
The most important parts of your vehicle will be covered with this plan, including lubricated parts like the engine, transmission, and water pump. |
Aluminum |
T his is a specialty coverage policy designed to protect most electrical and computer-related components, like the engine control module, starter, alternator, navigation/GPS, electrical systems, and more. |
CarShield also provides coverage for all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles. Some benefits that come with a CarShield extended car warranty include:
- 24/7 roadside assistance
- Courtesy towing
- Rental car coverage
Methodology
- 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.
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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