Protect the most essential components of your vehicle.
A car warranty can offset sudden and unexpected repair costs, but the language surrounding warranties can be complex. Do you know what your manufacturer warranty or extended warranty will pay for? Just what does a powertrain warranty cover?
Today, we will discuss the ins and outs of powertrain warranties. When you have all the details, you can decide whether you need any additional protection for your vehicle.
Looking for the best extended warranty?Read Motor1's guide to the best providers available. See Our Top Picks > |
In this article:
What’s Covered By A Powertrain Warranty
“Powertrain” is a word that refers to the engine, transmission, and drivetrain. Technically, most parts on a car are designed to make it move in one way or another, but “powertrain” encompasses the parts that are integral to a vehicle’s movement.
So, what does each part of the powertrain do? Well, the engine generates power, the transmission controls how much power is going to the wheels, and the drivetrain actually delivers that power to the wheels. The drivetrain contains subcomponents like the clutch and torque converter.
The main take is that the drivetrain is essential for the proper functioning of your vehicle, and it has a lot of moving parts – moving parts that, eventually, could just decide to stop working. That’s where a powertrain warranty would be useful.
Powertrain Vs Bumper-To-Bumper Warranties
The differences between a powertrain and bumper-to-bumper warranty are fairly straightforward. In a nutshell, a powertrain warranty covers the powertrain, and a bumper-to-bumper warranty covers almost every non-powertrain component from the front bumper to the rear bumper.
In reality, a bumper-to-bumper warranty can look different depending on your warranty provider. The best warranties will cover most components of the car, and the worst warranties will have a lot of fine print and exclusions. That being said, most bumper-to-bumper warranties have some exclusions like wear-and-tear items.
That’s why it’s important to find a reputable extended warranty provider if you decide to purchase an extended powertrain warranty.
How Long Does A Powertrain Warranty Last?
Powertrain warranty term lengths vary widely by provider. If you purchase a new car with a powertrain warranty, some of the best manufacturers offer coverage for 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Other automakers may only offer 4 years or 50,000 miles.
If you decide to purchase an extended warranty, you can generally get great powertrain coverage from a third-party company no matter what vehicle make you’re driving.
Who Has The Best New Car Powertrain Warranty?
The award for best factory powertrain warranty goes to Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, and Mitsubishi. Each offers a term length of 10 years or 100,000 miles. Tesla isn’t far behind with a term length of 8 years (mileage limits vary by model), while Infiniti, Lincoln, and Cadillac all come in at 6 years or 70,000 miles.
Are Powertrain And Drivetrain Warranties The Same?
This is often the next question vehicle owners have after asking, what does a powertrain warranty cover? Many car owners think that a powertrain and a drivetrain are the same thing, but that’s not correct. The powertrain can be split into two parts: the engine and the drivetrain. That means the drivetrain includes the following components:
- Torque converter
- Propeller shaft
- U-joint
- Rear-axle
- Spool
- Differential
Why You Might Need An Extended Warranty
For many car owners, purchasing an extended warranty can provide peace of mind. Even if you have factory powertrain coverage, it’s only a matter of time until your warranty expires, leaving you responsible for any repair bills. When you consider that the average cost of replacing the transmission in a car is between $1,800 and $3,400, that peace of mind alone might be worth it.
If you want full coverage for your vehicle, an extended warranty that includes both bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage is your best bet. But if you’re just looking for protection for essential components like the engine, then you should consider an extended powertrain warranty.
Where Can You Purchase An Extended Warranty?
Extended warranties can be purchased either directly from your automobile manufacturer or from a third-party provider like CARCHEX or CarShield.
Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. If you have a lot of brand loyalty and feel most comfortable signing a contract with your favorite car brand, then that’s probably the best choice for you. However, manufacturer warranties usually have stricter requirements on where you can service your vehicle – usually, it’s only in manufacturer service centers. You may also have to purchase your extended warranty at the time you purchase your vehicle.
Third-party warranty providers, on the other hand, generally let you service your vehicle at whatever in-network shop you like, giving you a lot more flexibility.
Top Extended Powertrain Warranty Providers
Let’s take a look at some of the top third-party extended warranty providers. When we recently reviewed the best extended car warranty companies in the industry, these were the four that performed best in categories like reputation, coverage, customer experience, and cost.
CARCHEX: Best Overall
CARCHEX is often considered the gold standard of extended warranty providers. With endorsements from brands like Kelley Blue Book, Carfax, and Edmunds.com, you know the company can be trusted.
CARCHEX doesn’t have a specific powertrain warranty. Instead, it has different levels of coverage from Platinum to Bronze. As you move lower down the line, your coverage decreases and fewer parts are covered until you’re left with just the powertrain. If you’re looking for just powertrain coverage, we would recommend the Silver or Bronze plan.
Read our CARCHEX review to learn more.
Here are the full coverage options for CARCHEX:
| Plan | Coverage Period | Who It's For | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Titanium |
Up to 10 years |
Those looking for the highest level of protection |
Bumper-to-bumper protection that covers almost all components |
|
Platinum |
Up to 10 years |
People looking to cover specific components |
Covers most components |
|
Gold |
Up to 10 years |
People with a vehicle that has over 60,000 miles |
Provides flexible coverage for a range of vehicle parts |
|
Silver |
Up to 7 years |
Motorists with high-mileage vehicles |
Covers only the most essential vehicle components |
|
Bronze |
Up to 6 years |
Motorists looking for a basic level of coverage |
Covers common and expensive repairs |
|
Best Overall ★★★★★
|
No. 1 overall, beating the competition in company reputation, coverage options, and customer service. |
Endurance: Best Direct Provider
Endurance is a direct provider, which means there’s no middleman involved. If you choose to work with Endurance, you will deal with them every time including during the claims process. That means your claims experience may go by more quickly than with another company.
Read our Endurance review to learn more.
Endurance offers five levels of extended car warranty coverage:
| Plan | Who It's For | Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Supreme |
Those who want complete coverage |
Superb bumper-to-bumper coverage |
|
Superior |
Those who want near-complete coverage |
Covers many specific parts of vehicles |
|
Secure Plus |
Those who need coverage quickly |
Covers steering, electrical, and brake systems with a shorter waiting period than other coverages |
|
Secure |
Those who want budget coverage |
Only covers the most important parts of your vehicle |
|
Select Premier |
Those with older vehicles |
Only covers the powertrain |
If you’re looking for powertrain coverage only, Select Premier is the best choice for you. Endurance’s term lengths are not available online, but in our “secret shopper” analysis, the longest quote we were able to get was for 8 years or 125,000 miles.
|
Best Direct Provider ★★★★★
|
The best option for a direct provider, meaning you work with their team throughout every step of the process. |
CarShield: Most Popular
Of all the extended car warranty providers we researched, CarShield was the most popular. The company has low deductibles and claims are paid directly to the repair shop, saving you some time and hassle.
Read our CarShield review to learn more.
CarShield offers six levels of coverage:
| Plan | Who It's For | Details |
|---|---|---|
|
New Car Diamond |
Motorists that want factory-warranty-level coverage for their vehicle |
Bumper-to-bumper coverage that’s near-identical to most manufacturer warranties |
|
Platinum |
High-mileage vehicle owners |
Covers most major vehicle systems |
|
Gold |
Motorists that only want to cover the most important components |
Provides coverage for the powertrain, transmission, water pump, air conditioning, ignition, and a few other components |
|
Silver |
Motorists who want basic powertrain coverage |
Covers most parts of the powertrain |
|
High Tech |
Motorists whose cars have high-tech or highly advanced electrical systems |
Covers GPS systems, the engine control module, alternator, and other electrical systems |
|
Specialty |
Motorcycle, ATV, and off-road vehicle owners |
Offers several levels of coverage for specialty vehicles |
|
Most Popular ★★★★☆
|
A great provider with a history of over one million vehicles protected and thousands of customer reviews. |
autopom!: Best Quotes And Claims Process
If you’re looking for peace of mind, autopom! might be the right choice for you. In fact, the “pom” stands precisely for “peace of mind.” The company offers quick quotes via email, so you can easily figure out whether coverage is worth it for you. Customer service is quite good, too. If any claim is taking longer than usual, an investigator from autopom! will look into it for you.
Read our autopom! review to learn more.
autopom! offers the following levels of coverage:
| Plan | Term | Who It's For | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Exclusionary |
Up to 8 years |
Motorists who want to cover every part of their vehicle |
Covers every vehicle component except those specifically excluded |
|
High-Level |
Up to 7 years |
Motorists who want an affordable but comprehensive warranty |
Covers a high number of listed components |
|
Mid-Level |
Up to 7 years |
High-mileage vehicle owners |
Provides powertrain coverage and protection for components in the steering, cooling, suspension, fuel delivery, and braking systems |
|
Powertrain-Plus |
Up to 6 years |
Motorists who want powertrain coverage with a few add-ons |
Protects the powertrain with optional add-on coverage for electrical, air conditioning, and fuel systems |
|
Best Quote And Claims Process ★★★★★
|
Another provider we recommend for their top-notch service, when getting a quote or submitting a claim. |
FAQs
What is not included in a powertrain warranty?
A powertrain warranty only covers the powertrain, which includes the engine, transmission, and drivetrain. No other components are included. Some warranty providers may offer additional coverage with their powertrain warranties, but by definition, powertrain warranties cover just the powertrain.
What is covered under Chevy’s powertrain warranty?
The Chevy powertrain warranty lasts for 5 years or 60,000 miles and covers all components of the powertrain such as the engine and transmission.
What is covered under Hyundai’s powertrain warranty?
Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers all components of the powertrain for 5 years or 60,000 miles.
